On Aug. 26, the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) and University of Southern Maine (USM) welcomed National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter to USM’s Crewe Center for the Arts for a statewide gathering of artists, policymakers, and community leaders. The event, “Creativity Builds Connection: Arts, Health and Well-Being in Maine,” drew upwards of 200 attendees to the Portland campus for a conversation that brought together Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, MAC leadership, and voices from across Maine’s creative sector.
A statewide conversation on creativity and community
The afternoon featured remarks from USM President Jacqueline Edmondson and Maine Arts Commission Executive Director Amy Hausmann, presentations from artists and community leaders across the state, and a performance by students from the Osher School of Music. Carter then joined Pingree and MAC Chair Bob Keyes for a panel discussion exploring the value of creativity — and its role in strengthening community health and well-being.
“I am delighted to be traveling to Maine to meet with artists, educators, cultural and community leaders whose work brings creativity to life across the state,” Carter said.
The visit reflects priorities Carter has emphasized since returning to lead the NEA, including the belief that the arts play an essential role in innovation, recovery, and economic stability for communities nationwide. For an afternoon, that mission found its stage at USM’s Crewe Center for the Arts.
The Crewe Center’s growing role
This fall marks one year since the Crewe Center for the Arts’ grand opening, and Wednesday’s event was among its largest and most notable gatherings to date. Lee Hartman, USM’s director of advancement and outreach for the performing arts, framed the visit as a clear example of the building’s purpose.
“This event embodies exactly why this remarkable new space was built,” Hartman said. “It is an opportunity not only to showcase a state-of-the-art facility, but to demonstrate USM’s vital role as a pillar of Maine’s cultural and creative economy.”
The Crewe Center is helping bring that commitment to life, giving the university a space to connect its academic programming with the people who make up Maine’s creative economy.
“The Crewe Center for the Arts is an ideal setting for this conversation because it reflects what we hope to nurture across Maine — places where artists, educators and communities come together through creativity,” Hausmann said.
The afternoon closed with a joint NEA and MAC grant workshop, connecting Maine artists and arts organizations with funding and resources — one more sign of the growing role the Crewe Center is playing as USM expands its reach across the state’s arts and cultural community.
USM President Jacqueline Edmondson went a step further, describing the university’s role not as a host but as a participant.
“USM is not simply a venue for important cultural conversations,” Edmondson said. “We are an active partner in advancing the arts and helping shape their future in Maine and beyond.”