Freeport Creative Arts Initiative: Freeport Creative Arts Feeding Creativity Conversation

Friday, January 13, 2012

Freeport Creative Arts Feeding Creativity Conversation

WhenMonday, January 30, 2012, 7pm -9pm

WhereFreeport Community Center 53 Depot St Freeport, ME 04032 (map)

Description Online Artist Portfolios: Steve Milligan, Technology Associate from the Maine Arts Commission will be conducting a workshop centered around Online Artist Portfolios. Steve has over 10 years of experience in web design, usability, web standards and trends. The workshop will familiarize attendees with common web terms and theories. Although the workshop will not delve into the technical nuts and bolts of web development, it will provide a firm understanding of successful web design strategies through visual examples. Attendees will leave the workshop, feeling confident and prepared to speak intelligibly with a designer to produce an effective, visually appealing portfolio website. The question and answer segment at the end will be extremely valuable and attendees are encouraged to participate openly. Those who wish, may bring with them, examples of their existing, or proposed websites for critiques. $5 at the door, FCA members free

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Endorsement by Town, 3/04/08

ITEM #28-08
To consider action relative to a resolution supporting Freeport Creative Arts
WHEREAS, Governor Baldacci proclaimed that “The creative economy is a catalyst for the creation of new jobs in Maine communities. People who create jobs want to live in places that have a diverse cultural mix and an innovative and educated work force. Maine will be competitive economically if we continue to capitalize on the synergies between entrepreneurship, education, the arts, and quality of life”; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Freeport is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents as well as job creation and economic development; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council recognizes that direct support of creative economy organizations in Freeport has and will enhance the invaluable contributions that the arts, culture, and history make in a community and to the financial success of local artists while enhancing the brand of Freeport to a more cultural, artistic, and historical destination.
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved the Freeport Town Council in support of the burgeoning creative and innovative initiatives of local artists, that the Town of Freeport commits to support the Freeport Creative Arts organization by:
1. Endorsing the Freeport Creative Arts organization
2. Providing a link to the Freeport Creative Arts site on the Town’s website
3. Including the Freeport Creative Arts organization in future comprehensive planning initiatives to ensure arts development in Freeport
4. Designating a Town Council member as a liaison to the Freeport Creative Arts to facilitate communication between the two entities.
5. Supplying Town signatory support as grants are applied for by Freeport Creative Arts.
It was passed unanimously by the town councilors 3/04/08

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Creative Economy?
Creative Economy is a world wide movement. There was an awakening approximately five years ago that artists contribute to society. The realization surfaced that artists contribute not only culturally, socially, aesthetically and as bell weathers to politics, but also in a measurably economic way as well. Many who cannot wrap their values around artistic endeavor are able to understand financial value.

What is the history of the Creative Economy in Maine?
In 2003, Governor Baldacci and the Legislature in Augusta, in recognition of Main’s long standing history as an arts destination and in realizing the economic value inherent in that resource, joined the Creative Economy movement. David Webster, our representative, is an enthusiastic supporter.

What is the history of the Creative Economy in Freeport?
With the statewide initiative towards helping the Creative Economy here in Maine flourish, there were statewide workshops and presentations. Stephanie Slocum of the Freeport Economic Development Corporation attended such meetings and developed a Creative Economy group here in Freeport. The group worked to recognize how the Creative Economy could impact Freeport. In the fall of 2006, the group held an informational round table discussion to generate concepts of how Freeport could encourage and support arts development here in what is already an economically driven tourist destination.

Creative Economy in Freeport
October 19, 2006
NOTES
Attendees: 32 interested people
Janice Moore, Susan Hazzard, David Webster, Stephanie Slocum, Sande Updegraph, David Glendinning, Susan Caron, Wendy Whitacre, Tom Crotty, David Hartley, Anne Piecuch, Rod Regier, Beth Edmunds, Marg Migliaccio,Vincent Migliaccio, Winston Scott, Carol Farrell, Sue Mack, Daniel Freund, Nancy Gray, Suzanne Watson, Kathleen Meade, Janet Wrona, Liza Moore, Chris Parker, Peter Taggart, Jenny Moore, Wendy Caisse, Morris Hancock, Julie Freund, Bill Muldoon, Phoebe Porteous
Action Items from the break-out group facilitators:

Bill Muldoon
Creation of a sense of “place” with people, energy, vibrant destination points.
Creation of an “arts corridor” (with an arts center), “trails” (arts, historic properties) to allow interested people to pursue specific attractions.
Obstacle
Reduction or removal of certain zoning and other impediments to creative business growth.

