• About Us
• Find Artists & Organizations
• Events Calendar
• Grants
• Arts Accessibility
• Opportunities
• Press Releases
• Programs
• Services
• Account LogIn

Fall 2006 Issue

Maine Has a Healthy Blend of Private & Public Support for the Creative Economy:
A Message from John M. Rohman, Chair

John M. Rohman, Chair Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Vice Chair Executive Committee John M. Rohman, Bangor Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Auburn Rich Abramson, Readfield Katy Kline, Brunswick Jeffrey McKeen, Freedom Lee Sharkey, Vienna Donald Sharland, Saco Lynn Thompson, Boothbay Rebecca Welsh, Rumford At-Large Members Joseph Donald Cyr, Lille-sur-St-Jean Hugh French, Eastport David Greenham, Monmouth Lee Griswold, Auburn Victoria M. Hershey, Portland Sheila Jans, Madawaska Noah Keteyian, Rockland Mark Miller, Waterville Linda Nelson, Stonington Stuart Nudelman, Ogunquit Mark C. Scally, East Millinocket Jessica Tomlinson, Portland

Here we are at the end of another wonderful Maine summer and for me maybe the best time of the year – those crisp Maine autumn days when things tend to finally slow down a little. However, that will not be the case for the Maine Arts Commission at the end of 2006

We have just learned that the Maine Arts Commission has been selected to make a presentation of Maine’s creative economy initiatives before an international audience at the prestigious Creative Clusters gathering in Gateshead, England. The agency’s presentation was selected among 30 finalists who were chosen from the initial pool of 900 proposals. In this very select group, Maine is one of only a few from the US.

The reason that the Maine Arts Commission was selected to make this presentation is the combination of private and public support for the creative economy. This blend of support in our state is unique for most locations in which this economic development has taken hold. As Maine successfully looks at economic development opportunities in a state that has a somewhat shifting labor force, the creative economy is recognized for its ability to tap into this ever changing workforce. We think of our state as rural, which it is, and unique in this aspect, which it is not. By any measure, most states can be considered rural, so when other areas including foreign countries are looking for appropriate comparisons, the state of Maine, as our counterparts in England have discovered, is a perfect case study to discover success stories and capture the interest of an international audience.

In addition to the Creative Clusters selection, the Maine Arts Commission has also been identified by the RAND Corporation (along with Montana) as an agency which successfully managed the significant federal funding cutbacks of 1990s. The RAND study entitled, “Arts and State Governments – At Arm’s Length or Arm-in-arm,” (available online at www.wallacefoundation.org) is extremely thought provoking. The study is a frank and candid analysis of what has made the Maine Arts Commission successful in the last dozen years, and also highlights the cautions that we must be mindful of moving forward. These cautions include the maintenance of our successful relationship with our legislatures, while at the same time, making sure we satisfy the needs of our artists and arts organizations.

The most important point to consider is that we accept both the congratulations and the cautions with equal attention, and use all this information to best serve our constituency.

Sincerely,
John M. Rohman
Chair

View this page in PDF form.