Arts & Culture: Growing Freeport’s Creative Economy

The Themes from What We’ve Heard: 

• Attract the growing community of makers, craftspeople, and artists that make up Maine’s Creative Economy to Downtown Freeport. 

• More plays, shows, art galleries, and live music. 

• Support festivals and events downtown and throughout Freeport. 

• Create more opportunities for public art throughout downtown.

Discussion Questions: 

• What types of festivals or events do you want in Downtown that you don’t have already?

• What types of funding streams are you utilizing to fund public art Downtown?

• How do you formalize the pop-up shop program? How can it be made easier for pop-up tenants to fill vacant spaces? What has not worked?

• What facilities do you need to improve the arts & culture in Downtown?

• How can we incorporate art into functional streetscape (i.e. bike racks, bus shelters)?

• What type of festivals, concerts, and events would you like to happen in Downtown?

• Where could studio spaces for creatives go in Downtown? How could new studios, venues, or galleries attract the creative economy to Freeport?

• Where are there non-traditional spaces for events and performances? Alleys, storefronts, parking lots, etc.

• How can the existing vacant storefront public art program be improved? 

• What are the state programs and initiatives that Freeport can take advantage of in the near term?

• Are there opportunities for "street performances"?

• Is the art community coordinated in communication/marketing?