Since You Asked THE COMPETITION doesn't officially kick off until Dec. 1, but plenty of people are already coming up with ideas for South Portland's fuel tanks. A story we ran on Oct. 12 about a contest sponsored by Maine Center for Creativity to paint Sprague Energy Corp.'s tanks got a lot of creative juices flowing. We received 46 comments on the subject, some good ideas, some funny ideas and some critics of the idea itself. They ranged from the goofy – paint them as giant cans of Deep Woods Off! – to the not so ridiculous – paint them so they blend in with their surroundings. While the decision of what to do will ultimately be up to the collective minds that make up the Maine Center for Creativity, we decided to get a jump on things and ask some of Portland's young artists what they think might make for good art on such a large canvas. Art is in the crayon of the beholder Reporter Giselle Goodman revs up her imagination for some thoughts on how to decorate the tanks. And some ideas from readers for the tanks: The concept of using our South Portland oil tanks as a canvas for art generated ideas from readers, as well as some concern about the fiscal and public safety questions the project creates. Here are some of their postings to MaineToday. 1. Please make this a statewide search and not national or worldwide. Let the artists send in their ideas and then have a vote. 2. I am concerned about the financial aspect of this project. That's a lot of money for one coat of paint. Which brings on my other concern of how is this going to be maintained in the future? 3. A note to potential artist — I think that "Dino" of Waterboro had some good ideas. (Those ideas were: sunny day at Fort Williams. Fall foliage day of Katahdin. Outdoor skating with snowflakes. Different animal scenes.) Lisa Johnson, Hollis Paint them with Maine's wildlife and flora. One with moose, another with bears, puffins, lobsters, lupines, etc. Maurice Fujie, Hawaii How could anyone possibly think that terrorists give a good almighty about our oil tanks in Maine? Didn't (the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks) prove to everyone they only hit targets that will give them the maximum exposure? Who would really care, after the initial "network buzz" anyway? I say paint some beautiful pictures on the tanks and give the harbor a nice NEW look. William W. Colby, Freeport Read more ideas from readers If you have a story you'd like written, contact us via e-mail or call Giselle Goodman at 791-6330 to leave a message. Please include your name and other contact information. To top of story

The graffiti artists of Portland long ago set their sights on the tank farm of South Portland as a irresistible canvas just begging for paint.

But the tanks were always out of reach, said Tim Clorius, one of Portland's emerging public artists.

"In this day and age, it wouldn't be a very good idea to just walk up there at night with a backpack on, you know. . .," he said. "But those (tanks) would be great for so many things. It is prime, clean canvas."

Canvas, indeed, agrees the newly formed Maine Center for Creativity and Sprague Energy Corp., owners of the tanks. And so, on Dec. 1, the Center for Creativity will launch its first major art project – a contest to come up with the best artistic concept for five tank walls and 24 tank tops at the farm.

"The mission (of the center) is to create projects and programs which contribute to the vitality of the message of creative economy," said Jean Maginnis, executive director of the center. "This is an open design competition. We're basically looking to have as many artists as possible respond to us to give us a conceptual idea."

The deadline, she said, is March 1, but some Portland Press Herald readers already have made their minds up about what should and should not appear on the tanks, after a story about the contest ran on Oct. 12.

In a flood of e-mail, many people said they should be painted with Maine things – loons and lobsters and such. Others want them to visually pay tribute to Maine's seafaring history or historical events. A few people said they should not be decorated at all.

But the one theme that resounded in almost every response was this: Keep it local.

"I drive by those tanks every day . . . And I say 'Yes, paint them,' " said Dave Marshall, 27, of Portland. "But, I believe you should send this out statewide. Not worldwide.

"We have an unmeasurable amount of talent here at home and who better to express that love of home than people who live here."

Marshall, an artist who paints in bold, vibrant acrylics, loves the idea and plans to submit a concept.

So does Clorius, a 2002 Maine College of Art graduate. At 29, he has come full circle from being an underground graffiti artist, leaving his "SubOne" tag on buildings around the city, to a graffiti artist with a purpose.

"There is a place for graffiti as vandalism in a community because it is free speech and at the same time it is anti-authority," he said. "But I do think there is also a place for evolved graffiti art."

Like, the tanks for example. Or other places where his graffiti-inspired public works of art already stand, such as the fence surrounding the Munjoy Hill Community Center.

Even though the "SubOne" that lives within would love to hit the tanks with an aerosol assault, the grown-up Clorius – now a serious, large-scale-canvas public artist – is considering this submission: Paint each tank to blend in with the surroundings – the same trees, horizon, houses, and such – but each cloaked in a different season.

"You would look at them from the end of the Maine State Pier, and at each season, one of them would blend in," he said.

Becky Fitzpatrick has for a long time also thought of splashing the tanks with art. The 31-year-old collage artist votes "no" on lighthouses. She also votes "no" on president portraits.

"They're all over our money, they don't need to be all over everything else," she said.

Her most resounding no vote, though, goes to keeping them as they are.

"Seals and whales would be a vast improvement over these vast industrial things," she said. "I think there is so much room to go above and beyond (seals and whales). I would hope people would be open minded."

If she could put art on the tanks she would cover them with thousands and thousands of hands, her latest fascination.

"People speak with their hands. They use them for everything," she said.

Since she doesn't thrill to the idea of painting a 40-foot-high tank, she gives Clorius the nod for the job. She rallies for the tanks to become the canvas Portland's graffiti artists have always desired.

Sure it would be a dream come true. But Clorius would be just as happy to know that whatever art ends up on the tanks is local art.

"It's a liberal city, very friendly to the arts, it is becoming diverse culturally," he said. "That's what we want to project. Why not show off the cultural side of the city. (The tank farm) could be turned into a landmark on the East Coast. It could be a piece of pride for the city of Portland."

Staff Writer Giselle Goodman can be contacted at 791-6330 or at: ggoodman@pressherald.com