TANNERY STREET
Lights Out has found its new home at 10 Tannery Street, Norway, Maine. Purchased in February of 2022, we immediately began working to renovate and restore Maine's historic snowshoe factory. We are building an art center for the community, unlike anything in western Maine. This transformational project has become an evolving hotspot of local collaboration and statewide coordination. This new location will soon be home to dozens of small businesses, local organizations, artists, makers, and educators.
The buildings are 13,000 square feet combined and sit on almost a full acre in downtown Norway –this downtown location makes Tannery Street a great hub to support retail and restaurants.
With the generous help of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours, we have cleared out both buildings, made structural repairs, and lifted and reinforced the foundation. The most urgent repair is our current focus, raising the funds to replace our aged roof. These necessary fixes ensure that Lights Out’s new home will serve the community for years to come.
"The former Tubbs Snowshoes factory (above) is a plain-faced wooden structure on a side street in Norway, Maine. Founded in 1906, the Tubbs factory was famous for producing high-quality snowshoes, skis and sleds, even outfitting the famed Robert Peary polar expeditions, leading to Norway being hailed as the 'Snowshoe Capital of the [U.S].'"
– Karen Jelenfy, Creative Maine
“[Lights Out Gallery] had the foresight and brilliant idea to buy this building, I really applaud everything about it, and it's very heartwarming to witness its beginning; witness its birth."- Katherine Bradford, Advisory Board
If you would like to get involved or learn more about the project, please contact Daniel Sipe at daniel@lightsoutart.com