NORWAY — Nearly 120 years after a burgeoning snowshoe factory occupied the 15,000 square-foot building located on 10 Tannery Street in Norway, a trio of Maine natives, backed by volunteers and local businesses that believe in their vision, are converting it into a hub of artistic connection, collaboration, and camaraderie.
‘Norway has always been a really interesting hotbed of the arts,’ said Reed McLean. ‘There are artists, writers, and poets, and Norway has a big performing arts scene. So, I think it is a natural place for a project like this.’
The project is Lights Out Gallery, a non-profit organization formed to create an arts hub for Western Maine, replete with a gallery, a dance studio, artists studios, and additional working and display spaces.
McLean, Daniel Sipe, and Karlë Woods purchased the building in February of 2022, and shortly thereafter, began taking the steps down a path to make the dream become a reality. Masonite flooring was stripped, revealing the original hemlock, the foundation was stabilized, rotten sills were replaced, frames were straightened, and a fully renovated dance studio is set to open this spring. Much of the work has been completed by local volunteers happy to pitch in.
The plan will take years to complete, with sections of the building gradually being opened, but building a cultural center that will last outweighs any benefit of going too fast.
‘We built a robust board of directors and advisors from around the state who have experience making projects of this scale happen,’ said Sipe. ‘The space aims to show art without hierarchy, but rather gather a community of artists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to illuminate art in conversation.’
While the renovation is in progress, that ideal is already on display in a tangible way, as the organization has produced videos of local artists being interviewed that are then posted on the Lights Out Gallery website each week. Thus far, over 80 have been completed, each building excitement over a community that one day will be centered at the location.
It’s also clear that Lights Out Gallery has connected with the wider Norway community in the process of creating its own. In late March, Norway Savings Bank donated $10,000 to the cause.
‘I really enjoyed meeting them and seeing the passion and enthusiasm with which they are approaching this project. That energy is spreading throughout the area as the idea of having a vibrant arts center just off of Main Street gets closer to reality,’ said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings. ‘It’s exciting for us to be a small part of this large and growing group of supporters who believe in the power of possibility there.’
The goal is to have Lights Out Gallery shining fully in the next three or four years, and while a ceiling on possibilities may not exist, a roof needing a replacement does.
‘It is critical to the survival of this building complex and to the eventual full granting of occupancy that the roof be completed, even before all of the other projected improvements we have outlined in our plan,’ said McLean.
Enter the ‘Raise the Roof’ campaign, which invites local people and businesses to contribute to the cause. At present, $60,000 of the $75,000 goal has been donated.
‘Donations of time, expertise, and money by interested parties have taken us this far, combined with our own drive and talents,’ said Sipe. ‘We can’t fix the roof with these assets alone, and we hope that people will be moved to play a part in this exciting new chapter in the story of Western Maine.’
If you can support the cause, visit www.lightsoutgallery.org/donate. The website also highlights the work that has been done and offers a glance at the bright future lying ahead.
‘It’s so important that we reach out to rural communities and help those artists realize they can get their work shown,’ said Sipe. ‘This effort is really important to me.’
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