Maine, New Brunswick Cultural Exchange Yielding Benefits - MPBN |
| Maine, New Brunswick Cultural Exchange Yielding Benefits - MPBN Posted: 07 Dec 2010 02:56 PM PST While sharpening its focus on key areas for improvement, a report on efforts to improve future opportunities for expanding cross-border cultural and business opportunities with New Brunswick also highlights a key economic factor for Gov. John Baldacci. "Today the task force is reporting out their initial findings, they have provided us with an assessment of the priorities outlined, and synthesized some very important data: More than 32,240 Maine jobs are supported through Canadian and U.S. trade," Baldacci said. The task force, which spent six months researching the economic value of cross-border cultural exchange, concluded that Canadians make more than 885,400 visits to Maine annually, spending an estimated $266 million. Much of the Canadian interest is directed to areas of the state targeted for growth by the governor under his quality of place and creative economy iniatives. The arts carries a real cash value for Maine, and Baldacci says artists and interest in musical and visual cultural attractions have a way of building on each other. "Because what happens is is that these energies move in from different directions so that you're able to enhance the culture, the quality of life, the support for libraries, museums," Baldacci said. "And what they're able to dissect in those communities that are economically prosperous--those are economic communities that are working at all cylinders in all areas." "I think the arts have always generated a huge bang for the buck, that we understand how to work with great success with very few dollars," says Donna McNeil, director of the Maine Arts Commission. McNeil says there are cross-border performing arts conferences that are percolating as the result of ongoing efforts to improve cultural and economic ties with New Brunswick. She says those opportunities could be enhanced if border crossing protocols that slow down travel between the state and the province could be revised to address cultural exchanges. "If we can just get the border crossing issues resolved, I think we'll be in good shape for jobs creation and economic development for both New Brunswick and Maine." McNeil said. "We deal a lot with Canadian artists--we have a festival every summer," said Rita Dube, of the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. "We always are looking forward to bringing Canadian artists to the center, and there have been difficulties." Rita Dube is always on the look-out for new opportunities to shine a light on cultural activities that unite Maine and the Canadian provinces. She says that when music performers are coming to Maine from Canada, they are barred from bringing in their CD recordings for resale, which can be discouraging for the performers. In addition to creating a resource to address border crossings during cultural exchanges, the task force is also recommending encouraging cultural business and tourism opportunities, enhancing cultural information exchange and collaborating in cross-border cultural projects. A follow up report is due in April. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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