Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden announced today that they secured $411,710 in the Fiscal Year 2022 Housing Appropriations bill to support the renovation of Johnson Hall in Gardiner.  As the Ranking Member and lead Republican on the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins co-authored this funding bill.

The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“Cultural institutions are part of the fabric of communities and enrich the lives of residents,” said Senator Collins.  “I strongly advocated for this funding for Johnson Hall, a historically significant building that is a center for the arts.”

“For more than 150 years, Johnson Hall has been a gathering place that brings together Maine people to celebrate the arts,” said Senator King. “The building’s renovations seek to secure that role for generations to come. Pandemic challenges have made this process more complicated and costly than initially anticipated, but these funds will help finish the project and ensure that Johnson Hall can continue to connect Maine people to the arts in the years ahead.”

“For over 150 years, Johnson Hall has been a gathering place and a cultural beacon for the people of Gardiner,” said Congressman Golden. “We need to preserve this rich history and community institution, and I’m proud to help secure over $400,000 to do just that. Thank you to the Johnson Hall Capital Campaign and everyone in Gardiner being such great partners and advocates for this project.”

“We at Johnson Hall are so thankful for the belief that Representative Golden, Senator Collins and Senator King have in our organization and for the hard work they put in to secure these much needed funds to complete this historic project,” said Michael Miclon, Executive/Artistic Director of Johnson Hall.  “We sincerely appreciate their dedication to our state and our region.”

The funding secured by Senators Collins and King and Representative Golden will be used to support renovations and install safety measures at Johnson Hall, which was built in 1864.