Federal arts leader has ‘extraordinary’ visit to Lewiston museum during Maine tour

SUN JOURNAL • August 28, 2026

The head of the National Endowment for the Arts wrapped up her three-day visit to Maine on Friday afternoon with a visit to the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor, which moved this summer into a new $15 million building along the Androscoggin River. “It’s projects like this that can change a town, change a community,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the NEA, the country’s largest funder of the arts. According to Carter, 18,000 Mainers work in the arts and culture sector, and the industry contributes $3 billion to the state’s economy.