2018 Arts Iditarod Schedule and Locations

Advance REGISTRATION is suggested in case weather necessitates schedule changes.

New Year Brings a Third Annual Statewide Arts Iditarod

Maine Arts Commission to bring workshops to four regions in January-February

AUGUSTA, ME, January 6, 2017—On January 10, 2018, the Maine Arts Commission will launch its 2018 Arts Iditarod, a long and undoubtedly snowy regional tour from Kennebunk to Houlton and Lewiston to Ellsworth. The four regional meetings will provide professional development workshops, information, and discussion opportunities to the state’s far-flung, diverse arts and cultural organizations, as well as artists, arts educators, and community policy makers and members interested in development in and through the arts.

“We’re the most rural state in the nation, and people often have to travel long distances to get services,” said Julie Richard, the Arts Commission’s Executive Director. “We’ve discovered these regional sessions to be the best way to stay connected and offer broad access to our programs.”

The tour kicks off at the Houlton Higher Education Center, in cooperation with the Tri-County Regional Creative Council, on Wednesday, January 10. Event registration, also available online, will open at 12:30 with sessions running from 1 to 4 p.m. All of the Maine Arts Iditarod events are free and open to the public.

Each of the four gatherings will include three intensive workshops, on Cultural Tourism; Strategic Planning for both Arts Organizations and Artists; and How to Be and Build a Better Board. In addition, information and updates will be provided on several Arts Commission initiatives, including the Commission’s new nonprofit advocacy and support organization, ArtsEngageME; local and state economic impact data for the arts; and grants. Refreshments will be served.

The Commission’s five-year cultural strategic plan, adopted in 2015, and information regarding programs and Iditarod location and agenda details are available at mainearts.com. You can also register at the website to review, as of January 2, the new year’s grant program guidelines and open applications; to receive the Commission’s monthly e-newsletters, containing information about grant and other opportunities and awards; and to follow the Commission on social media @MaineArts #MaineArts.