A wealthy group bought the heart of a poor Maine town to build an artist colony

[jpak]

http://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/25/business/a-wealthy-group-bought-the-heart-of-a-poor-maine-town-to-build-an-artist-colony/

MONSON, Maine — A nonprofit foundation bought a huge chunk of this small rural town and plans to spend as much as $10 million revitalizing it.

The Libra Foundation has since October spent $750,000 buying a dozen houses, a community center and a general store along Monson’s main drag — as well as a farm on North Guilford Road, said Erik K. Hayward, Libra’s senior vice president.

The plan is to convert the houses into artist residences and the center into studio space. The store would sell art and produce from farms in Piscataquis County, which the U.S. Census Bureau rated as Maine’s poorest in 2015.

The foundation’s goal is ambitious: To save a dying industrial town known for slate quarries and furniture-making with a dramatic infusion of cash into the arts, agriculture and eventually recreation.

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[Kentonio]

1. Good luck to them, I hope it works out.

[nolabear]

2. Tieton, in eastern Washington, is like this.

It's slap in the middle of agricultural Washington and now there's a lovely artist community and some great workspace. I hope they all succeed.

[oasis]

3. Much success to the project.

[murielm99]

4. I enjoy visiting Paoli, Wisconsin.

It has many art shops and cheese!