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Best
Practices Summary:
Creative Economy Community Based Efforts
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Saranac Lake Arts Community www.saranaclake.com
In Saranac Lake the Arts Community supports the arts from a business prospective, planning, financial support and space. The success of the arts can be seen in the numerous organizations and facilities including four fine arts galleries, three craft shops, four antique stores, the Pendragon Theater Company, the Adirondack Artists Guild and a photo gallery. There is a Saranac Young Arts Association to assist young artists. A coming addition that further illustrates the community's commitment to the arts is the Adirondack Carousel (This project has its own row below).
Leadership: Tim Fortune is credited with coordinating the effort to encourage the arts community. Good business planning is the tool used for the success.
Investment: The Saranac Lake Young Arts Association has financial assistance for young artists in the forms of awards and scholarships.
Knowledge: The Carousel and its facility will provide space for programs and workshops.
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Adirondack Carousel www.adirondackcarousel.org
Each ride of the carousel will feature a handcrafted animal. The public may sponsor a particular animal. The Carousel will be important not only for entertainment, but be in a year round facility that will provide space for children's arts, science and nature programs and workshops.
Knowledge: The intention of the pavilion is not only to house the carousel which is an art work in and of itself, but also to promote education programs by the availability of its space.
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Bellows Falls Village and the Bellows Falls Downtown Alliance (BFDA)
Bellows Falls is an example of a town where the creative arts are encouraged, supported and included in planning. The Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance, a nonprofit, whose very purpose is the continuing revitalization of downtown Bellows Falls, plays an important role in promotion of the creative arts. As a result there is a richness in creative businesses and organizations, galleries, art studios, the Stone Church Arts and more. There are community events that support the arts and artists such as 3rd the Friday Gallery Walk and the Roots on the River concerts.
Leadership: Bedford Falls, through the Alliance collaborates with governments and organizations within the community, and statewide with the Vermont Downtown Program and the Town of Rockingham.
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Hardwick VT www.hardwickvtarea.com
The Village of Hardwick serves as the center of activity for neighboring towns. Recognizing this role the town worked with the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) as part of revitalization efforts. With VCRD Hardwick restored the Town House for a community arts center. The 2006 Hardwick Creative Economy Plan listed the town's assets, identified projects and created action plans. A sign that Hardwick encourages the creative economy are the many organizations and art related business. It is the home of the North East Kingdom Arts Council, GRACE, a community art gallery, Four Winds Studio, Dial A Story and more.
Leadership: Hardwick's leadership has been noted by the Vermont Council on Rural Development and Creative Communities Program. They wrote in the 2006 "Hardwick Creative Communities Program" that VCRD was "deeply grateful to those who helped carry out the creative economy planning process in Hardwick. Local leadership is what made and will make the effort a success."
Innovation: Hardwick was featured in an 2007 Boston Globe article entitled "For struggling New England towns revival is a work of art."
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Coos County, NH www.cooscounty.com
Coos County covers the largest land area of New Hampshire and has the smallest population. The County attracts musicians, artists, and craftspeople as is evidenced by organizations and galleries such as WREN, St. Kieran's, Northern Forest Heritage Park, Old Mill Studio, Colebrook Heritage Center, the Arts Alliance and local galleries. The County has taken clear, intentional steps to support the Creative Economy with leadership from the Technical Review Committee, the Arts Alliance, WREN and assistance from the North Country Council.
Leadership: Coos County is a leader as a model of collaboration in support for the creative arts. Through the North County Council Projects, the Technical Review Committee and under such leadership as the New Hampshire Arts Alliance a steering committee has developed an action plan. (www.nccouncil.org/pdf/Creative) The plan, began in April 2008, includes five recommendations. The first recommendation is to establish widespread availability of broadband, high-speed Internet access, another is to develop creative spaces and clusters.
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Eastport, ME www.eastportme.info/thearts
Eastport, the eastern most city in the U.S. was a cultural center in the 1800s and 1900s with artists coming from Boston and New York and continues to support the creative arts. The Eastport Art center is an example of the community's commitment to the creative arts. It is the center for a variety of performances, organizations and community space. The creative arts section of the Eastport website (www.eastportme.info/thearts) features 35 "Made in Eastport" artisans. In recognition of efforts for the creative economy Eastport was included in a 60,000$ award from Jane's Trust. Eastport's The Tides Institute and Museum of Art is a leader in the arts of the region.
Investment: Jane's Trust had awarded $60,000 for Creative Economy projects in Eastport, Lewiston and the Capitol corridor. These funds will help the communities to plan and facilitate select capital improvement projects. The grants are a prime example of how the conference's finding on the potential for downtown revitalization through arts and culture will have positive impacts on Maine communities.(http://mainearts.maine.gov)
Innovation: The CulturalPass network, a project of the Tides Institute "seeks to gain and provide access to a greater understanding of the rich cultural heritage and artistic life of the greater Passamaquoddy region." (www.culturalpass.net) The network is a resource both for artists of a wide variety of mediums and for visitors and residents.
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The Eastport Arts Center www.eastportartscenter.com
The Eastport Arts Center provides a cultural hub for Eastport. The 96,000 square foot building is the center for six arts organizations and provides community space for all ages. Dance Eastport, the Eastport Gallery, Eastport Puppetry Collective and the Eastport Strings, which is an orchestra made up of young people throughout the county, are the principle organizations seated in the Center. There is a regular concert series held at the center. Arts education is available through Arts Bloom, which holds regular performances of dance, poetry and more. The performers and audience participate in discussions following each production. There is a regular concert series held at the center.
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