Bangor is participating in a national study that aims to measure how arts and culture and patrons of arts and culture impact the economic prosperity of communities. The study, Arts and Economic Prosperity 5, is organized by Americans for the Arts and creates data to be used for advocacy for the arts.
“We’re coordinating the effort around this survey to encourage a systematic look at what’s happening in Bangor and to amass the data that we need to tell a story that most of the friendly faces I see in this room already know as a matter of faith — that the arts matter, that the arts fuel our economy and enrich our community in many ways — but in measurable, financial ways as well,” said Mary Budd, executive director of Penobscot Theatre Company and a member of the City of Bangor’s Commission on Cultural Development.
Maine participants in the national study include the Bangor, Portland, Waterville, Greater Belfast and the High Peaks region. Participating arts and culture organizations are given surveys, which will be distributed during events of their choosing. The surveys are filled out by attendees of the events and handed back, then given to the commission who pass them along to Americans for the Arts, which compiles the data. The surveys are completed quarterly, and local organizations and the commission are in the process of distributing and collecting surveys for the second quarter.
According to the Americans for the Arts documentation, the fee to participate in the study is $5,500 per study region, though discounts are available. The Maine Arts Commission subsidized 50 percent of the fee and 19 participating local nonprofits each paid $78.13. The city’s Economic Development Division also contributed $1015.53.
Discussion about the study and Bangor’s involvement happened during a public forum hosted by the city of Bangor’s Commission on Cultural Development on Tuesday at the Bangor Opera House, where they addressed arts and culture in the city. The forum drew between 30 and 40 people.
Bangor’s cultural commission is hoping the data will help encourage the Bangor City Council to increase funding for the arts. Funding for the commission is $10,000 per year, according to Budd. She encouraged attendees to lobby City Council to increase funding for the commission so they could expand their services and offer more to the community in the form of grants and programming.
“Just as an update, the council is considering the commission for a larger budget allocation this year, and that’s because in the last year and a half we moved from just being a grant making body to doing a lot more,” Kierie Piccininni, chair of the commission, said.
“We funded Bangor Ballet, supporting underprivileged students at Downeast School. We also helped publish a publication by a local artist, and he not only ended up being able to distribute it statewide but also regionally, nationally and internationally. We’ve also recently given a grant out to Maine Science Festival for their general funding,” Piccininni said.
Piccininni encouraged attendees to drop in at the commission’s monthly meetings, which take place the second Thursday of the month at 8:30 a.m. in City Hall council chambers.
Another point of discussion included last year’s ARTober event, a monthlong celebration of the arts held for the first time last October.
There was some confusion among attendees who were under the impression that ARTober was meant to be an event in and of itself with specifically designated events instead of just a marketing initiative.
“The inspiration for ARtober was to continue the momentum that Bangor enjoys at the height of its tourist season with the [American] Folk Festival. Bangor has really put itself on the map as a place where a vibrant music scene unfolds at the end of August, and yet we know we have a thriving arts and culture scene year-round. … The hope was to spotlight those efforts really through a marketing initiative, not to necessarily gin up events, especially for this occasion, but to encourage partnerships and foster creative works that are already in the works here in Bangor,” Budd said.
A second ARTober is being planned again for this year, and attendees suggested a greater collaboration and increased communication between the commission, local businesses and arts and culture programs about the event.
Also discussed was the creation of a new website by the commission, which will be a “one-stop shop” for Bangor’s arts and culture events, according to commission member and marketing director for Waterfront Concerts, Elisabeth Young.
The forum concluded with a presentation by Bangor City Council chairman Sean Faircloth on a new program he announced called “ Innovative Neighborhoods,” which is still in an early planning phase.
“Innovative Neighborhoods” aims to encourage lighthearted competition among Bangor’s neighborhoods to enhance their livability and expand volunteer service. There are also plans to create a “laboratory of democracy” to encourage citizens to come up with new ideas to improve Bangor.
Faircloth said the commission was one example of an important organization the helps generate new ideas to improve the city.
“Change doesn’t necessarily and shouldn’t necessarily come from our just elected officials — just from your government. I think we need to look at ways of opening up the government to new ideas. … Sometimes I think there’s a little less oxygen in our government for ‘what are we going to do that’s great, that’s going to make us the best city in the United States? How are we going to get there? How are we going to accomplish that?’ So the city council unanimously passed this Innovative Neighborhoods initiative,” Faircloth said.
