$15.5K funding will aid Somerset County tourism, economic development
The Somerset Cultural Planning Committee won two grants totaling $15,500 to craft a tourism plan and boost economic and community development in Somerset County.
The grants include $10,000 from the Maine Arts Commission’s Creative Communities Economic Development program and $5,500 from the Maine Community Foundation.
“SCPC’s vision of a thriving community is one that highly values the arts,” committee Chair Jon Kimbell said in a statement. “Our guiding principle is that the community is the expert, and we will engage the community throughout the planning process.”
SCPC’s planning process will identify all of Somerset County’s cultural assets which include visual, performing and literary arts, as well as arts facilities, historical features and arts and cultural organizations, to determine how best to use these assets to the county’s advantage as well as how best to promote them.
Once that plan is crafted, it will help guide tourism development including:
- The creation of recreational, food and historical tours around Somerset County;
- The development of new events and festivals such as performing/visual arts, music and food events;
- Enhance recreational assets, including the Kennebec River Gorge in Skowhegan.
“Cultural planning is an essential part of regeneration strategies for communities,” Reinholt said in a statement. “Many communities suffer from economic decline and shrinking populations. Incorporating cultural planning into a community’s toolkit helps revitalize downtowns and regions.”
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