Housed on the top floor of the Skowhegan Municipal Building, the Skowhegan Opera House is a charming venue designed by renowned Maine architect John Calvin Stevens and built in 1909.
In recent years, the opera house has struggled to bring in acts due to issues including the absence of heating and cooling systems, a lack of backstage restrooms for performers, and a subpar sound and light system.
In 2017, WesArts board member and Somerset Cultural Planning Committee Chair Jon Kimbell received permission from town selectmen to create a committee to explore ways of improving the opera house. The committee is moving forward with outlining renovation needs and creating a vision document for the opera house.
Executive Summary Business Plan
You can make a difference in your community by supporting the Friends of Skowhegan Opera House efforts by donating directly to our renovation fundraising efforts--thank you! Please, make a note on the donation that it is for the Opera House!
We are looking for new volunteers!
The Friends of Skowhegan Opera House is a committee under the umbrella of Wesserunsett Arts Council (a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to cultivate creativity, harness historic strength, and weave culture into our future as we celebrate Somerset County). WesArts envisions a region where residents, educators, businesses, and government value, support, and fully integrate arts, culture, and heritage into the fabric of civic life.
The mission of the Friends of Skowhegan Opera House is to support the programs and fundraising goals of the Skowhegan Opera House Committee to perform necessary renovations
Over the past few years, Skowhegan has been building and diversifying their economy with an eye toward tourism, agriculture, culture, and recreation. We push this agenda forward through product development with bus tours, trail development, and business support, and through keystone events such as the Kneading Conference, the Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival, Skowhegan River Fest, and the Run of River project--all happening here.
With Skowhegan on an upward trajectory, now is the time to bring the Opera House back to what it was meant to be.
WesArts serves on the town Opera House Committee that oversees the restoration and continued use of the Opera House. In addition, WesArts is building a volunteer committee called: Friends of Skowhegan Opera House that will help fundraise, build awareness, and produce small-scale shows, performances, or events that will advance the agenda of the town Opera House Committee.
This volunteer committee is currently seeking new members that are energetic, vision-oriented, and committed to the growth of Skowhegan and the Opera House. This committee will work closely with the WesArts project coordinator, no experience is necessary—just a love for Skowhegan and the arts.
Interested volunteers may contact WesArts project coordinator Lyn Govoni via email at WesArtsInfo@gmail.com
