The Iditarod running through Maine right now is missing a critical stop: The Twin Cities.
On Jan. 17, a day that saw temperatures rise to 40 degrees, a 1,240-mile 5-week journey stepped off at the Portland Public Library.
The “Arts Iditarod” is a project of the Maine Arts Commission, featuring stops in seven cities for meetings designed to “engage artists, arts organizations, educators, policy makers and community developers in advancing the arts in Maine and Maine communities through the arts.”
Except, not in Auburn.
Or in Lewiston, the home of renowned modernist artist and poet Marsden Hartley.
Lewiston is also the home of the Bates Dance Festival, which draws artists and visitors from around the globe every summer.
The cities host the annual, and very well received, Emerge Film Festival.
And, then there’s L/A Arts, which was the state’s sole arts organization to seek grant funding from the Maine Arts Commission last year. The commission ultimately decided not to fund the L/A group because it doesn’t have a full-time executive director, but in its consideration of the grant the commission’s members found “there is much good energy and creativity coming together in L-A that (we) would like to encourage and nurture.”
Not enough, apparently, for the Arts Iditarod to actually travel to L-A.
Seriously, the cities of Lewiston and Auburn have a wealth of art offerings, from professional theater to community bands, from the stunning Museum of Art at Bates College to the local art on display along the sidewalk outside Gritty’s.
They need support and development as much as anywhere else in Maine.
The downtown L-A Art Walks are packed with artists and fans, the Atrium Art Gallery at USM LAC offers students and visitors a quiet place to contemplate ever-changing exhibits.
And our museums include the Franco-American Collection at USM LAC and Museum L-A.
The Franco Center hosts a wide-ranging schedule of events, all designed to engage the community in its heritage and provide a place to enjoy music, dance, meals and conversation. The building itself is a work of art.
People here have opportunities to attend free concerts throughout the year, including lunchtime concerts in the downtowns and the ever-popular Wednesday evening Auburn Community Band concerts at Festival Plaza.
The public libraries on both sides of the river are dedicated to art and learning, and the schools here produce remarkably talented students who pursue careers in the arts, including fashion.
The Maine Arts Commission has already stopped in Portland, Augusta, Winter Harbor and Belfast along its Iditarod route. Discussions have focused on how arts organizations can apply for grants in Maine and through the National Endowment for the Arts, how these organizations can improve their marketing, and coaching steps to build cultural equity in Maine, among other things.
These are important topics and worthy discussions, and when Lewiston- and Auburn-based organizations asked how they might access this information, they were told they could travel to Augusta or Portland, or any one of the other five stops.
While they could certainly do that, the discussions in those cities are likely to be city-centric, and arts advocates in Winter Harbor and in Belfast will have different ideas and approaches than those in Lewiston and Auburn.
On Tuesday, the Iditarod will make a stop at the Bangor Public Library, before shoving off for York on Feb. 8 and finishing in Presque Isle on Feb. 21.
We suggest they add a stop, in between Bangor and York, or between York and Presque Isle. Lewiston and Auburn are right on the way.
For a group that’s already traveling 1,240 miles on this journey of information and education, what’s another 68 miles to travel round-trip from their office in Augusta to the Twin Cities for an afternoon?
They’ll find an eager and talented arts community here, one that is proud and strong. And one that intends to grow.
According to the Iditarod planning document, “an important part of the commission’s mission is to provide professional development and information to the field.”
And, Executive Director Julie Richard said in a written statement that “The Arts Iditarod gives us the opportunity to connect with our constituents in person; to hear what’s important to them and to engage them in discussions that are critical to the arts statewide and beyond.”
Lewiston and Auburn represent the second largest metropolitan area in Maine. Planning a route that bypasses this constituency is, well, unartful.
jmeyer@sunjournal.com
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