Maine Arts Commission Programs

The Maine Arts Commission provides financial and technical assistance to Maine's arts and cultural community through various programs with funding provided by the State of Maine and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Select a Program Category
Artists	Communities	Public Art	Creative Economy - Economic Development
Arts in Education	Folk & Traditional Arts	Organizations	Creative Economy - Economic Development

Artists

Artists in Maine Communities	Supports Maine artists who are working in Maine communities with at least two collaborating local agencies. The purpose of the program is to employ Maine artists; to strengthen Maine communities, schools or families; to increase access to arts education; and to strengthen cultural resources.
Good Idea Grant (Arts Visibility)	Designed to assist Maine’s artists and arts organizations by providing the means with which to increase the visibility of specific artistic projects. Any "good idea" that supports an individual artist or organization through increased visibility is eligible for the grant.
Good Idea Grant (Contemporary)	Designed to assist in supporting and fostering the growth of Maine’s artists. The parameters of the grant are purposefully broad. They include any “good idea” that furthers an individual artist’s creative endeavor(s).
Good Idea Grant (New Media)	Designed to foster the growth of Maine’s artists by supporting the creation of new works that creatively engage or innovatively incorporate new or emerging technologies for means of artistic expression or professional development. Any "good idea" that furthers an individual artist's creative growth through technology and new media is eligible for the grant.
Individual Artist Fellowship	Three $13,000 fellowships are awarded annually, one in each category: visual arts, performing arts and literary arts. Artistic excellence is the sole selection criteria.

Arts in Education

Arts in Education	Designed to offer planning, technical assistance and several matching grant opportunities in support of arts education in Maine.
SMART (Schools Make Arts Relevant Today)	Designed to assist schools, arts institutions and community arts organizations, to develop arts in education projects in conjunction with artists for pre-K-12 students. The intention of the program is to fund both school based and after school projects that provide meaningful and lasting arts education experiences.
Early StARTS program	A joint effort between the Maine Arts Commission and the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Care and Head Start, highlights the importance of quality arts education for preschool age children and ensures that there is a focus on arts education within early childhood education programs in Maine.
Maine Youth Excellence in Art	Working with the Maine Arts Commission, the Maine Alliance for Arts Education, the Maine Art Education Association, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, First Lady Karen M. Baldacci has developed the Maine Youth Excellence in Art Project.
Poetry Out Loud	The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with the Maine Arts Commission to present Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud is a national program which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Communities

Community Arts Development	A statewide program encouraging cultural assessment and planning in local communities through direct support and technical assistance.
Artists in Maine Communities	Supports Maine artists who are working in Maine communities with at least two collaborating local agencies. The purpose of the program is to employ Maine artists; to strengthen Maine communities, schools or families; to increase access to arts education; and to strengthen cultural resources.
Building Capacity in Maine's Cultural Communities	Designed as a capacity-building program for Maine local arts agencies, creative economy organizations and other community organizations that strengthen cultural organizations, artists, and the infrastructure that supports arts programming and services.
New Century Community Program	Providing grants and services to a wide spectrum of Maine's cultural community through a collaboration of agencies under the Maine Cultural Affairs Council, a state coordinating entity.

Creative Economy/Economic Development

Maine's Creative Economy	Across Maine, individuals, organizations and communities are getting involved in creative economic development.
International Exchange	Partnering with artists and art organizations everywhere.

Folk/Traditional Arts

Sustaining Traditional Arts in the Community	Designed to encourage communities to develop innovative ways to sustain traditional arts in their communities.
Traditional Arts	What is traditional art?
Traditional Arts Apprenticeship	Designed to assist Maine’s communities to preserve valuable artistic traditions. The program provides an opportunity for master traditional artists to pass on their skills to qualified apprentices.
Traditional Artist Fellowship	Designed to assist Maine artists who are applying for the Traditional Arts Fellowship program. These grants reward artistic excellence, advance the careers of Maine artists, and promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector in Maine.

Organizations

American Masterpieces Visual Arts Projects	Designed to assist professional, Maine visual arts organizations with annual operating budgets of $500,000 or greater to present a major project such as an exhibition or educational programs that feature American Masterpieces.
Cultural Facilities Accessibility Grant	Designed to assist professional, freestanding, Maine arts organizations that promote, present, produce and/or teach art(s) as its primary purpose. Grants are awarded to assist new capital projects and renovations as well as technology projects and/or improvements.
Good Idea Grant (Arts Visibility)	Designed to assist Maine’s artists and arts organizations by providing the means with which to increase the visibility of specific artistic projects. Any "good idea" that supports an individual artist or organization through increased visibility is eligible for the grant.

Public Art

Public Art

Public Art program: Including the Percent for Art program, the Arts in the Capitol program, Public Art information and resources, and the Percent for Art directory.