Agency News

Maine Arts Commission welcomes five new members

Five new members join the Maine Arts Commission this year. We welcome Lee Griswold, Noah Keteyian, Donald Sharland, Jessica Tomlinson and Rebecca Welsh.

LEE GRISWOLD, Auburn

Lee is perhaps best known for his real estate development work on projects such as The Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch. However, Lee has always had an interest in the arts. He sits on the boards of Museum L-A and L/A Arts. He is a past president of the Community Little Theater in Auburn and sings with the Androscoggin Chorale. He is also a member of the Actors Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

NOAH T. KETEYIAN, Rockland

Noah splits his time in Rockland between two very different jobs. Together with his wife Jessica, the couple own Cozy Deluxe, a high-end design and manufacturing company that sells home furnishings and fashion accessories. Noah is also the director of Midcoast Magnet, a grass roots nonprofit organization focused on economic development in midcoast Maine, using the creative economy model. Noah is the former owner of Hip House, a home store in Portland and has worked as the Regional Manager for Monroe Salt Works. He has served on REALIZE!Maine, the Governor’s initiative to address youth migration, in which Noah assisted in creating recommendations on how to help young adults work and thrive in Maine. Noah is also an accomplished violinist and vocalist.

DONALD SHARLAND, Saco

Don brings a number of talents to the Maine Arts Commission, including an expertise in elder care facilities and their operations. He is the executive director of the Dyer Library/Saco Museum in Saco and is the former director of senior housing for the Maine State Housing Authority and executive director for Wardwell Home for the Aging.  Don has led successful fund raising efforts in the Biddeford-Saco area. He has also been recognized many times for his volunteerism and public service efforts including the Jefferson Award and Rotarian of the Year at the Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club. Don holds a MSW degree in Community Organization & Social Planning from the University of Connecticut and a BA in journalism from the University of Maine.

JESSICA TOMLINSON, Portland

Jessica is the director of public relations at Maine College of Art in Portland where she is in charge of marketing and advertising for the college as well as media relations and community outreach. She has also worked in the marketing department for the online division of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram at MaineToday.com. Prior to that, she served as the community coordinator and as a news assistant for MaineToday.com. She is also the founder of the Portland Artists Dwelling and Studios, an organization dedicated to finding affordable housing for artists in Portland. Jessica is the vice-president of Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance and is currently serving on the community relations/ public information committee for the Maine Arts Commission. Jessica holds a monthly forum in conjunction with SPACE Gallery in Portland. Creative Conversations addresses issues affecting the creative community. She also serves on the Governor’s Creative Economy Council.

REBECCA B. WELSH, Rumford

Rebecca is a professional writer. She writes a weekly column for the Rumford Falls Times, “Arts in the Valley”, and recently founded Willow Brook Farm, a writer’s workshop. Before taking on writing as a full time profession, Rebecca served as the community arts coordinator for the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition in Rumford. She is the former executive director of the Maine Performing Arts Network in Orono and has worked as both the marketing director and development director of PCA Great Performances in Portland. In October, her first essay was published in Echoes magazine entitled Trees: An Island of Wildness. Rebecca has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast MFA Program.