Local artists want Bangor to ditch fee for sidewalk sales

Bangor-area artists are petitioning the city to allow local creators to sell their work on certain sidewalks without paying a fee.

Sam Bullard of Pittsfield, who creates paintings using acrylics and embroidery, plans to present their idea to the Bangor Cultural Development Commission at its next meeting, which falls on the first Friday of August.

They, alongside a few other local arts, are petitioning Bangor to allow local artists to set up tables on designated sidewalks and outdoors public spaces, at certain times, without paying a fee.

If allowed, Bullard said it would give novice and low-income artists an opportunity to sell their creations, diversifying the art available in Bangor. Establishing a time when artists can present their work to the public would also give people another reason to explore downtown and patronize other local businesses.

“It’d draw more people downtown and into local businesses while giving young artists a chance to flourish,” Bullard said. “It’d create a more interesting downtown that gives people a reason to get off their couch, stop watching Netflix and go enjoy what’s actually here.”

Bullard also drafted an online petition for their idea, which had garnered more than 60 signatures as of Monday morning.

The push to create opportunities for artists comes weeks after two downtown arts venues — Bangor Arts Exchange and Queen City Cinema Club — announced their closure. The loss of both spaces narrowed the options for budding artists to introduce their work to the public.

Bullard said they got the idea after visiting Portland and witnessing the city’s monthly First Friday Art Walk event, during which local artists can set up tables on certain streets and sell their creations within certain times.

Artists don’t need to pay for a permit or a tabling fee and can set up a booth in the space available when they arrive. Vendors only need to bring their own equipment, clean up at the end of the event and must leave enough space on the sidewalk for pedestrians.

Local museums and galleries also open their doors to welcome patrons to visit for free. More than 3,000 people come downtown each month to visit galleries and museums, see live performances and buy artwork from street vendors, according to Creative Portland.

Existing opportunities for artists to sell their merchandise in Bangor, such as the Night Markets or Sidewalk Art Festival, generally carry a fee of $50 or more for artists to participate, making those events inaccessible to some creators, Bullard said.

“I think it’d be nice to have a space where people who can’t afford those fees can step up and share their work, because they deserve to be seen,” said Bullard, who grew up in Bangor.

Artists also pay for equipment they purchase to participate in street fairs, including tables, tents and display materials, on top of what it costs to purchase the materials to make their artwork.

At the last art event Bullard participated in, they sold enough to cover the cost of the equipment they bought for the event, meaning they gained no profit.

“My only income right now is art, so it’s incredibly anxiety-inducing to have any event where I break even,” Bullard said. “You put in so many hours of work just to get nothing back. That’s a risk you have to take.”

Other options for artists to sell their work online through personalized websites cost hundreds of dollars and other online vending options, such as Etsy, take a portion of any sales an artist earns, said Hope Eye, a Brewer artist who joined Bullard in their mission.

Some local businesses or organizations will display or sell an artist’s work without an attached fee, but Eye said the establishment will generally take a cut of an artist’s profits. This can cause artists to raise the price of their work to a level that’s out of reach for some customers.

Such an arrangement also requires artists to have connections with business owners, which sometimes take years to build, Eye said.

Someone selling their art on a Bangor sidewalk today would violate the city’s peddling ordinance, according to David Warren, a spokesperson for the city. The rule requires someone to get permission from a municipal officer or some other authorized person and pay a license fee before selling anything on a city sidewalk or public area.

Bangor’s parks ordinance also prohibits commercial activity in a city park without completing a daily concession permit, which costs $40, Warren said.

Bullard and Eye stressed they’re not hoping to erase existing events in Bangor, like the Sidewalk Art Festival, as those are still cherished and valuable.

“I just want to create more accessibility for folks who can’t afford those opportunities,” they said.