Visitors enjoy the first Art of Biddeford makers’ market during WinterFest. Contributed / Cy Cyr

Heart of Biddeford recently partnered with Reveler and Port Property to activate the Foundry at the Levee in downtown Biddeford, offering artistic programming for the community, and there are plans for more.

The project celebrated its inaugural events during Biddeford WinterFest last weekend, including an art exhibition and collaborative dance performances.

“It was so much fun,” Heart of Biddeford Director Delilah Poupore said.

Local artist and curator Julie Gray put the show together, pulling together four artists all using sustainably harvested and found objects in nature.

Subcircle, a modern dance performance group, held a “performance playground” at the Foundry. Every half an hour, the group would work with the audience to bring objects like old suitcases, a clothing rack, and an old rug into the space.

Then, the group would improvise a dance performance using the objects.

“It was so much fun to watch,” Poupore said.

WinterFest also brought the first makers’ market to the Foundry, with over 40 local makers selling their products each day.

Curated by local artist Julie Gray, the Foundry hosted its first art show last weekend. Contributed / Cy Cyr

“There was such a thrill from people,” Poupore said. “There’s so much talent and pent up artistic energy in Biddeford ready to go.”

Heart of Biddeford has been working with Reveler and Port Property, the entities behind the Foundry, for over a month to create an artistic space for the Biddeford community.

The arts nonprofit Engine, which helped develop the arts scene in Biddeford, dissolved early this month, transferring its remaining assets to Heart of Biddeford.

Known now as Art of Biddeford, the initiative is dedicated to fostering creative programming and community engagement.

Reveler and Port Property are supportive of Art of Biddeford offering art programs at the Foundry, Reveler CEO John Laliberte said.

“This space offers an opportunity to celebrate Biddeford’s industrial heritage while providing a platform for artists, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to connect and grow,” Laliberte said.

WinterFest was just the beginning for the Foundry. In the next few months, the space will be turned into a hub of retail, dining, and community connection, featuring breweries, restaurants, and coworking spaces.

And, of course, art.

Dance group Subcircle performed at WinterFest last weekend. Contributed / Cy Cyr

Art of Biddeford plans to host a monthly exhibition in the space, as well as more fairs, markets, and performances.

“We’ve already gotten a flurry of performance groups looking for an open, available space at the Foundry,” Poupore said. “Not just dance, but film, music, and visual art.”

The WinterFest opening allowed Reveler and Port Property to see firsthand how much life art brings into a space, Poupore said, and the companies plan to bring in more art.

“It has the probability of economic development,” Poupore said. “But it’s also about joy.”