PORTLAND — The impact of Norway Savings Bank’s dedication to our mission is immeasurable and profound.
The words of Márcia Minter, co-founder and chief officer of strategic growth and innovation of Indigo Arts Alliance, are personified in the Black and Brown artists from Maine who are able to cultivate their artistic development through mentorship, connection, and amplification thanks to the work of IAA.
“We emphasize that we want Black and Brown artists to be an integral part of the texture of the whole community – not an add-on – but really part of the whole,” said Daniel Minter, co-founder and artistic director of IAA.
IAA offers two residencies: a mentorship program that pairs visiting artists with local and regional Black and Brown artists and a fellowship program honoring Dr. David C. Driskell, IAA’s elder advisor. Both residencies are open to artists of many disciplines, including visual, performance, and writing, and connects them with the local and national art community along with studio time to engage in their creative process that celebrates self-expression. The relationships between the visiting and local paired artists and fellowship experiences are documented through a digital video and text archive for future artists to reflect upon and to serve as an education tool that can be accessed by community members. IAA also celebrates children’s literature of the African diaspora through its annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival which honors Ashley Bryan each September.
The organization operates its main studio in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland for professional, mid-career, and emerging artists, as well as the Driskell Fellowship at Black Seed Studio that features a variety of work surfaces adaptable to all artistic mediums, including movement, music, painting, printmaking, textiles, photography, writing, and more.
“Indigo Arts Alliance is a place of exploration, ideation, and growth that leads to artists sharing their creative vision that illuminates what is possible and shows us the way forward to a more just, equitable and humane society,” said Jordia Benjamin, executive director of IAA. “Through its support, Norway Savings Bank and other organizations are creating change, too.”
NSB is pleased to donate another $5,000 to support Indigo Arts Alliance this week, a donation that allowed the Bank’s support to eclipse $20,000 toward the worthy mission and meaning of the IAA.
“The Bank is continually moved by the passion and purpose of Indigo Arts Alliance and are grateful to be able to assist the studio and its staff in carrying out this significant cultural contribution,” said Dan Walsh, president and CEO of Norway Savings Bank. “IAA is turning possibility into reality and fostering fruitful relationships enjoyed by both mentors and mentees alike. This sharing of gifts and perspectives is truly making a difference in Maine and beyond.”
“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. That is a Kenyan proverb that we refer to time and again as we find ourselves deep in gratitude for the generosity of supporters like NSB,” said Márcia.
If you would like to join NSB and support the Indigo Arts Alliance in its efforts or to learn more about IAA, visit its website at www.indigoartsalliance.me.