NOTES FROM THE HINTERLAND

SUPPORTING THE ARTS DURING THE PINCH OF HARD TIMES

By Laurie Meunier Graves

August 18, 2008

In Maine, we really only have two months of summer—July and August. June is often so cool and rainy that going to the beach is usually not an option. September has many delights—warm days, crisp nights, and apples—but the chill in the air combined with the shorter days remind Mainers, the natives as well as the transplants, that winter is coming. And with winter come heating bills.

In August, with the crickets singing and the sun still high, it is tempting to push away such unpleasant thoughts, but in today’s economy, not many Mainers can afford to do so. In our own yard, two cords of wood have been stacked, and four more are waiting. We heat primarily with a wood furnace, and not so long ago this seemed like a rather quaint way to stay warm. Nowadays, it seems like a blessing. With heating oil selling for over $4 a gallon, I expect that all over the state Mainers are ordering wood, polishing stoves, and cleaning chimneys in an attempt to keep fuel bills as affordable as possible. Then, there is the price of gasoline, which, in turn, affects the price of food, clothes, and, in fact, just about everything. Only the most affluent are immune to the pinch of these hard economic times.

Not long ago, we had a talk with Alan and Sam Sanborn, who run Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville, Maine. I suppose you could call Railroad Square an art cinema, but, unlike the cineplexes, it is, in fact, one of the few places in Maine that consistently shows films that appeal to those over the age of fifteen. We have been going to Railroad Square for nearly thirty years, and, as a result, we have almost come to take it for granted. But our conversation with Alan and Sam put an abrupt end to that comfortable notion. Like everyone else in Maine, Railroad Square is a having a hard time paying the heating bill, and a wood furnace is not an option for a very large building near the railroad tracks in the center of Waterville, a small city. Add in other factors, such as plowing costs for one of the snowiest winters on record and the price of gas just to get to the movies, and you have a cinema that is on the edge and is really feeling the pinch of these hard times.

I know. Heating, gas for the car, food, and other household expenses come first. Of course they do. But when I imagine Waterville without Railroad Square Cinema, it is not a happy thought. Railroad Square Cinema, with the attendant Maine International Film Festival, is one of the cultural centers in central Maine, and just this year area businesses were commenting on how much they profited from the film festival, which brings in thousands of people. That’s how it is with the arts. Not only do they bring direct benefits to artists and their organizations, but they also bring money into their communities. This, of course, is the idea behind the “creative economy,” a concept that has frequently been discussed during the past few years.

However, the arts also do something that is more indirect yet just as important. They prevent what the late great Canadian writer Robertson Davies referred to as “cultural rickets,” a sort of starving and cramping of the brain and the imagination. To my way of thinking, cultural rickets can be just as dangerous as actual rickets. The arts keep the brain flexible. They force us to question our own preconceived notions as well as the notions of those in power. They bring beauty and delight. They show us our dark side, and they make us laugh. The arts can be high, low, and everything in between, but they bring a spark to whatever they touch. And without that spark, a culture is very dismal indeed.

In central and southern Maine, we are lucky to have so many cultural opportunities within driving distance. In fact, we have such a rich assortment that I can easily imagine out-of-state art lovers eschewing the coast to come inland in the summer, to see movies, watch plays, go to concerts, and attend art exhibits. At night, tucked snugly in bed, they could read local magazines and books. (A shameless plug for Wolf Moon Journal, I know.)

But here’s the thing—without financial backing, the arts will not flourish, and this brings me back to supporting the arts during hard times. Some people’s budgets are so stretched that they can only afford the basics, and if this is the case, then that’s exactly how they should be spending their money. But despite the hard times, many people, even in Maine, still have a certain amount of discretionary money, and this is a plea to spend some of it locally—on books and magazines, on plays and concerts, on movies at an independent cinema, if you are lucky enough to live next to one. I am not advocating eschewing doodads and electronics made in China. Heaven knows my own house is full of such things, and I’m not about to take an oath of shopping purity anytime soon. But if a dear friend is having a birthday, and the choice is between, say, a doodad from China or a book from a local writer, then why not choose the book? Or a magazine subscription? Or tickets to a movie or a play? And in your own life, for your own illumination, wouldn’t a piece by an emerging artist be a more rewarding way to spend money than a month’s worth of eating at your favorite chains? (Believe it or not, the costs are pretty similar.)

To nudge Maine readers on their way, I have compiled a list of various artists and art organizations. This is by no means an inclusive list, and I want to extend my apologies to any group or individual that I might have inadvertently missed. In addition, I have only featured independent organizations and artists not affiliated with the state university system. For readers who live outside the central-southern Maine area, this is a call to check out the arts in your own area and to give them your support. After all, don’t you already have enough doodads and electronics cluttering your house?

Art Galleries

There are so many art galleries in Maine that it wouldn’t be possible to begin to list them all. Here are two of my favorites, which represent opposite ends of the range. Harlow is a very small gallery with affordable but snappy art, and Courthouse Gallery Fine Art is a big gallery with museum-quality art. Both are worth visiting.

Harlow Gallery; Hallowell, Maine (www.harlowgallery.org)

Courthouse Gallery Fine Art; Ellsworth, Maine (www.courthousegallery.com)

Magazines and Publishers

The Aurorean; Farmington, Maine (www.encirclepub.com)

The Cafe Review; Portland, Maine (www.thecafereview.com)

Echoes; Caribou, Maine (echoesofmaine.com)

Islandport Press; Yarmouth, Maine (http://www.islandportpress.com)

Maine Food & Lifestyle, Rockland, Maine (www.mainefoodandlifestyle.com)

Moon Pie Press; Westbrook, Maine (www.moonpiepress.com)

Off the Coast; Robbinston, Maine

RiverVision Press; Lewiston, Maine (www.rivervisionpress.com)

Tilbury House, Gardiner, Maine (www.tilburyhouse.com)

Wolf Moon Journal; Winthrop, Maine (www.wolfmoonpress.com)

Movies

Eveningstar Cinema; Brunswick, Maine (www.eveningstarcinema.com)

The Movies on Exchange; Portland, Maine (www.moviesonexchange.com)

Railroad Square Cinema; Waterville, Maine (www.railroadsquarecinema.com)

Performing Arts

I have not listed the many community theaters that are in the area, but I would urge readers to support community theater as often as possible. The prices are reasonable, and the actors, who often have day jobs, cannot be admired enough for their dedication and fortitude.

Acorn Productions; Portland, Maine (www.acorn-productions.org)

L/A Arts; Lewiston, Maine (www.laarts.org)

Maine State Music Theatre; Brunswick, Maine (www.msmt.org)

Michael Parent, humorist, musician, and storyteller; Portland, Maine (www.michaelparent.com)

Penobscot Theatre; Bangor, Maine (www.penobscottheatre.org)

Portland Stage Company, Portland Maine (www.portlandstage.com)

Poolyle Productions; Susan Poulin and Gordon Carlisle, storytellers, musicians, and humorists; South Berwick, Maine (www.poolyle.com)

The Public Theatre; Lewiston, Maine (www.thepublictheatre.org)

The Theater at Monmouth, The Shakespearean Theater of Maine; Monmouth, Maine (www.theateratmonmouth.org)