NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Jessica Shively, Communications & Development Associate
207-367-2788
jessica@operahousearts.org

DATE: November 18, 2025
TITLE: Opera House Arts Receives Inaugural Creative Communities Grant from the Maine Arts Commission

Stonington, ME – Opera House Arts is honored to announce that it has been selected as one of the first recipients of the Creative Communities Grant from the Maine Arts Commission. This new statewide initiative celebrates and supports projects that use the power of the arts to strengthen connections between people, places, and communities.

As part of the inaugural cohort, Opera House Arts will receive funding to support their annual Island Women Speak event on Thursday, January 22 at 7pm. 

Island Women Speak is a storytelling event conceived and directed by Debbie Weil.  Women across generations take the stage to share their personal stories in front of a live audience.  The event is also offered as a live stream to make it accessible to all.  

This project embodies the spirit of the Creative Communities Grant by weaving creativity into the social and cultural fabric of Maine’s towns and cities.

“We are thrilled to be part of this landmark program and deeply grateful to the Maine Arts Commission for recognizing the value of the arts in building vibrant, connected communities,” said Executive Director Erika Sanger. 

The Maine Arts Commission’s Creative Communities Grant program marks a significant milestone in the state’s investment in community-based arts initiatives. By supporting innovative projects like this one, the Commission affirms the essential role of creativity in fostering belonging, collaboration, and resilience across Maine.

The Maine Arts Commission receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information about Opera House Arts and upcoming events visit operahousearts.org or call 207-367-2788.

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The Stonington Opera House is a historic center of culture and entertainment, a performance space, and a civic gathering place. Our work is rooted in the belief that access to and participation in the arts transforms lives.

The Stonington Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and in 1999, it was rescued by the founders of Opera House Arts, a 501 (c) 3, that was established specifically to restore this historic building to its original purpose.

A cornerstone of a year-round, vibrant Main Street located at the top of the busiest commercial fishing pier in Maine, the Stonington Opera House is an economic engine for the creative economy of Deer Isle. 

Photos attached: 

1. Island Women Speak logo

2. The Storytellers from Island Women Speak 2024 taking a bow.