Stage right: Second act begins at rebranded Portland arts venue

Rendering /Courtesy The Hill Arts St. Lawrence Arts, located in Portland's Munjoy Hill neighborhood, is rebranding as the Hill Arts and embarking on an expansion and building project.

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By Renee Cordes

St. Lawrence Arts, a nonprofit performance venue in Portland's Munjoy Hill neighborhood, is rebranding as the Hill Arts and embarking on an expansion plan.

A spokeswoman for the organization declined to disclose the cost of the planned expansion or the size of the campaign, only saying that a third of the amount has been raised so far from formal gifts and commitments.

The nonprofit, which employs three people, is working with NewHeight Group, a Portland real estate development firm, and David Lloyd, of Portland's Archetype Architects, on the expansion project.

The Hill Arts' new auditorium will house a state-of-the-art, 400-seat theater that will complement the Parish Hall, which seats 106 and continues to be used for performances, workshops and rehearsals.

St. Lawrence Arts, located in the historic St. Lawrence Church Hall, goes back more than two decades. The expansion plan, which got the green light from the Portland Planning Department last month, also envisions an arts incubator, enhanced programming and infrastructure to support children in need.

“With the forthcoming construction of an iconic new building, rebranding to the Hill Arts reflects a natural progression of our organization and our ambitious goals,” said Deirdre Nice, the organization’s founder and executive and artistic director. "We are now positioned to be a strong collaborating partner with Portland’s performing arts organizations and schools and a venue that will attract national and international artists and performers to our vibrant city."

Ken Murphy of Murphy Empire, a Portland-based branding and marketing agency, designed the new brand and logo.

"The logo marks are designed to represent the color, light, movement, connection and, most importantly, the human energy that exists in and around the physical structure, with implied nuances that emulate the proposed architectural design," he said. "We applied the warm color palette to support these aspects, and the energy inherent in the Hill Arts that represents the community and beyond.”