LA Arts News.

2022 Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival Lewiston

Contact: gerald.walsh@laarts.org

 

 3rd Annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival – Lewiston Events

Sunday, September 18 in Kennedy Park*

 

Lewiston, Maine, September 7, 2022 –  LA Arts, the Lewiston Public Library, and the Lewiston Schools’ 21st Century program invite families to enjoy Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival events in Kennedy Park* on Sunday, September 18 from noon – 3 pm. This event provides an opportunity for young readers of color to see themselves reflected in literature created with them in mind. Featured activities include:

  • 12 pm: Lunch: catered by Mogadishu Store

  • 12 – 3 pm: ArtVan drop-in poetry and collage-making inspired by Ashley Bryan’s artwork 

  • 12 – 3 pm: Community mural-making inspired by Ashley Bryan’s artwork

  • 12:30 – 2:30 pm: Read-alouds at the Kennedy Park gazebo* by Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, Mana Abdi, Malik Hall, and other community leaders.

  • 2:30 pm: Student drumming workshop with Mohammed Hassan

 

All events are free and open to the public. 

 

Local partners Maine Community Integration, Djibouti American Community Empowerment Project, and Lewiston Auburn Youth & Family Enrichment Services will also be on site in Kennedy Park* from 12-3 pm to host their annual back-to-school backpack and school supplies giveaway event.

 

Lewiston-Auburn partnering organizations are pleased to host these local events as part of Indigo Arts Alliance’s Third Annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, celebrating Black children’s books and their creators from across the African Diaspora. This year’s festival, honoring the legacy of Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan, will feature a 4,500 book giveaway, the production of acclaimed media, and live events in Portland, Lewiston, and Rockland. 

 

The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival was founded in 2020 by Indigo Arts Alliance in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books and Diverse BookFinder and is produced with the 2022 partners: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Ridah Ridah, the Farnsworth Museum, LA Arts, the Lewiston Public Library, and Lewiston Schools 21st Century program. 

This year’s festival holds special significance as Ashley Bryan, best known for his picture book Beautiful Blackbird, passed away in February of this year. Throughout his career, Bryan’s passion for amplifying the legacy of African and African American knew no bounds. It was that same passion that inspired Indigo Arts Alliance to create the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, honoring his legacy of uplifting Black roots, identity, and resiliency.

 

A goal of the festival is to build the home libraries of Black children, filling those homes with books that represent their lives and experiences. In the past two years, the festival distributed a total of over 4,000 books. However, this year’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival will provide and facilitate the distribution of over 4,500 books. This doubles our outreach to children in Maine of all backgrounds served by Portland Public Housing, Portland Parks and Recreation, Lewiston Public Schools, and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers CCLC program. 

 

Following are featured books for the 2022 festival. In addition to local book distribution, all titles are available to borrow at the Lewiston Public Library. 

  1. I Am Loved, written by Nikki Giovanni & Illustrated by Ashley Bryan, is a gorgeous gathering of poems and illustrations that celebrates the fact that there is nothing more important to a child than to feel loved.

  2. Thank You, Omu!, Oge Mora’s award winning Nigerian American book, brings to life a heartwarming story of sharing and community in colorful cut-paper designs, honoring the resilience of immigrant matriarchs.

  3. Nana Akua Goes to School, written by Tricia Elam Walker & illustrated by April Harrison, is a moving Ghanaian American story that celebrates cultural diversity of our classrooms, explores a child’s fear of being different, and showcases the great love between a grandparent and grandchild.

  4. Black Is a Rainbow Color, written by Angela Joy & illustrated by Ekua Holmes, reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on.

  5. Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond & illustrated by Daniel Minter, is a vibrant book following one color’s journey through time and across the world as it becomes the blue we know today.

  6. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written by Nikole Hannah-Jones & Renée Watson & illustrated by Nikkolas Smith, thoughtfully chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States. With powerful verse and striking illustrations, this book provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.

  7. New Kid by Jerry Craft is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, authentically capturing the struggles and tensions children of color face in traditionally White spaces.

