Painting for a Purpose was founded by two former teachers, Jane Ellis and Tina Edwards, whose hope was to bring creative people together to paint whimsical decorative items and have their painting make a difference. While we used to meet in person, our group of painters now meets over Zoom frequently from locations all over Maine and beyond.
From time to time, we invite local artists and community members to help with special projects.
All of our fanciful items are sold at craft shows, shops, restaurants and by special order.
All Proceeds support Youth Led Service Learning Grants
All of the money raised through the sales of our hand-painted items fund youth led fund service learning grants (up to $500 each) initiated by students K-12 in the Portland Public Schools in Maine. All grants must be youth-led service learning projects. Click here to learn more about the youth-led service learning and grant process.
There is a real sense of joy in having our art help to do good in the world.
meet our advisory board:
About Us
Tina Edwards, Co-Founder
Tina Edwards helps to provide the vision and direction for Painting for a Purpose’s program and collaborations, both artistic and educational. She brings 25 years’ diverse experience as an experiential educator, staff developer and facilitator. For over 15 years, Tina served as an Outward Bound instructor, and later played a variety of leadership roles in Outward Bound/Expeditionary Learning—including being instrumental in bringing Expeditionary Learning to Portland, Maine. She co-founded the REAL School, an alternative school, in Windham, Maine. Tina has served as a guidance counselor, a service-learning consultant with KIDS Consortium, a Field Associate for the National Center for Student Aspirations and an Adjunct Professor at University of Southern Maine and University of New England. She played a central role in developing a nationally-regarded youth philanthropy model with YOUTHINK, an innovative Portland youth leadership organization. Ms. Edwards holds a Master of Science degree in Counselor Education.
Sue Clark
Besides early work in newspaper journalism , Sue Clark has held professional and volunteer leadership roles in a number of Maine non-profit organizations. She was a co-founder of the Portland Partnership (now the Foundation for Portland Public Schools), served nine years on the Portland School Committee and taught language arts at King Middle School. A grandmother of five, Sue leads writing groups and is a trustee of the interfaith Chaplaincy Institute of Maine.
Tracy Harkins
Of Harkins Consulting LLC, works nationally guiding educational change. For over 20 years, Tracy has provided service-learning professional development and resources to engage and motivate student learners. Prior to starting her own consulting firm, she worked at KIDS Consortium, a non-profit that developed an award-winning service-learning educational model. Tracy co-authored multiple publications: Connect Science Energy; KIDS as Planners Guidebook; Working With KIDS: A Service-Learning : Engaging Students in STEM. When Tracy is not traveling for work, she enjoys spending time at her home on Duck Puddle Pond in Maine, with her husband, Scott and dog, Ponder.
Ellen Handelman
Ellen Handelman, is an art teacher at Harrison Lyseth Elementary School in Portland. She loves guiding her KIndergarten through Fifth grade students to develop an understanding that they are all artists. After having moved around a lot and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Missouri, Boston, Massachusetts and College Station, Texas, Ellen is thrilled to call Freeport, Maine her home. Her motto is to “Slow Down” which is great, since she is a sailor and artist. Ellen spends her summer sailing with her husband Jonathan, daughter Moss, and cat Friday. She loves painting postcards and tiny booklets about each place they visit by boat. She often sends the postcards to her son Simon, who is an adult and lives in Washington, DC.
Jill Irving
Jill Irving has had a variety of experiences in the world of art. After graduating SUNY-Potsdam as an art teacher, she undertook further training at the Butera School of Art as a commercial artist with a specialty in sign painting, a profession she followed for many years. The most significant project she worked on was painting the animals and decorative elements on New York’s official merry-go-round - the Empire State Carousel. When the computer became popular and reduced the need for professional sign painters, she returned to the world of education, first as a program coordinator for Very Special Arts Maine, and then as the woodworking teacher at Portland Arts and Technology High School, a position she currently holds.
DRUE RowEan
Drue retired to the Portland area after spending 40 years in the Boston Market in the advertising and television sales industry. Having summered in Maine for thirty years, she and her husband knew that Maine was the place for them to live full time. Drue has volunteered for many different non profit organizations, including Boston’s Children’s Hospital and raised funds for them by running 4 Boston Marathons. When her feet gave out, she continued to work in the Boston Marathon Medical Tent from 2010 to the present. She is currently on the Beach to Beacon Advisory Committee as well as heads of the Family Relations team. In the pre COVID years, Drue volunteered to work with the art teacher at the local elementary school. Golfing, pottery, painting, knitting, needlepoint all included in her hobbies. But Drue’s happiest moments are when she and her husband get to spend time with their son and daughter in law and their beautiful and obviously amazing granddaughter.
Julie Wooden
Julie is a former healthcare executive who became involved with Painting for a Purpose in 2012 when she volunteered to help a friend at the annual auction. She became one of the weekly painting group (quite the novice) and has since gained skills and confidence not only in painting, but in the basics of woodworking, as she now assists with cutting and prepping projects. When not painting, Julie can be found on local tennis courts or doting on her young grandchildren.