ARTSIPELAGO is Awarded ArtPlace Grant

ArtPlace releases 47 grants supporting creative placemaking initiatives in 33 communities nationwide

ARTSIPELAGO, a comprehensive community revitalization strategy that bets on art as the centerpiece of a comeback in rural Eastern Maine, has been given a significant vote of support in the form of a $250,000 grant from ArtPlace.

The Tides Institute & Museum of Art in Eastport, Maine, the organizing force behind the program, will leverage related arts and cultural initiatives by linking and expanding them in transformative and revitalizing ways. The group hopes to sharpen the region’s image as a distinctive destination for both residents and travelers. This is the first ArtPlace award in the state of Maine and one of only two in New England this year.

ARTSIPELAGO transcends two countries and a multitude of islands, peninsulas, communities and cultures. The project involves the creation of a new arts and cultural passport, and year round guide to this international border region — featuring artist studios, cultural centers, ferries, films, and festivals to local foods, lighthouses, music, parks, theater and more. In addition, arts performances, workshops and demonstrations will be integrated throughout downtowns during the region’s festivals. Funding will also support the establishment of a downtown regional StudioWorks facility linking artist residencies, students, and communities.

ArtPlace is a new national collaboration of 11 major national and regional foundations, six of the nation’s largest banks, and eight federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, to accelerate creative placemaking across the U.S. To date, ArtPlace has raised almost $50 million to work alongside federal and local governments to transform communities with strategic investments in the arts.

"Across the country, cities and towns are using the arts to help shape their social, physical, and economic characters," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "The arts are a part of everyday life, and I am thrilled to see yet another example of an arts organization working with city, state, and federal offices to help strengthen and revitalize their communities through the arts. It is wonderful that ArtPlace and its funders have recognized this work and invested in it so generously."

A complete list of this year’s ArtPlace awards can be found at artplaceamerica.org.