ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Waterville Creates dedicates the 2022 Annual Report to the hundreds of donors who contributed to the community capital campaign for the Paul J. Schupf Art Center. Your generous support will help to ensure a vibrant and enduring future for the arts in Waterville.

022 was a year of exciting changes and new beginnings for Waterville Creates, culminating in December with the opening of the Paul J. Schupf Art Center.

As we reflect on this transformative year, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our incredible staff for their passion, creativity, and tenacity during what has been a whirlwind of growth and change. Each member of the team contributes immeasurably to our mission of arts experiences for all, and we are so grateful for their efforts.

We also want to thank our donors, sponsors, members, and volunteers for their unwavering support. There could be no stronger symbol of our community’s belief and investment in the arts than the Paul J. Schupf Art Center. As we settle into our new home in the heart of downtown, we do so with a renewed commitment to our core values of creativity, community, collaboration, and access for all, which reverberate throughout this report.

We know firsthand that participation in the arts changes lives and builds happier, healthier communities, and we couldn’t be more excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Sincerely,

Shannon Haines President + CEO

Executive Director

King Vice President

Director

Mission Vision

A community where all people enjoy transformative experiences in the arts.

Values Community

We are building a thriving, connected, and equitable community through shared experiences in the arts. By presenting arts programming by, with, and for our community, we promote growth and well-being.

Creativity

We recognize the vital role creative expression plays in a fulfilled life and a vibrant community, nurture individual artistic endeavors at all levels, and encourage all creative outlets.

Collaboration

We connect and work with creatives, arts and cultural organizations, and other strategic partners to energize and enrich our community through the arts.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION

We support, encourage, and honor diverse stories and perspectives. We provide relevant, accessible programming while making space for community conversations that deepen understanding and foster discourse around critical issues of our time.

PAUL J. SCHUPF ART CENTER

After years of planning, design, and fundraising, the Paul J. Schupf Art Center (Schupf Arts) opened to the public on December 17 with Waterville Creates’ annual Joy to the Ville event. Over 700 patrons of all ages braved the season’s first snowstorm to enjoy free, family-friendly arts activities throughout the beautiful, new program spaces, which include the Ticonic Gallery, Clay Studio, and Classroom, the three theaters of the Maine Film Center, and Studio 1902, the Waterville Opera House’s rehearsal and event space. Attendees received complimentary “arts for all” lunchboxes packed with free art supplies and information about upcoming programs.

Volunteer Program

Under the focused direction of a full-time event + volunteer coordinator, WC’s volunteer program grew not only in number of volunteers but also in its management and oversight. WC now requires a standardized volunteer application, holds regular volunteer orientations and appreciation events, and offers a formal, robust rewards program. In 2022, over 150 people completed the volunteer application and now receive bimonthly updates on volunteer opportunities across the organization.

Community Input

In March, Waterville Creates (WC) hosted a series of focus groups with college students, young adults, and families to gather input and inform programming at Schupf Arts. While each group identified issues unique to the audience it represented, the following overarching themes were shared by all groups: participants are looking for experiences that offer a sense of connection and community; they defined “the arts” very broadly, including visual arts, music, film, theatre, dance, jewelry, craft, and culinary arts; and they all identified cost as a barrier to participation. As a follow up to the focus groups, WC conducted an electronic patron survey in July to solicit a broader range of community feedback. With over 400 responses, the survey provided valuable insights regarding barriers to participation, marketing preferences, and interest in new programs and activities.

Arts Dispatch

In December, WC launched Arts Dispatch, a new, quarterly publication that includes event and programming information across all WC divisions, highlights from community partners, including the Colby College Museum of Art, the Waterville Public Library, and the Children’s Discovery Museum, and select editorial content, including staff profiles and featured projects. Replacing multiple stand-alone publications, this handy guide is mailed to all WC members and made available at Schupf Arts and local businesses.

2022 Social Media Stats

EDUCATION + OUTREACH

Youth Arts Access Fund

WC publicly launched the Youth Arts Access Fund (YAAF) in March 2022. Designed to remove cost as a barrier to participation in the arts, YAAF provides free access for youth ages 18 and under to any program WC offers, including concerts, plays, movies, art classes, and more. In 2022, the fund was accessed 682 times, providing over $25,000 worth of free arts experiences across all divisions of WC.

Common Threads

In July and August, WC engaged social practice artists Elizabeth Jabar and Colleen Kinsella to present the Common Threads project, a series of free arts experiences that brought artists and residents of all ages together to create art and explore what it means to be part of a community. The process culminated in a beautiful, inaugural exhibition at Ticonic Gallery and the installation of a stunning two-story mural in Schupf Arts. This project was supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Maine Arts Commission and realized in partnership with the Colby College Museum of Art and its Lunder Institute for American Art.

Art in the Park

WC once again joined forces with the Waterville Public Library and the Colby College Museum of Art to present Art in the Park, a weekly, family-friendly series of outdoor arts programming held in conjunction with the Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market. Over 400 people of all ages had the opportunity to create art, enjoy story time, and participate in a variety of activities exploring this year’s theme, Oceans of Possibility.

Arts in Bloom

In May, WC hosted Arts in Bloom, an annual celebration of spring and creativity presented in collaboration with community partners. Activities included a story walk on the North Street trails, planting bulbs and seeds at the Children’s Discovery Museum, creating cyanotypes with the artists of The Farm Tools Project, a scavenger hunt through town, and the distribution of free art supplies.

National Visibility for Art Kits for All

In March, WC Education + Outreach Manager Serena Sanborn was invited to present about the Art Kits for All program with colleagues from the Colby College Museum of Art and Waterville Public Schools at the National Arts Education Association’s annual conference in New York City. Developed during the pandemic, this collaborative program has distributed over 8,000 free art kits to the community. Each kit includes art supplies and detailed instructions for a home art activity and ties to a specific community theme, children’s book, and/ or art exhibition.