Susan Hazzard
Creation of a sense of place (the symbol of our community).
Creation of a cultural center (gallery, theater space). A place for performances, classes, exhibits.
Obstacle
Money necessary.
Idea: Incentive for landlords to provide unused space to artists on a temporary basis.
Idea: Innovation Festival (Kentucky). Think big, not small.

Sande Updegraph
Creation of a sense of place especially for residents. The whole environment should be pedestrian friendly.
Creation of a cooperative artists space.
Creation of new shoulder season events: Apple Festival, Street Painting, Halloween window painting, Mud season event.
Broaden the group of stakeholders to include elected officials, banks and business leaders.
Create a web site with blog.

David Webster
Need transportation system around town.
Create a “voice for the arts” (marketing, arts council). Create a coalition with merchants to assist artists.
Create a farmers market as a nucleus. Merge food and art. Use Mardi Gras, Memphis as models.
Events: Improve July 4th activity.
Engage citizens in activities.
Open empty spaces for artists.
Attract dinner theater, art house, movie theater, bowling, miniature golf, skate park.
Include this initiative in the Town’s comprehensive plan.
Create new events: Summer Music Series, local art exhibits
Obstacle
FMA perceived as blocking small businesses because of cost of membership.

Stephanie Slocum
Create a gathering place for artists and citizens to network, exhibit and perform.
Create an incubation place for artists to get information, money ideas, find each others, know what is happening. Resource place. Clusters. Cambridge model.
Create an arts brochure for Freeport.
Creative Tourism – Stimulate activity unique to Freeport to convert day trippers to overnight guests with activities to interest them.
Create a more concentrated artistic space with energy (exhibit, performance, class space).
Hire grant consultant to pursue money.
Create web site with blog.
Create off-season events. “First Friday” event.
Attract bowling, miniature golf, skate park.
Enlarge group of stakeholders.
Create an idea festival.
Obstacles
Reduce taxes and zoning restrictions to attract more creative people.

What is the history of the Freeport Creative Arts?
Freeport Creative Arts came from the Round Table discussions in October 2006. At that point, Susan Hazzard spearheaded the group to define what the arts could mean to Freeport. With a group that included Janice L Moore, Katherine Harmon Harding, Julie Freund, Alexandra Perry-Weiss, Cat Schwenk and others, they set forward to define Freeport Arts. Freeport Creative Arts envisioning committe was born from those meetings. The main focus of those meetings was what the group was to be. Structures from guilds were investigated. Because the membership of the group was mainly visual artists that tended to be the direction followed. Susan Bryant Caron designed the logo. A mailbox address was arranged by Katherine Harmon Harding. In the fourth of July parade, they had a float and handed out informational cards inviting creative people to join in.
Later in the summer, Louise Price joined and in the fall developed a survey that was sent out to a list of primarily visual artists in the area and distributed as widely as possible through the Freeport Merchants Association. There were 30 respondents.
At a Creative Economy Five Rivers Workshop in Lewiston, lunchtime discussion with Stephanie Slocum (FEDC), Sande Updegraph(FEDC), Sandy Wallen (Wolf Neck Art Fest), Louise Price (FCA) and Kathleen Meade (Maine Arts Workshop) generated concepts for a public meeting to be held for FCA. Later that month Louise Price, Janice Coleman Moore, Cat Schwenk, Katherine Harmon Harding and Kathleen Meade met to formalize plans for the meeting. Janice agreed to open the meeting and Kathleen agreed to facilitate it.
On November 6, the group held an inaugural public meeting at the Freeport Community Center. Thirty creative individuals from Freeport, Pownal and Durham attended. Stephanie Slocum from FEDC was there and Dick Collins from FMA was also in attendance. Kathleen Meade facilitated the meeting and agreed to some leadership role to move the group forward. Freeport Creative Arts became a membership group at that point with a $35 charter membership fee. The membership benefits include the posting of names and websites/ contact information on the Freeport Creative Arts BLOG as well as the Freeport Merchants Association website, the opportunity to define the direction of Freeport Creative Arts and the opportunity to serve. Louise Price is handling memberships.

Freeport Creative Arts Initiative

Friday, January 13, 2012

Freeport Creative Arts Feeding Creativity Conversation

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