Hello, and welcome to my website. I create and sell art of many mediums. I hope you enjoy my work, and feel free to reach out!
Hello, and welcome to my website. I create and sell art of many mediums. I hope you enjoy my work, and feel free to reach out!
Sam & Hope stand victorious in front of Bangor City Hall after the Cultural Commission Meeting (August 2024; Photo Credit: Robert Klein)
Bangor needs more accessible options for artists to share and sell their work. As it currently stands, most of Bangor’s opportunities for artists require moderate to high tabling fees and commission rates. They also often require having established connections with businesses that can take years to build.
We are looking to break down these financial and social barriers by adopting a similar approach to “Street Artists” and Portland’s First Friday Artwalks. While Portland does have a more formal artwalk available, the city also permits artists to set up tables at designated sidewalks and outdoor locations on a first come, first serve basis. Artists selling their original works are not required to get a permit or pay a tabling fee, they just need to bring their own equipment and clean up at the end of the day.
Our team wants to bring this spirit to Bangor by encouraging the city to embrace this initiative. We want Bangor to designate sidewalks and other potential outdoor public spaces where artists can sell their work in this manner. We want Bangor to allow artists to sell their works in these locations without the burden of permits. We want this city to embrace the creative folks that exist in this community and help them prosper through this change.
Bangor stands to benefit greatly from this plan. More opportunities for artists to share their work can lead to other creatives gravitating to this city. Community engagement would likely increase, bringing more foot traffic to the Downtown Bangor area and helping local businesses get attention. The decrease in financial and social barriers would allow for less privileged folks to participate and likely bring greater diversity to our community.
Overall our Sidewalk Art Initiative stands to bring a cultural net positive to Bangor. Please support our efforts today so we can build a brighter, more equitable future for our artists tomorrow. Thank you!
Best,
Sam Bullard & Hope Eye
For additional questions, reach out to Sam Bullard at: samanthab14@gmail.com.