Category: Maine Arts Commission

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A state that values its artists

The Arts Iditarod is sprinting toward a stop near you, but only if you live in Maine.


Dyce Head Light, by Carol L. Douglas
On Jan. 8, the Maine Arts Commission will launch its 2019 Arts Iditarod. This year’s stops are:
January 8 – Portland, SPACE Gallery in Portland
January 9 –Bangor Arts Exchange
January 16 – River Arts in Damariscotta
February 5 –University of Maine at Fort Kent
The idea is to hit four of the state’s eight cultural regions each year. The meetings are aimed at arts and cultural organizations, individual artists, educators, and community policy makers. I went last year in Ellsworth and learned a lot that was pertinent to my own business. 
However, I think it would be most compelling for a person contemplating a community cultural project. If that’s you, you’d be crazy to miss it.
Best Buds, by Carol L. Douglas. This carousel was a community work of art inspired by one person’s idea.
Last fall I had the chance to visit a cultural project that is the ideal example of the impact one person’s big idea can have. The carousel at Saranac Lake, NY is a community work of art and an important part of the village’s renaissance. It was inspired by local woodworker Karen Loffler, but it took the whole community to make it a reality. Today the carousel is one of Saranac Lake’s major attractions. 
The Iditarod will be your chance to figure out the nuts and bolts of bringing ideas like that into reality. Larry Rubenstein will talk about approaching potential donors and taking the fear out of asking for money. Julie Richard will give guidance on creating a strategic plan for both organizations and individuals.  

Damariscotta Main Street, by Carol L. Douglas
There will also be a mini-Town Hall discussion in preparation for the next statewide Cultural Planning process that will begin in autumn 2019. And there will be information about Maine’s upcoming bicentennial celebrations.
Registration opens at 11:30 with programs from noon to 4 PM.  You can advance register through the Maine Arts Commission website. It’s free.
“The weather for next week is looking dicey so be sure to pre-register for these so we can update you if we need to postpone,” said executive director Julie Richards. Mush!
Castine Lunch Break, by Carol L. Douglas
One thing I’ve noticed since moving to Maine is how much the arts community is valued here. It’s surprised me how much our opinions are sought, and how we’re considered a valuable part of economic development (and not just for the purpose of gentrification).
So I suppose this is as good a place as any to mention that I was recently appointed to the Maine Arts Commission. As a new member, my first duty was being sworn in, which I did on a dark night of wet snow in the front parlor of Dr. John Lewis of Camden. He’s what they call a Dedimus Justice up here. Unique to Maine, these officials have one job: swearing in other officials.
As far as I can see, my first tasks will be to read, listen and think. Since I’m not a joiner by nature, I’m honored that outgoing governor Paul LePage thought I had something to offer.
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Want to make a living in the arts?

Pay attention to the numbers and develop a strategic plan.
Three Graces, Carol L. Douglas (courtesy Camden Falls Gallery). Wherever I go, that’s where the party’s at, especially on the Camden docks. That’s part of my business plan.

Yesterday, we started our day with a tsunami warning scrolling across our phones. Later, they issued a clarification; Accuweather had misread a test alarm. The mighty Atlantic floated serenely on.

A tsunami would have messed up my plans, which were to drive to Ellsworth to attend the Maine Arts Commission’s Arts Iditarod.
I’ve writtenabout my own strategic planning. It’s tremendously important for the artist who wants to go from dedicated amateur to professional. I was chuffed to hear Julie Richard, Maine Arts Commission Executive Director, ask how many artists or organizations have a strategic plan. I wasn’t so chuffed by the response, which was pretty spotty. In fact, I was the only working artist in the group who had such a plan.
Parker Dinghy, by Carol L. Douglas. A commission from a day on the Camden docks.
A strategic plan is just a disciplined exercise in developing goals and objectives for your business venture. If you’re a Maine artist who wants to take that all-important step in self-development, I encourage you to attend the last of the meetings, at Lewiston on February 14. You can register here. Mush!
Artists, for the most part, operate outside a corporate structure. For us, a blueprint is critically important, and yet we’re loathe to embrace planning. When I did my first strategic planning, it seemed a strange and wondrous concept. Twenty years later, I get it. Don’t let the oddity of the process deter you. It really works.
Athabasca glacier, by Carol L. Douglas. My plan never involves giving up fun.
About 22,000 Mainers make their living in the arts, and we’d do a better job of it if we were more organized. That starts with facts about our target audience. There are, of course, a similar set of facts for every locale. If you’re not in Maine, you’ll need to ferret them out on your own.
Arts and cultural tourists tend to spend more, stay longer, and come back more frequently than other kinds of visitors to Maine, according to Maine Cultural Tourism Coordinator Abbe Levin. They’re also more likely to move here after retirement. The Maine Office of Tourism is a big player in drawing them here, although most of their efforts are invisible to us Mainers. 95% of their marketing is done out of state. This year, VisitMaine will have around 3.5 million hits, and the office will send out mailings to a list of more than 800,000 visitors.
“How many visitors are too many?” asked a participant. While that’s something that occurs to us in July, the coastal economy needs people from away.
Russ Island at High Tideby Carol L. Douglas. It was painting off the American Eagle that inspired the Age of Sail workshop this June.
Maine currently sees about 40 million visitors a year, with annual growth of 8-9%. To compare, New York City, which is America’s top-drawing tourist destination, sees 60 million visitors a year. Yosemite gets 4 million people a year. We are, in fact, a very big deal, but we have the capacity to accommodate more, according to Levin. That’s particularly true during the shoulder seasons and in places farther up north.
The question for Maine artists is how to engage these visitors. Is it with more gallery representation, a self-run gallery, signage, advertising, painting on the dock or chatting up tourists?