"But most didn't go to school for business education, so we try to fill in that gap. "Most of the artists are really talented at making a product," says Stutzman, the guild's executive director. This creative attention to Maine's underserved traditional artisans should serve as a model for policymakers and economic developers looking for ways to buttress Maine's rural economy. In essence, the guild is creating an industry out of formerly disconnected individual artisans. Through workshops and active marketing of members' products, the guild aims to help artisans navigate the commercial market for their goods while also educating the larger community about the region's cultural heritage. Based in Dover-Foxcroft, the guild counts as members more than 100 artisans in the Maine Highlands area, which encompasses Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. Injecting some entrepreneurial thinking into these small-scale craft businesses has been a goal of the Maine Highlands Guild, a nonprofit organization that Stutzman helped found in 2002. "There were a lot of artists who said, 'I do this, and I sell some on the side, but that's about it.' But with some education, you can actually take that business to the next step, and I think that's been a real eye opener." "These are things you can potentially make a living at when the mills shut down or when there doesn't seem like a lot of opportunity," says Stutzman. But the problem was that many of these craftspeople didn't know they were running ˆ or, with a little tweaking, could be running ˆ a full-fledged business. Stutzman, a 31-year-old Dover-Foxcroft native with a doctorate in cultural anthropology, studied how micro-enterprises could affect the local economy, and found a staggering number of people running small, home-based businesses selling small batches of angora mittens, hand-braided wool rugs or brownie batter. And as part of that culture, those crafts can help boost the economy of a particular region, says Stutzman.Īt least, that's the conclusion she came to during a 1999 research stint with the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council. While those crafts are likely seen as a part of the folksy charm of events like the Fryeburg Fair or the Piscataquis Valley Fair, Tracy Michaud Stutzman sees them as integral and irreplaceable parts of the local culture. Go to any country fair in Maine, and chances are good that you'll find an exhibit hall or tent filled with crafts like handmade quilts or maple syrup confections made from an heirloom recipe.
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