PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The head of the National Endowment for the Arts is visting Maine to learn about how the creative economy is affectying communities.
Rocco Landesman took a walking tour of Rockland on Wednesday and met with hundreds of artists in Portland that same night. He has made it a priority to help cities across the country grow their local economies by supporting artists and the arts. Landesman says Rockland is a great example.
"It's almost a textbook example of how the arts can revitalize a city, a community, and this was a community that had real challenges, real issues, and because of the arts it's really a very vibrant place," Landesman told NEWS CENTER.
On Thursday, Landesman will take a walking tour of the Portland Arts District, with stops at several galleries including the Portland Museum of Art, SPACE Gallery, and the Salt Institute.
NEWS CENTER