AUBURN — A series of lunchtime concerts won city support Monday night, but a cultural planning effort will have to wait.

City councilors voted 6-0 to set aside $4,000 from the city’s arts and culture budget for L/A Arts to sponsor the concerts.

L/A Arts is proposing to host a four-concert series in Auburn’s Festival Plaza and other places later this summer and asked the City Council for $4,000. That money would go to direct costs for the Auburn shows — things such as artist fees and technical and promotional expenses.

Councilor Robert Hayes said his only objection was having the concerts at noon, not in the evening when more people could attend.

Councilors Mary Lafontaine and Leroy Walker disagreed.

“We have a large population who works third shift, and they can’t go to evening concerts,” Lafontaine said. “This gives people and opportunity during the day to attend arts and cultural events.”

“Also, I believe that noontime has some benefits for the kids on the playgrounds and stuff,” Walker said. “It gives them a chance to see a show.”

The arts agency and the Arts and Culture Lewiston Auburn group also asked for $5,000 to qualify for a matching grant from the Maine Arts Commission. The grant would fund an 18-month-long study of promoting arts and culture in the Twin Cities. That planning effort would kick off this fall and be complete sometime next summer.

But councilors turned it down, suggesting that effort should come through the city’s recreation committee first.

staylor@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link