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.

 

Congratulations to Susan Brackett at Boothbay Opera House!

Susan Brackett, Chair of Friends of Friends of the Opera House, will be one of the individuals honored at the 2011 Leadership and Luminaries Awards.

Sponsored by The Bank of Maine, the statewide honor for excellence in board governance will recognize people who have demonstrated examples of inspiration, creativity, and ingenuity. The awards will be presented at the first annual Focus on Philanthropy: The Art of Leadership event, December 1 at The Harraseeket Inn in Freeport.

Four of the five finalists will each receive $2,500 in grant money for their organizations. One grand prize winner (to be revealed at the event) will receive $10,000 for their organization. In addition to the five finalists, two individuals will receive posthumous awards for their past dedication and commitment in board service. The 2011 Leadership and Luminaries finalists are:

* Dr. Vernon L. Moore, Counseling Services Inc.
* Mr. Norm Rodrigue, Kennebec Land Trust
* Dr. Barbara Covey, M.D., Kennebec Valley Dental Coalition
* Mr. Thomas B. Wright, Seeds of Independence
* Ms. Susan Brackett, The Opera House of Boothbay Harbor
* Mr. Peter Burbank, (in Memoriam), Maranacook Education Foundation
* Mr. Horace H. Walton, (in Memoriam), York Hospital

The awards celebration will also include a panel discussion moderated by former governor Angus King. The panel will address the key ingredients to effective nonprofit board governance and will include:

* Keynote Speaker, Lisa Walker, Managing Director of Newman's Own Foundation
* Lowell Weicker, former US Senator and Governor of Connecticut
* Melanie Lockwood Herman, Executive Director, the Nonprofit Risk Management Center
* Prescott Stewart, Managing Director of Development at Harvard Business School
* Robert H. Gardiner, President, Independence Wind LLC

For more information and to register for the event, please visit www.thebankofmaine.com Proceeds will benefit the Maine Association of Non Profits (MANP). Scholarships are available.