THE CASE FOR A CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL:

“Research shows that children in communities where English is not the primary language are at risk of missing early literacy skills and entering school at a deficit. These early deficits can have psychological, social, and economic consequences. Additionally, Black and African American children are less likely to encounter books that depict their own life experiences. This is a critical gap since children are be<er able to retain and recall plot and character information after reading books featuring characters that mirror themselves. The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival addresses this gap.” – Krista Aronson, Director and Founder, Diverse Book Finder

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ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

The Festival was created to honor the legendary and highly acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Ashley Bryan, whose award-winning picture book Beautiful Blackbird is a celebration of Blackness. Maine’s own Ashley Bryan was one of the first Black writers and illustrators of children’s books, opening the doors for Black book creators worldwide to add their contribution to children’s literature and encourage the publication of other children’s books for Black children. The Festival seeks to educate and entertain children, and brings attention to the critical need for more characters from the African diaspora in children’s literature.

This year’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival builds on the tremendous success of previous two festivals, which despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, successfully transitioned from a live festival to a virtual event throughout the summer of 2020 and a hybrid event in 2021. To this date, the festival has reached more than 200,000 audience members spanning over 44 countries. 

 

ABOUT THE 2022 BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL PARTNERS

 

Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA) is a Black-led organization dedicated to the professional development and amplification of Black and Brown artistic vision and practice. Founded in 2018 and formally launched in 2019, IAA is an incubator space with a mission to build global connections by bringing together Black and Brown artists from diverse backgrounds to engage in creative process through an Artists in Residency program. Visit indigoartsalliance.me to learn more and support their work. 

 

I’m Your Neighbor Books facilitates deep engagement with the children’s books that represent our immigrant communities and their new generations. By curating, loaning, and gifting these diverse titles with educational materials, the nonprofit seeks to open conversations on modern immigration, replace false narratives about communities of color, create emotional connections to vast diversity of voices, build the cultural competency of all readers, lay the groundwork for cross-cultural communication, and create a culture of belonging in this diverse America. Visit https://imyourneighborbooks.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

Diverse Book Finder is a comprehensive database of children’s picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color. This database is a go-to resource for librarians, educators, parents, book creators, and publishers who seek to create collections in which all children can see themselves — and each other — reflected in the picture books they read. Visit https://diversebookfinder.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine inspires discovery and imagination through playful exploration, with a focus on science learning, community engagement, performing and visual arts, and early childhood education. The Museum & Theatre is an indispensable resource for families and educators, helping to create a broad community devoted to children’s development and learning. The Museum & Theatre is committed to providing access for children of all economic means and all abilities through various access initiatives. With almost one hundred years of children’s theatre history and nearly fifty years as a children’s museum, the award-winning organization is considered one of the top children’s museums in the country. Visit kitetails.org to learn more and support their work.

 

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art, based in Rockland, is the state’s only contemporary art museum. CMCA is dedicated to advancing contemporary art through direct engagement with artists and the public, creating exceptional exhibitions and education programs that communicate the transformative power of the art of our time. CMCA fulfills its mission by supporting and exhibiting the work of artists with ties to Maine; by providing engaging learning opportunities that open new possibilities for artists and visitors; and by serving as an essential platform for making art an accessible and vital part of our communities. More information about the museum may be found at https://cmcanow.org. 

 

The Farnsworth Museum of Art offers a nationally recognized collection of works from many of America’s greatest artists. It was named by the Boston Globe as one of the finest small museums in the country and is open year-round as the only museum dedicated solely to American and Maine-inspired art. Through its remarkable collection of over 15,000 works, inventive exhibitions, wide-ranging intellectual resources and energetic educational programming, visitors from around the world gain a deep appreciation of the ongoing story of Maine’s role in American art. More information about the museum may be found at www.farnsworthmuseum.org.

 

The Lewiston Public Library‘s mission is “Preserving our history, connecting our community, and enriching the life of the mind.” At over a century old, the Lewiston Public Library is an invaluable community asset providing a wide range of needed information services to users of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Visit https://lplonline.org to learn more and support their work. 

 

LA Arts: Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and arts organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

 

Ridah Ridah Entertainment (R2E) is a sound design and music composition company created by Atiim Chenzira & Jason Williams (aka JasWho?). R2E has leveraged their legacy skill sets of indoor/outdoor sound design and music composition to create sound environments for films, built environments (art installations and more), video & music projects, as well as read aloud books. Visit https://www.ridahridah.com to learn more about their work. 

