Performing Arts Lead the Way at the 2011 Governor's Conference on Tourism

Maine's Performing Arts will take their customary center stage next week at the Governor's Confernce on Tourism as part of a state wide initiative set to promote Maine through the Performing Arts.

On February 17, (8am-5pm) The Maine Governor’s Conference on Tourism will be held at the Portland Holiday Inn by the Bay, providing professional development sessions, valuable networking, and the opportunity to meet with tourism professionals. The conference offers a place to exchange ideas and best practices that benefit the state's tourism industries. Admission is $50. More information can be found at http://www.mainetourismconference.com/

This year the conference will feature the Maine Performs initiative. Maine Performs is a collaboration between the Maine Arts Commission, the Maine Office of Tourism, and a consortium group of presenting arts organizations. It is a project designed to promote the performing arts throughout the state and highlight Maine as a destination for cultural tourism. Printed material for the project features 22 of Maine’s finest performance destinations and directs reader to the Maine Tourism website where a directory of performing arts offerings will be posted. The directory is self-subscribed and all Maine performing arts organizations are encouraged to list their information. This will create a tremendous resource for all people looking for theatre, music, dance and other events in Maine.
To create a listing go to:
http://www.visitmaine.com/tourism/
to check your listing and the listings of others go to:
http://www.visitmaine.com/attractions/performing_arts.

Maine’s Artists Showcase at Biathlon World Cup

Winter sports enthusiasts will be treated to the best of Maine’s culture in the coming weeks as over 35,000 visitors, including 3,000 members of the European press, descend upon Aroostook County for the 2011 Biathlon World Cup in Presque Isle and Fort Kent for Olympic-level competition.

The Maine Arts Commission has worked with event organizers in an effort to provide the very best in entertainment and cultural offerings for spectators during their two-week stay in Maine. Festivities include live music, exhibitions of Maine art and much more.

In Presque Isle, support from the Maine Arts Commission will allow artisans Thom Cote, Brian Theriault and Laney Lloyd to bring Maine’s traditions alive though demonstrations of carving, traditional snowshoe making and weaving. The funding will also support performing artists as they round out existing offerings for the February 4 and 5 festivities.

In Fort Kent, the events will run for five days beginning on February 9. The 10th Mountain Ski Club has been given funding to support artists at the Lions Pavilion, the University at Fort Kent, the venue at Lonesome Pines, the area high school and the Ice Castle venue.

Support from the Maine Arts Commission will allow for extended programming of artists like Pete Kilpatrick and Dark Hollow Bottling Company. It will also bring The Acadian Singers and local singing sensation Melanie Saucier to the festival to perform traditional songs associated with the St. John Valley. The funds will also help traditional arts exhibitions by local artists involved in weaving, basket making, snowshoe making, rug hooking, wood sculpting, ploys (buckwheat pancakes) and more.

More information for the Presque Isle event can be found online using this link. http://discovernorthernmaine.com/2011-biathlon-world-cup/presque-isle-world-cup/
Information for the Fort Kent event can be found using this link.

The New Year Begins...

The Maine Arts Commission has begun this year as it ended the last: the reduction in staff due to state budget cuts means it will continue to be busy.

To ease some of the workload the agency has enlisted the help of Kathleen Mundell to oversee the Traditional Arts program. Kathleen holds a Masters Degree in Folklore and has over twenty-five years experience in the fields of public sector folklore and community arts.

Kathleen will begin work immediately to advocate for the traditional arts: She will build the application pool for the agency’s three traditional arts focused grants programs (Sustaining Traditional Arts in the Community, Traditional Arts Apprenticeships, and Traditional Arts Fellowship), and plan a celebration of the 20th year of the Maine Arts Commission's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program.

The 124th legislative sessions will figure prominently in this week’s plans. The agency’s director will present budget amendments to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs committee on Tuesday; she will make an hour-long presentation to the Governor’s Quality of Place Council on Wednesday, and on Thursday meet with the Governor’s Subcommittee on Tourism to discuss the ongoing importance of the arts in the state’s tourism efforts.