NORWAY — Who knew a Portland power outage in 2019 would lead to a dream and the building of a community in the name of celebrating the arts years later in Norway?
“The power went out when we were holding a pop-up art show in my apartment, but we rented a generator and kept the show going with construction lights,” said Daniel Sipe. “The attendance and the enthusiasm were so high. It’s where the name came from!”
That name, Lights Out Gallery, is a nonprofit arts hub currently occupying the 15,000 square foot building located on 10 Tannery Street in Norway. What was once a snowshoe factory in the early 1900s is now home to a gallery, dance studio, artists’ studios, and additional spaces being renovated to accommodate further creativity and performance.
Sipe, along with his co-founders Reed McLean and Karlë Woods, purchased the building in 2022 and have since taken step after step to effectively and deliberately renovate, stabilize, and improve the facility so activities could be gradually introduced to the space. Currently, a large area on the first floor is being turned into a conference room, offices, and bathrooms.
The overall plan will take years to complete, which is to be expected with a project massive in both size and potential impact. Such an endeavor requires substantial support from the community, including local businesses like Norway Savings Bank, which has donated over $25,000 to the organization over the last three years, and has now entered into a new $30,000 multi-year commitment. Representatives from NSB visited Lights Out Gallery and met with its founders on April 29.
“We’re grateful for Norway Savings Bank’s continuing belief in what we’re doing and support to help us get there,” said Sipe. “Lights Out Gallery is focused on establishing a permanent home for artists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. To have community businesses and organizations who have our backs in pursuing that mission is tremendously gratifying and inspiring.”
Along the way, the organization has also produced videos of local artists being interviewed that are then posted on the Lights Out Gallery website each week, each building excitement over a community that one day will be centered at the location.
“It’s amazing to see the progress that has been made over the course of the last year, and the passion on display is incredible,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings. “It’s exciting for us to be a small part of this large and growing group of supporters who believe in both the power of possibility and the potential of a flourishing arts center right off Main Street.”
The goal is to have Lights Out Gallery shining fully by the end of the decade. If you can support the cause, visit www.lightsoutgallery.org/donate. The website also highlights the work that has been done and offers a glance at the bright possibilities that lie ahead.
“Every day, we get closer to a statewide arts organization that can bring people together through genuine connection, storytelling, education, and fun,” said Woods. “To have this special place where creativity is celebrated and the arts are enthusiastically supported by and for the wider community, what could be better than that?”