 

*Rain location: Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon St., Lewiston

Open Call for Artists for Art Walk LA 2020

Mar 11, 2020

For Immediate Release

Contact: LA Arts

alison.gibbs@laarts.org 

(207) 782-7228

First Art Walk Planned for June 26, 2020 

Lewiston, Maine, March 19, 2020 – LA Arts, the arts agency of Lewiston and Auburn, today announced an open call for artists, artisans and performers for the Art Walk LA 2020 season. PLEASE NOTE: While the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the Art Walk LA Committee to cancel the May 2020 art walk, the team hopes to bring back the festive monthly community arts celebration on June 26, 2020. 

Art Walk LA turns the downtown into a bustling arts district on the final Friday of each month from May* through September, converting outdoor plazas, sidewalks, and more than 20 businesses and storefronts into lively art galleries and performance spaces. 

Area artists, artisans, and performers are encouraged to register at https://www.laarts.org/artwalk/register/.

Art Walk LA brings thousands of people to downtown Lewiston and Auburn, making it a cultural staple and a great opportunity for exhibitors and performers to connect with audiences. LA Arts and the Art Walk LA committee look forward to working with all of this year’s artists and performers. 

Since 1973, L/A Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with governments, businesses, schools and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. L/A Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and art organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the May 29, 2020 Art Walk LA is cancelled.




Request for Proposals: Public Art in Lewiston and Auburn

Feb 4, 2020

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEB 14, 2020 AT 5 PM

Overview
As part of a Maine Arts Commission Creative Communities = Economic Development (CCED) grant to support the implementation of Cultural Plan LA, the Public Art Working Group of Lewiston and Auburn invites proposals for public artwork that will activate a gateway or key corridor within the community. Both new and existing works are eligible. The artwork may be temporary or permanent. The submission deadline is 5:00 pm on Friday, February 14, 2020. One work (or works) will be selected for installation in the City of Lewiston and another for installation in the City of Auburn. Each project has a $25,000 budget. Projects may be installed as early as May of 2020 and as late as August of 2021. 

Background
The CCED grant was awarded to the LA Metro Chamber of Commerce and L/A Arts in 2018 to support implementation of Cultural Plan LA. Specifically, grant funding was awarded to “utilize arts and culture to enhance LA’s image to attract residents, tourism, and new investment” and to “further the position of arts and culture in local government.” Among other strategies for achieving these goals, two works of public art will be installed, one in each city, to generate interest in and support for public art as a community-builder and driver of economic development. 

Budget
Project budgets of up to $25,000 per project will be considered. A budget proposal must cover all design, fabrication, transportation, documentation, insurance, and installation expenses. The Commissioned Artist(s) will be required to provide evidence of appropriate liability, property damage, and workers compensation insurance while working on the site. 

Project Intent and Location
The artwork will be a signature work designed to engage the public and activate one of the City’s gateways or key corridors. This might be an entrance into the downtown or another neighborhood; a strategic location within a current or emerging economic development corridor; or a strategic location along or within the river or a canal. The location will be publicly-owned or controlled. The City of Auburn especially welcomes proposals that would activate Anniversary Park in New Auburn. Questions regarding the viability of a proposed site may be submitted to publicartmaine@gmail.com.

Eligibility
Maine-based artists age 18 and over, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical disability may apply. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines.

Selection Criteria
An initial proposal that reflects Project Intent as described in this document, with attention to the question of how the proposed artwork will activate or enhance the proposed space and how it will engage diverse audiences, including the local community, visitors, and tourists.
A body of work reflecting artistic excellence as shown through vision, originality, and understanding of craft. 
Experience working in public settings and public process.
Experience fabricating and installing artwork suitable for the outdoor environment in Maine.
Capacity to complete the proposal on time and within budget.

Selection Process
A Selection Review Committee (SRC) will evaluate submissions for the project. The SRC will review the materials to determine whom to invite for a second round of evaluation. Artists selected for the second round will receive a $500 design fee for refining their proposals. Final proposals will include detailed models, drawings, renderings, samples of work, and/or materials depending on the nature of the proposal. Please do not submit detailed models, drawings, samples, or final proposals for the first round of the selection process. The SRC reserves the right to solicit additional information from the artist(s) and to refuse any or all proposals. The final recommended proposal will be subject to review and approval of the respective City Council.

