Skip Navigation
MaineArts Home | Table of Contents | << Previous Article | Next Article >>
 A session with Peter and Mary Alice Amidon called Teaching Traditional Dance and Singing Games during the "At The Creative Center" conference. –Photo: Carol Miller  Answering a Question in Clay during the "At the Creative Center" conference. –Photo: Carol Miller  Lucy Sargeant (left) and Amy Odom (right) during a session called Answering a Question in Clay during the "At The Creative Center" conference. –Photo: Carol Miller  Juice Logo PDF of this Article (2.6MB)
|
THE MAINE ARTS COMMISSION played a large part in the production of three major arts themed conferences towards the end of 2007. The first was a community arts conference in Lewiston, the second was an arts education gathering in Rockport, and the last was a creative economy conference that took place in Maine's midcoast region.
One hundred and forty community arts leaders from Maine gathered in Lewiston in October, for "Crossroads for Community Arts: Strategies for Success on the Road Ahead." From all over Maine, artists, administrators, board members, volunteers and staff of museums, performing arts centers, and arts organizations gathered to learn, share and plan for the future.
Linda Nelson of Opera House Arts in Stonington wore many hats for this conference, among them the facilitator of the wrap-up session.
Linda recollects, "As I helped Anne Katz to set the stage for the conference, I was pleased to look up into the audience and see such diversity in age. Young artists and community leaders sat beside long-time advocates for the arts in Maine communities. I met educators, potters, writers, performers, social workers, executive directors and people starting up new arts organizations throughout Maine. I was thrilled to see so many people were inspired enough to stay for the wrap-up session and hammer out next steps for the community arts in Maine. This session generated excellent ideas, specific actions and additional leaders to keep the effort of organizing for community arts moving. Few of us involved in the conference could have asked for more."
Here are the highlights of action steps and ideas generated at the community arts conference.
"The day energized all of us and I see the conference as a beginning of exciting
work in community arts in Maine."
- Harriet Mosher, Director of Five Rivers Arts
Alliance
- Argy Nestor, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist,
Maine Department of Education
In October three hundred educators, artists and community supporters gathered at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, for "At the Creative Center: the Arts in Maine Schools," the first statewide arts education conference in Maine in more than ten years.
Presenters from throughout New England offered over 40 workshops on a variety of arts education topics. The welcome included Maine's First Lady, Karen Baldacci and Commissioner of Education, Susan Gendron. Keynote speakers included Connecticut's Arts Consultant Scott Shuler, artist Eric Hopkins and arts education consultant, Dennie Palmer Wolf.
The enthusiastic responses of those who attended the conference, as well
as the fact that 200 additional educators wanted to attend but were unable to due of lack of space, clearly indicated the need for professional development for arts educators. The goals of the conference were: to empower arts teachers; provide opportunities for all educators to improve teaching and learning by focusing on the importance of the arts and creativity in education; provide information on critical issues (Maine Learning Results, advocacy and regionalization) and their impact on arts education; expand opportunities to reflect on arts education practices to influence the future; explore connections between arts education and the community; and to facilitate cross pollination among and between disciplines. It was clear from evaluation comments that the conference achieved the goals and expectations of attendees.
- Oliver Wilder, Former Director of the
Center for Maine Contemporary Art
On November 16 and 17, 2007, over 400 people gathered in Rockland and Camden at "Juice: Powering the Creative Economy-Maine's
Action Summit."
Participants came from
87 communities across Maine and beyond, representing over 290 businesses and organizations. Attendees got connected, got inspired and got to work setting goals and next steps to make sure creativity and innovation are at the forefront of Maine's economic future.
The conference began on the 16th with a rousing keynote address by Andrew Zolli, curator of Pop!Tech, that reminded Juice participants that they have to "cut through the noise" of countless products and brands by simplifying, by innovating and by developing human networks.
On the 17th, participants rolled up their sleeves and dove into 36 different 90-minute workshop sessions. All of the sessions helped connect and unify people around priority goals and actions.
Some of the goals and actions that emerged at the conference included the creation of regional creative economy groups; attracting and retaining creative workers; marketing the state as an arts destination and strengthening arts education.
Conference evaluations made it clear that Juice participants emerged feeling energized, connected, and determined to carry through the intentions
that had arisen in the course of the conference. Through their ongoing commitment, Juice will become more than an event: it will be a spark and a continuing current of ideas and action that help make Maine as creative, and successful as we intend it to be.
MaineArts Home | Table of Contents | << Previous Article | Next Article >>
