RUMFORD – Merging the arts and cultural community with the business community can lead to a stronger, more appealing economy for everyone.

That was the message John Rohman, chairman of the Maine Arts Commission and a former Bangor mayor, gave more than 60 people Wednesday night during the River Valley Creative Economy Forum.

And most seemed to come away feeling enthusiastic and empowered to get to work.

“If the city of Bangor can turn things around, we can,” said Selectman Jolene Lovejoy.

Rohman, who will be a featured speaker at the Blaine House Conference on a Creative Economy next month in Lewiston, emphasized the need for municipal leaders to see the benefit of investing in the arts and entrepreneurs, citing his own city as an example. Bangor invested in an art museum, which in turn spawned restaurants and the creation of apartments and studios in the downtown area, as well as drawing new businesses to the city.

The property values have gone up and the downtown area is revitalized.

“It behooves the city council to think of those things to help bring a downtown area back,” he said. “It boils down to money, a return on their investment.”

And Rumford has much of the raw material needed for revitalization.

Its historic architecture is something many towns don’t have.

New England, said Rohman, has a historic fabric that is attractive to many. That, along with lakes, rivers and mountains, and a cultural landscape are often the things people look for when they decide to relocate.

“Rumford and the Rumford area have the ability to have a cluster creative economy,” he said.

Rosie Bradley, assistant to the River Valley Growth Council executive director, and one of six area people who will attend May’s statewide creative economy conference, said a committee will likely be formed after the conference to look at ways they use the creative opportunities in the area.

“It will be a driving committee for planning, to use what we’ve got,” she said. “We’ll hit the ground running.”

River Valley Growth Council director Scott Christiansen said a major joint announcement by the growth council and the River Valley Arts Initiative will be made after the state conference.

“We’ve been working on (the concept of) a creative economy for two years,” he said.
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