Submission Deadline and Required Materials
Friday, February 14, 2020, 5:00 pm is the deadline for submission of materials. Materials received after this date may be excluded from consideration. 
Materials must be submitted online in PDF format. All images must be in a jpg or PDF format and sent via email to publicartmaine@gmail.com.
Proposals must include:
A current resume for participating artist(s) (2 pages maximum). If submitting as a team, an individual resume should be submitted for each team member.
A brief written proposal (2 pages maximum) describing your past work and how you plan to address the potential site. Discuss what your concept and approach will be in addressing the public art space(s) of the site, including environmental and weather conditions. Please do not submit detailed models, samples, or final proposals for this round of the selection process. A simple sketch may be included to clarify your idea if desired.
An itemized budget estimate to give cost expectations (include design fees as well as anticipated fabrication, transportation and installation costs). A more precise budget may be requested for those invited past the first round.
A brief anticipated maintenance plan required for the artwork. Please do not include this in the narrative of your proposal.
5-10 digital images of at least three recent works. If an artist team or artist organization applies, they may only submit five images for all artists. The optional proposal sketch does not count as an image. (Please include any sketches with the narrative portion of the proposal.) Do not upload A/V files of any kind. Only jpg or PDF files are eligible for review.
Optional: Each artist may include up to three selections of support materials such as reviews, news articles, web links, and other related information.

LA Public Art Working Group Announces Noontime Presentations on Public Art

Oct 10, 2019

For Immediate Release

Contact: Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Committee Co-Chair

rebeccaswansonconrad@gmail.com

(207) 576-5561

Yarrow Thorne, Founder and Executive Director, The Avenue Concept, Providence, RI, launches the series on Thursday, October 24 at Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library

LEWISTON, ME, October 10, 2019 – The LA Public Art Working Group announces noontime presentations to raise awareness of the benefit of public art plans and ordinances for communities. The events are free and open to the public and lunch is provided. Each event begins at 11:45AM and ends at 1PM.

The first two talks focus on New England communities with successful public art programs and the third addresses public art process and how to set up strong plans.  Anyone who is interested in learning how public art enhances a community’s economy, tourism, and overall civic engagement, as well as gaining practical information on municipal ordinances that address funding, site and art selection, installation, and maintenance should attend.

On Thursday, October 24 at Callahan Hall, Lewiston Public Library, 200 Lisbon Street, 11:45AM-1PM, Yarrow Thorne, Founder and Executive Director, The Avenue Concept, Providence, RI, shares insights on how his organization nurtures and supports public art ecosystems by investing in permanent infrastructure, funding public art projects, documenting and promoting the work of artists, using art as a tool for education, and advocating for policies, processes, and partnerships that develop sustainable avenues for public art. Founded in 2012, The Avenue Concept was Providence’s first privately administered public art program. Since then it has installed or exhibited more than 150 works of public art, and invested $1.1 million in both artwork and infrastructure. 

Yarrow Thorne

On Tuesday, October 29 at LA Arts Gallery, 221 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, 11:45AM-1PM, Maine artist and Auburn native Andy Rosen and Bill Needelman, Waterfront Coordinator, Economic Development Department, City of Portland, ME, will discuss the installation of Rosen’s work atop pilings on the Portland waterfront and emerging from the rising sea near the Ocean Gateway marine facility. The artist will explain how temporary public art captures the community’s attention on specific topics and grows support for permanent installations. Needleman coordinated the installations and will provide observations from the municipal perspective.

Andy Rosen

This presentation series is part of the LA Public Art Working Group’s management of a Maine Arts Commission (MAC) grant awarded to transform the Twin Cities into a vibrant public art community. The group formed in February 2019 after the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce with LA Arts was awarded a $75,000 MAC Creative Communities = Economic Development Phase 2 Grant for implementation of Cultural Plan LA. The working group is drafting a public art plan and ordinance and encourages attendance at the events on October 24, 29 and November 15 to learn more about how public art will have a positive impact on the Lewiston Auburn community.

Appointees to the working group were made by the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, LA Arts, Arts and Culture LA, and the municipalities of Lewiston and Auburn — all partners in the implementation of Cultural Plan LA. Working group members include: 

  • Sabrina Best, Recreation Director, City of Auburn
  • Shoshona Currier, Director, Bates Dance Festival 
  • Jody Dube, Art Teacher, Lewiston High School
  • William Low, Curator, Bates Museum of Art and LA Arts Board Member
  • Heidi McCarthy, Economic Development Specialist, City of Lewiston
  • Tom Platz, AIA, Principal, Platz Associates
  • Darby Ray,  Director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College and LA Arts Board Clerk (group co-chair)
  • Shawn Rice, Art Teacher, Edward Little High School
  • Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Cultural Plan LA Advisor, LA Metro Chamber of Commerce member (group co-chair)
  • Sheri Withers Hollenbeck, Owner, The Curio and Founder, Sunday Indie Market 

In 2015, LA Arts was awarded the MAC Creative Communities = Economic Development Phase I Grant to develop a cultural plan. That project was sponsored by The City of Lewiston, The City of Auburn, LA Arts, and ACLA. Cultural Plan LA outlines priorities and recommendations for action which, coupled with cross-sector partnerships, will catalyze LA’s potential as a creative metropolis.

