Maine Arts Commission Launches New Look

State Agency Re-branding Aligns with Five Year Cultural Plan,  Emphasizing ARTS and Relationships

AUGUSTA, ME, April 3, 2017—The Maine Arts Commission, Maine’s state agency for the arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, has a vibrant new look. The re-design of the agency’s logo; website, mainearts.com; and publications brings them current with “Fortifying Maine’s Creativity & Culture: A Five-Year Cultural Plan 2015-2020,” the Commission’s outline of its new strategic directions. The plan was publicly launched during its 50 anniversary celebration in late 2015.

“Our redesigned logo, colors, fonts and website reflect the Plan’s five priority areas and the Commission’s growth,” said Julie Richard, Executive Director. “We’re increasing focus on advancing the equity and visibility of the arts throughout Maine, as well as on increasing the capacity of the Arts Commission to do that and more. The Commission’s new five-point color scheme and bold new fonts, with a logo that emphasizes the word “ARTS,” provides the Commission with a more modern, updated image moving forward.”

This new branding reflects the Arts Commission’s strengthening of its existing mission and values, as well as its development of increased support for artists, arts organizations, arts educators, policy makers and community developers in advancing Maine’s economic, educational, and cultural development in and through the arts. As it has for more than 50 years, the Commission encourages and stimulates public interest and participation in the cultural heritage and programs of Maine; works to expand the state's cultural resources; and encourages and assists freedom of artistic expression for the well-being of the arts, to meet the needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the state.

“We engaged more than 6,500 Mainers in the creation of this cultural plan, in a year-long series of meetings across the state,” Richard noted. “The data and stories these diverse voices delivered to the planning process are driving a need for more connection, more services, more advocacy on behalf of Maine’s arts and culture. This new look represents our emphasis on building these closer relationships with the field.”

In addition to the broad statewide engagement during the creation of the cultural plan, the Commission is prioritizing and increasing its outreach to all sectors of Maine’s arts and culture communities. The agency undertakes an annual regional meeting tour, which in winter of 2017 brought agency staff to seven different communities to listen and provide information and professional development; Partnership Grant site visits; technical support for organizations; a biennial statewide conference; and, as part of its education program, regional professional development and summer institutes for educators and teaching artists. Information about all these programs and opportunities can be found on the new site.

The cultural plan’s five priority areas, each represented by a selection from the agency’s bright new color palette, are:

• To attract and leverage greater investment in Maine’s arts, culture, and creative economy;
• To increase awareness of creative opportunities and their value to communities and local economies;
• To foster PK-12 arts education and lifelong-learning programs;
• To encourage, enable and increase synergies between culture and tourism, and;
• To ensure that the agency’s capacity matches planned growth, in part by building a statewide cultural network and an additional 501 C 3 funding arm for the agency, ArtsEngageME.

The full cultural plan, as well as additional information, is available at the new mainearts.com. You can also register at the website to receive the Commission’s monthly e-newsletters, containing information about grant and other opportunities and awards; as well as follow the Commission on social media @MaineArts #MaineArts.