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Linda Nelson
Updated: September 28, 2020
Commentary
Commentary: The arts mean business, and Maine’s performing arts are in trouble
By Linda Nelson, Portland Ovations
Maine’s performing arts organizations are in trouble. And their closures, furloughs, and layoffs are negatively impacting our downtowns, small businesses, and communities — for all of whom the performing arts mean business.
Performing arts organizations were among the first to close in the pandemic and will be among the last to reopen. For the next year, entire seasons are in question or already shut down.
And even if your local or most loved organization has pivoted to digital, such programs are merely place-holding for a time when they can again bring us to the stage together — and may not financially sustain these organizations for the 12 to 18 months it may yet be before a trusted vaccine is ready.
The arts mean business
Performing arts venues are community hubs, providing important economic multipliers to local economies, supporting restaurants, hotels and retail. In Maine, every $1 spent on cultural tourism results in $46 spent in the local economy. Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations add a value of $1.5 billion to Maine’s economy and provide upward of 17,000 jobs.
A few of Maine’s smaller organizations have limped bravely forward with budgets and business models that can support the significant, state-mandated reductions in seating capacity (currently 50) for indoor events. Others, such as those who book the 1,800-seat Merrill Auditorium in Portland City Hall, have business models too large to sustain this level of required reduction. Some are using this period of public inactivity to make structural changes to their venues — improving HVAC systems, adding room to cramped, historic back stage areas for artists.
In addition to their economic impact, these charitable organizations have community-based missions they work hard to serve and to sustain. They promote the public good, and are actively seeking ways to help Maine recover. They are striving to continue to innovate, engage and uplift our communities.
Some have built drive-ins for movies and more. Others are holding pop-up events. Many more are working with their independent artists — who, believing in the important missions of these organizations, continue to show up despite not knowing from where their next paycheck will appear — and their archives to create digital arts content. And they are primarily offering this content for free, as a service in efforts to heal, educate, promote racial and social equity and bring together our communities during these challenging times.
Nonprofit performing arts businesses are much more than economic drivers. They are a major factor in creating the culturally vibrant landscapes and healthy communities that attract and keep job-seekers, young people, and retirees. Alongside outdoor recreation and the state’s inspiring beauty, the arts are a crucial part of what makes Maine a great place to live.
As nonprofits with charitable missions, this sector now needs to call on the public to ensure its survival. Almost 100% of the sector’s revenues of the coming months will be in the form of individual charitable donations and government economic relief and recovery efforts. Let your state and federal representatives know how crucial the arts are to you, your family and your community. Include the arts as you are able in your own charitable giving. Continue support for your local cultural organizations, especially when they are forced to be closed.
These funds flow directly back into your communities, producing new performances that inspire and heal and strengthen us and creating opportunities for these businesses, as a group of industry leaders recently stated in an open letter, “to hire more staff, employ more artists, enliven more facilities, educate more youth, and engage more citizens in collectively examining themselves, their communities, and the world at large.”
Linda Nelson is deputy director of Portland Ovations, a nonprofit performing arts organization that connects artists and audiences through live performances, workshops, lectures and other experiences.
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