In summer 2024, the Maine Arts Commission mounted a special exhibition in partnership with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources offices. The agencies collaborated to use the bureau’s Deering Building as an exhibit space to promote the work of Maine artists and lend a creative spark…
Capitol art exhibits are a strategy state arts agencies adopt to showcase and celebrate the arts as an important part of state policy and public pride. Exhibiting artworks or cultural events in state capitol buildings helps to raise public awareness about the arts, create visibility for local artists and educate elected officials about the role…
Several state arts agencies across the country have conducted surveys to study the impact of COVID-19 on arts organizations and artists, however the Audience Outlook survey led by the Maine Arts Commission is notable because of its unique emphasis on audience needs and perceptions. The Maine Arts Commission recently released results of the survey, which…
State arts agencies are making rapid changes to their grant programs to help the arts field adjust to unforeseen circumstances stemming from COVID-19. These tactics include accelerating grant payments, extending deadlines, waiving matching requirements, converting project awards to operating support, and revising budget parameters to allow more flexibility in how award dollars are used. Some…
Many state arts agencies support cultural traditions and the artists who propagate them through an apprenticeship program. Such programs, as the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) demonstrates, can be adapted effectively to better respond to a state’s changing demographics and growing creative economy. For example, the new Craft Apprenticeship Program, which MAC manages in partnership with…
In January and February, the Maine Arts Commission braves the elements on its 2018 Arts Iditarod, a two-month technical assistance tour that targets the state’s most rural regions. Events in Kennebunk, Houlton, Lewiston and Ellsworth convene the creative community, offer training sessions and spark dialogue among residents and policymakers interested in rural arts development. The…
Over the course of the 2015-16 school year, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) and the Maine Department of Education took stock of the arts education resources available in the state’s 759 preK-12 schools. The main goal of the 2016 Arts Education Census, as seen in its survey questions, was to locate where high-quality arts learning…
Since the 2010 launch of the Maine-New Brunswick Cultural Initiative, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) has worked to foster its goals of increasing cross-border business, cultural tourism and cultural exchange. Notably, MAC has supported the initiative’s Cultural Exchange Task Force, which consists of arts professionals from both sides of the U.S.-Canada border and has undertaken…
Recognizing that older people can constitute an underserved population in the arts, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) is developing a new Creative Aging program. Beginning with the premise that the arts can enhance quality of life for adults aged 55 and above, MAC is soliciting input on how it can design programs that encourage community…
A new release from the Maine Arts Commission is Maine Performing Arts Festivals 2011: Economic Impact Study. The purpose of the research was to investigate the economic impact of Maine’s performing arts festivals by gathering information about the spending habits of festival audiences. Results indicate that festival attendees spent nearly $45 million in conjunction with…
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