The Working Waterfront newspaper reports on the people and forces that shape Maine’s coastal and island communities. As publisher, Island Institute’s premise is that the cultural, environmental, and community assets here are rare and valuable, and are worth fighting for.
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June 20
Maine rocks the arts, the arts rock Maine
And Rockland is stellar example of how arts boosts local economies
In 2012, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and culture production accounted for $698 billion, or 4.32 percent of the nation’s economy. Surprise: that’s more than construction, transportation or tourism. In Maine, by 2014, there were 3,262 arts-related businesses sustaining 10,667 jobs. In other words, the arts account for almost 4 percent of the total number of businesses in…
June 20
Schooner Bowdoin readied for another 100 years
Lyman-Morse completes repairs on historic MMA vessel
By Dora Thompson It was a dry winter for the historic schooner Bowdoin. The vessel, best-known for carrying explorer Donald MacMillan to the Arctic in 1913 and now owned and…
June 20
The Island Reader celebrates homegrown art, literature
Tenth edition reaches farther among Maine islands
There is a side to island life that might be eclipsed by fishermen’s working lobster boats and pickup trucks, and tourists walking off ferries. Art and literature are alive and…
June 20
Traveling in style—Maine Maritime Museum remembers steamboat era
Exhibit continues in Bath through Sept. 5
“Transport like no other” declared a sign posted more than 100 years ago on the Bath City Landing, directing visitors to board the steamboat Virginia. That sign is one of…
June 17
A survivor's story: From poverty and abuse to police department chronicled in Black to Blue
Deep into her memoir Black to Blue, Jamie Rooney recounts the steady sexual abuse she endured from her 16-year-old stepbrother. At this point in the book, it’s not the first…
June 17
Cruise business continues upward trend in Maine
Some 28,000 passengers expected to visit this year
Maine is a happening place when it comes to attracting cruise ships. The numbers just keep going up. Statewide, the season is bringing 378 cruise visits to Maine ports, said…
June 17
Fake it 'til you make it
The complete list of jobs I've pretended to be qualified for in my fellowship
Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher…
June 17
High visibility for contemporary art in Rockland
Center for Maine Contemporary Art opens new building
The idea behind the new Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) building on Winter Street just off Main Street in Rockland is to “turn a traditional museum inside out,” says…
June 17
Stand-off on Belfast’s waterfront illustrates new dynamics
What does ‘waterfront dependent’ mean today?
The Island Institute launched this newspaper over 20 years ago in part to highlight the importance of Maine’s working waterfronts. Those properties, from which marine harvesting and other water-dependent businesses…
June 16
'Post Card Day' celebrated at Penobscot Marine Museum
Wish you were here...
While the centennial of the founding of Acadia National Park is being celebrated this year all across the greater Mount Desert Island region, the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport has…
Island Postcards
EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining
Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.
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