"The best way to grow Maine’s economy is through creative enterprise," said David Cheever of Maine’s Cultural Affairs Council. "The creative economy taps into why people do what they do. The quality of life in Maine is so good, people want to live here. We need to trumpet the success story of how Maine is continuing to attract people in the creative sector. The governor sees where the best chance of growth is, in the economy, and that’s in people who want to live here and do things that ad value to all our lives."
Cheever made those remarks back during the economic growth period of President George W. Bush. He has been much quieter since the beginning of the recession of President Barack Obama.
Cheever wasn’t alone in heralding the golden path of Maine’s creative economy. “The economic engines that create opportunity are our people — our youth, our creative workers and our creative entrepreneurs — and we must provide them with the resources and support to be able to succeed," Governor John Baldacci said back when the only thing Democrats had to complain about was the Iraq war. We still have that war and have tossed in a crippling lack of jobs- creative or otherwise. "The creative economy is a major piece of my economic development plan.”
Anyone see that plan lately?
But some still feel the way to get us out of this recession is by
paying artists to create unique pieces of art.
"We want to create important art projects to put Maine on the map,” Jean
Magginnis said. "'We could marry art and industry and put this region
on the map for being aware of art as well as industry.'"
The paint is dry. The checks are cashed. The Venezuelan artist has left for warmer environs. It has been more than a year since the completion of the painting of one of the home-heating fuel storage tank. Is Maine “on the map” yet? Can I find it in my DeLorme Gazetteer?
Magginnis, the founder and executive director of the Maine Center for Creativity, a Portland-based nonprofit group devoted to Maine residents working in the creative economy, has long been a believer of Maine’s creative economy. In 2008, she said: “We see it as a high profile way to attract and build more creative businesses, which bring higher paying jobs to the community,” she said. This multi-year project to paint 16 of the 30 tanks at Sprague’s South Portland facility is expected to cost approximately $1.2 million at the project’s conclusion. But Baldacci officials promised the project would “garner us worldwide attention.”
Charles Lawton, chief economist with Planning Decisions in South Portland, vowed, “It will be a distinct visual. They will be a good draw. People will tell each other, ‘You’ve got to fly into Portland to see these crazy oil tanks.’ To me, it’s then what they do when they get here.” Lawton continued, “They visit, they come back, they start a business. They realize there’s more to Portland than the oil tanks.”
Yup, the buzz on my last flight was all about the painted tank in Maine. It's so much different than the painted tank in Boston.
According to an older edition of Maine Insights newspaper (formerly the Maine Democrat because it is essentially funded by clean election funds from Democrat candidates), ‘(Governor John Baldacci) has positioned Maine well for the 21st-century knowledge-based economy. Since (organizing the creative economy) conference, the governor formed the Creative Economy Council, signed legislation to support creative economy initiatives, formed the Creative Economy Steering Committee, funded local initiatives, and approved tax incentives aimed at expanding Maine’s film industry. The interrelated nature of the creative economy and its benefits are just beginning to be understood.’
Baldacci said, "It’s exciting, and it’s happening here.” He pointed to a report his administration released that revealed that from 2000 to 2004 Maine’s creative workforce added 5,474 jobs to the economy and grew by nine percent, compared to the state’s overall job growth rate of seven percent.
The report states: "In measuring Maine’s arts and cultural sector, we can estimate the size of the tip of the iceberg, but under the surface exists an even larger critical mass of creative talent that, with targeted business assistance, may be leveraged into new sources of income for Maine people."
According to the article: ‘With the creative economy, people who have been laid off from jobs that used to represent security can now find new avenues to make incomes, after becoming retrained in the governor’s community college system. Their new professions have given them skills that add to Maine’s creative economy and hope for their futures. Maine’s entrepreneurial spirit is being fostered and encouraged in a new educational push to encourage students to become small-business oriented in grade school, high school, as well as in the community colleges and university system. The creative economy is revitalizing downtowns across the state as entrepreneurs are following their dreams and opening new business. Over 1,400 small businesses were launched over the past three years, creating 5,000 new jobs. This is the creative economy on the move.’"
The only movement is jobs leaving the state.
In January, State Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman announced the preliminary unemployment rate for Maine was 8.3 percent in December, up from revised rates of 8.0 percent in November and 6.5 percent a year ago. The number of unemployed totaled 58,300, up 12,000 from a year ago. Can you imagine how bad our economy would be if we hadn’t invested in the creative economy? Even the tank painting project has stopped due to funding challenges. Maybe they can paint some money?
To read the full, original article click on this link: Has the Creative Economy Saved Maine Yet? | As Maine Goes
Author: Solitary Path
