33rd Annual Scolnik Award Reception

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This signature event honors the legacy of Louis Scolnik, a justice on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and the co-founder and first president of the ACLU of Maine. Justice Scolnik dedicated his life to the pursuit of fairness and equality under the law, and this event continues his vision by celebrating those who carry that work forward today.

Ryan Adams carries the torch of Justice Scolnik's fight not with lawsuits and court orders, but with large-form murals, prints, and community engagement. Through his art, Ryan lifts up underserved communities, amplifies unheralded voices, and shines light on critical issues. In trying times, free expression is a critical tool to speak out, push back, find joy, explore new ideas, and build community.

Just this past year, Ryan created and publicly shared "No ICE" signs so business owners and community spaces could push back against violent immigration operations. The visual power of the pieces was matched by Ryan's generosity. The signs went viral, becoming an important element of resistance and resilience across the country and throughout Maine. More recently, Ryan was part of a project to honor Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, the man who was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Biddeford this summer.

See Ryan's work on his website here and follow @ryanwritesonthings on Instagram.

The Scolnik Award is more than an evening – it is a gathering of people who believe in the power of community, the importance of standing together, and the promise of a Maine where everyone's rights and freedoms are protected.

Kafari’ (he/him) is the alias of pianist and rhythm bones-weilding beatmaker Ahmad Muhammad. Kafari’s music synthesizes his love of ambient piano music, instrumental hip-hop, and acoustic percussion. It takes deep inspiration from pioneering jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby, beatmaking legend J Dilla, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who in a 2014 performance sparked Kafari’s interest in traditional music and the Irish rhythm bones – a percussion instrument popularized in America in the 1800s through Blackface Minstrelsy. Kafari often distributes and teaches bones at his performances, sharing pieces of their complex and fraught history and workshopping basic rhythmic techniques with his audiences over his beats.

Reaching out into Casco Bay and welcoming newcomers to Portland, Ocean Gateway is the City’s waterfront jewel. The spectacular setting of islands and water enhances the beauty of the architecture, which was designed to resemble the prow of a ship.

Parking is available in the Ocean Gateway Visitor Center lot, with additional spaces along the large lot next to the venue. You'll also find plenty of street parking nearby.