Skowhegan, Maine

Oct 3, 2024
Presenter: Main Street Skowhegan
Population: 8,620

On Day 8, we left beautiful and remote northern Maine and drove a couple hours to central Maine (Maine always look huge on a New England map, but is actually not that large in comparison to most US states. We didn’t spend too much on gas!). Here our stop was Skowhegan in Somerset County, which consistently has one of the highest poverty rates in Maine. For whatever reason I hadn’t researched much about Skowhegan before arriving, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it full of charm and art. Mike and I had ample time to walk around town, and we stumbled upon public art, art galleries (with the artists present), good coffee, good drinks, questionable Thai food, and beautiful historic buildings.

Our presenter was Main Street Skowhegan. Thousands of “Main Street” chapters exist all over the nation, who are an accredited member of the national organization. We see so many underutilized or decrepit downtowns across the country, usually with beautiful historic buildings. “Main Street” chapters are tasked with revitalizing downtowns through commerce and culture. Our first Main Street collaboration was during our last tour, in Marion, Alabama, and that was such a success that we wanted to explore another Main Street partnership.

Main Street Skowhegan did not disappoint. For the venue, they picked SPACE on the River, a funky gymnasium-turned-community-center with very orange lighting. The young staff members in charge of the event were really great; one of them, Mollie, talked to us about what it’s like returning to her hometown and work to build community. We kept having to put out more chairs, as people kept coming in through the doors. The audience, in the way they listened and reacted, so clearly appreciated the arts and music. They told me they love classical music but there simply isn’t opportunity to hear it in their towns. Most often in Gather Hear, I’m playing for audiences who don’t know yet how they feel about classical music, having never experienced it live. I must say it’s easier to perform freely when an audience already loves classical music - both situations rewarding in different ways!

Thanks, Skowhegan!