About TAN

The Traditional Arts Network (TAN) is a consortium of traditional artists, ensembles, and community organizations in Maine that is facilitated by Mayo Street Arts and Cultural Resources. TAN supports the work of traditional artists preserving a cultural heritage from all countries of origin and indigenous communities.

Traditional arts are rooted in and reflective of the cultural life of a community. These vital artistic traditions are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community.

Through access to other artists; arts professionals like videographers, designers, and cultural specialists; as well as non-profit funding organizations, the TAN also offers traditional artists the opportunity to invest in their creative practice and to introduce their work to a larger audience while maintaining their cultural traditions.

TAN Advisory Council

  • Yuliia Derkach

    Ukrainian Folk Art Painter

  • Henri N’koy Bofumbo

    Board Vice Chair
    Congolese Community of Maine

  • Mihku Paul

    Chief Creative
    Feathers of Many Colors

Facilitators

  • Ian Bannon

    Executive Director
    Mayo Street Arts

  • Kathleen Mundell

    Director
    Cultural Resources

  • [ Name Withheld ]

    TAN Community Organizer
    Mayo Street Arts

History

A collaboration between Mayo Street Arts and Cultural Resources, the TAN grew out of discussions with local traditional artists interested in networking with other artists and cultural communities.

The East Bayside neighborhood in Portland, Maine has historically provided a home to populations of Irish and Scandinavians, and in 1890 the Danish Lutherans built the St. Ansgar’s church that is now known as Mayo Street Arts (MSA). More recently East Bayside has become home to families hailing from a diverse global base, making it the most ethnically diverse, densely populated square mile in the state of Maine.

Mayo Street Arts is a welcoming community arts center that serves as a performance venue, gallery, and gathering space, and offers affordable studios and rehearsal space for artists. MSA’s programming embraces variety, with a particular focus on puppetry and traditional arts. MSA is dedicated to community enrichment, offering free youth programs and fostering opportunities for audiences to participate in the forms they see on stage through workshops with visiting artists, puppet slams, and open mics.

Mayo Street Arts strives to strengthen its neighborhood and community by providing a haven for the arts that is vibrant, safe, and inspiring; and to engage area youths of diverse cultural communities in robust participation in the visual, performing, and literary arts.


Cultural Resources (CR) is a nonprofit working with communities throughout Maine, developing programs and strategies that help sustain their local culture. For 30+ years, CR has worked with traditional artists and communities on exhibits, artist gatherings, festivals, and apprenticeship programs. CR is the official NEA Folk Arts Partner for the State of Maine and administers the folk arts program and the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program.

In 2020, Cultural Resources Director Kathleen Mundell contacted MSA to see if such CR’s community-based approach would be useful in organizing immigrant artists interested in sustaining their cultural heritage. CR and MSA then successfully secured a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to identify and organize the first immigrant TAN Artist Gathering in Portland.

In 2021, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk & Traditional Arts Program and the Maine Arts Commission, CR and MSA hired a coordinator to organize the first TAN Artist Gathering. After months of networking and planning, 38 artists participated in this all day event. The gathering strengthened peer to peer connectivity by creating opportunities for artists to share work, learn from one another, and identify shared visions. At the end of the day, one idea stood out: passing traditional arts along to the next generation.

The TAN Fund was founded in 2022 with support from Maine Arts Commission. The TAN Fund provides direct cash support to traditional artists in Maine. Applicants complete a single-page application with assistance from the network, including translation and interpretation services, written descriptions, photographs, and videos. Award recipients and amounts are selected by the TAN Advisory Committee.

Now in its 35th year, the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program is administered by Cultural Resources and is currently funded through National Endowment for the Arts Folk Arts Partnership support.

The Traditional Arts Network continues to bolster the valuable social and cultural assets practiced by these artists as well as develop community-based leadership and cultural advocacy.