The National Endowment for Arts is using $57.75 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support organizations and cultural sectors recovering from the pandemic. The awards are designed to save jobs, fund operations and encourage attendance and participation in the arts.

Maine Arts Commission is using its share to fund seven Maine applicants. The commission graded each applicant prior to awarding grants. The commission received nearly $3 million in requests, but could only fund $750,000. MAC awarded the following applicants a federal grant: Cultural Resources, Inc., Camden, $50,000; Dance Hall,  Kittery, $50,000; Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston, $150,000; Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Madison, $50,000; Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland; $150,000; and Maine Inside Out, Portland, $150,000.

For applicants not receiving a federal grant, the MAC forwarded those requests to county commissioners hoping to secure funding from their ARPA funds. On Feb. 15, County Administrator Carrie Kipfer informed commissioners about the request. In a letter to county commissioners, MAC reported it is seeking close to $2 million from the state’s 16 county boards for art-related projects.

For Lincoln County, MAC is seeking seven grants totaling $79,930 which would provide an estimated $239,539 in economic growth. The local organizations seeking county ARPA funds include Susan Bickford of Newcastle requesting $15,000 to support a multi-screen projected video installation; Salt Bay Chamber Fest of Damariscotta seeking $15,000 for off-season arts experiences; Sheepscot Valley Musical Arts Society in Wiscasset requesting $4,080 for the Spring 2022 concert; The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor requesting $15,000 to retain staff through the winter; Union of Maine Visual Artists in Walpole requesting $6,850 to hire a manager through spring; Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro seeking $9,000 for a part-time technical manager’s job to maintain and expand programs; and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Edgecomb seeking $15,000 for a studio manager and assistant.

Lincoln County is receiving $6.7 million in ARPA funds. Commissioners tabled the request because they haven’t decided how to spend any of the federal stimulus funds. Kipfer will notify MAC about the request’s receipt. She will also inform MAC about any future local arts funding.