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with government arts agencies, city governments, businesses, and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts and culture programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and art organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

The membership of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce represents more than 900 area businesses. The staff and board of the Chamber have put arts and culture at the center of many of its programs to attract businesses to the area, to support the development of a community of young professionals, and to promote Lewiston and Auburn as a tourist destination. More information is available at www.lametrochamber.com.

Photos attached: Andy Rosen, Yarrow Thorne

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LA Public Art Working Group Kicks Off Planning

Mar 28, 2019

For Immediate Release

Contact: LA Arts

alison.gibbs@laarts.org 

(207) 782-7228

LA Public Art Working Group Kicks Off Planning 

LEWISTON, ME, March 28, 2019 – At a kick-off meeting Monday, the newly formed LA Public Art Working Group committed to using a recent Maine Arts Commission (MAC) grant award to transform the Twin Cities into a vibrant public art community.

The group formed in February, 2019 after Lewiston Auburn was awarded a $75,000 MAC Creative Communities = Economic Development Phase 2 Grant for implementation of Cultural Plan LA. Proceeds of the grant will be used to improve the image of Lewiston Auburn and spark greater private and public support for public art.  

“Public art communities are great places to live, work, recreate, and go to school,” said Rebecca Swanson Conrad, co-chair of the working group and Cultural Plan LA Advisor to the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “We’ll use this grant award to develop best practices for sustaining a robust public art process in LA.”

“We’re fortunate to already have a groundswell of excitement around public art here in LA,” added Darby Ray, co-chair of the working group, Director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College, and LA Arts Board Clerk. “There’s great anticipation for the spring opening of the Hartley Block in the Lewiston Arts District with its Marsden Hartley-inspired mosaic tile installations,  for a planned sculptural walk alongside the canal and through the Bates Mills complex, and for the expansion of crosswalk murals and related projects in the downtown. These initiatives lay the groundwork for and add to the timeliness and relevance of this group’s work.”   

Appointees to the working group were made by the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, LA Arts, Arts and Culture LA, and the municipalities of Lewiston and Auburn — all partners in the implementation of Cultural Plan LA. Working group members include 

  • Sabrina Best, Recreation Director, City of Auburn
  • Shoshona Currier, Director, Bates Dance Festival 
  • Jody Dube, Art Teacher, Lewiston High School
  • William Low, Curator, Bates Museum of Art and LA Arts Board Member
  • Heidi McCarthy, Economic Development Specialist, City of Lewiston
  • Tom Platz, AIA, Principal, Platz Associates
  • Darby Ray,  Director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College and LA Arts Board Clerk (group co-chair)
  • Shawn Rice, Art Teacher, Edward Little High School
  • Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Cultural Plan LA Advisor, LA Chamber of Commerce (group co-chair)
  • Sheri Withers Hollenbeck, Owner, The Curio and Founder, Sunday Indie Market 

In 2015, LA Arts was awarded the MAC Creative Communities = Economic Development Phase I Grant to develop a cultural plan. That project was sponsored by The City of Lewiston, The City of Auburn, LA Arts, and ACLA. Cultural Plan LA outlines priorities and recommendations for action which, coupled with cross-sector partnerships, will catalyze LA’s potential as a creative metropolis.

Since 1973, LA Arts, the arts agency for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine, has pursued a mission to engage and inspire a vibrant community through arts and culture. The agency works with government arts agencies, city governments, businesses, and local arts and cultural organizations to create opportunities for community members across the generations to experience, learn, and participate in the arts. LA Arts organizes arts programs and initiatives, supports the work of local artists and art organizations, and highlights the essential role the arts play in shaping an economically vital, socially integrated, and forward-looking future for its community. Learn more at www.laarts.org.

The membership of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce represents more than 1,000 area businesses. The staff and board of the Chamber have put the arts and culture at the center of many of its own programs to attract businesses to the area, to support the development of a community of young professionals, and to promote Lewiston and Auburn as a tourist destination. More information is available at www.lametrochamber.com.

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