LEWISTON — Arts groups serving Maine communities ought to do a better job of asking the federal government — particularly the National Endowment for the Arts — for grant money, an official told dozens of arts professionals Friday.

“Please apply,” said Mark Griffin, a congressional liaison with the arts agency. “Please seek us out.”

On average, one of every two applications for a grant is accepted, Griffin said.

The Friday morning meeting at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston gathered more than 80 people from groups covering the southern half of the state.

The ratio of applications to grants surprised several attendees, including the Maine Arts Commission’s grant specialist, Kathy Ann Shaw. She thought the competition for NEA money was more fierce.

Shaw’s agency is a re-granting institution, annually redirecting more than $700,000 in NEA money to local institutions in Maine.

“People should apply,” she said. “What can it hurt?”

About 60 percent of the NEA’s budget is spent on grants. Recipients range from small groups that might present a play to national organizations such as the Public Broadcasting Service.

More applications for grants wouldn’t mean that more money is disbursed. Rather, it would likely improve the quality of programs that are granted money. It might also spread the dollars thinner as more groups vie for the same money pool.

The meeting grew from an invitation by Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, to the National Endowment of the Arts. It led Griffin to present two computer slide shows on the grant process. One was held Thursday in Bangor. The Lewiston session served the southern half of the state, drawing people from Bath-Brunswick, Damariscotta and Portland, as well as from Lewiston-Auburn.

The presentation convinced Rita Dube, the Franco center’s executive director, to apply for a grant.

And Rachel Desgrosseilliers, the who heads Museum LA, said she plans to apply for money to aid in the development of the museum’s planned relocation to the former Camden Yarn Mill, adjacent to Simard-Payne  Memorial Park.

“I didn’t know they paid for design work,” she said.

Much of Griffin’s presentation took people through the NEA’s online application process, often stopping to give some advice.

The former elementary school math teacher pleaded with people to check their arithmetic before submitting a proposed budget.

“Nothing raises a red flag quicker,” he said. “If it’s funky, if it’s squirrely, if it’s not easy to follow, it will be noticed. Make sure your math adds up.”

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