Lights Out Gallery

Norway, ME

Lights Out Gallery is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to connecting Maine’s diverse community of artists with one another and with the broader public. Through statewide exhibitions, short-form documentary films, and public programs such as community art nights and drawing classes, the organization fosters dialogue, collaboration, and creative exchange. In 2022, Lights Out acquired a former 1906 snowshoe factory in Norway, Maine, with the vision of transforming it into a multi-use community art center. Plans for the 15,000-square-foot site include artists’ studios, a gallery, dance studio, print shop, woodshop, co-working space, and botanical garden—positioning the facility as a regional anchor for creativity and rural revitalization.

With FCI support, Lights Out will develop a comprehensive green master plan for retrofitting its headquarters at 10 Tannery Street. Led by Woodhull Architects in consultation with engineers, energy auditors, and solar designers, the project will include an energy assessment, structural review, and feasibility studies for electrification, weatherization, and rooftop solar. The plan will address zone-specific needs—from gallery lighting and VRF heat pump systems to woodshop ventilation and passive heating strategies—and culminate in an energy roadmap with implementation scenarios. This proactive planning effort will ensure that Lights Out embeds environmental stewardship into the site’s transformation and future operations.

Milestones

• Conduct building-wide energy assessment and establish energy use baseline

• Develop retrofit design plans for envelope upgrades and HVAC efficiency

• Evaluate solar array options and battery storage potential

• Assess electrical capacity and structural viability for rooftop solar

• Produce a green master plan and energy roadmap with cost and impact models

• Integrate climate-conscious infrastructure into the center’s long-term development