The Valley Arts Alliance was established in 2004, and is a group of artists and supporters of the Arts in the Sebasticook Valley Area of Central Maine. Our goals were originally to...

• Determine the artistic and cultural nature of the Sebasticook Valley Area,
• Offer an opportunity for artists and groups living here to collaborate
• Create new opportunities to be creative in the arts
• Draw attention to the various groups and sites of cultural interest in this area
• Create a readily accessible file of people and places, available to tourists, art buyers and other audiences

Since January, 2005, we hold regular monthly meetings and programs of interest to our local artists. Since January 2006 we charge a $10.00 membership fee per year.Our artists so far have volunteered their services and programs have been free of charge. (Oftentimes we have so much business that our programs have been more Show and Tell at the end.)

But we have had music by Charlie Haiss and Sam Hoekstra, and art sharing. At one meeting we had Jim Miller take photos of artists’ work to put on the website.)We have created by-laws and elected officers.We have established tax-free status and created a corporation. This will help us seek out financial support for more activities in the arts for local residents, as many grants require non -profit status.

We are becoming more firmly established in the community, in that we have more name-recognition. since we publish our activities and meetings monthly in the Rolling Thunder, and invite others to participate.

In the Fall of 2005 many of our artists had Open Studio Days, and a percentage of items sold was donated to the building funds of the Pittsfield Library and the Newport Cultural Center (about $250 to each cause). Artists without studios of their own shared studio space with other artists.