A Letter from the Executive Director
As I write this we are at a moment of great joy and great struggle. The arts are in trouble, including right here at WCCMA. We are in a moment of so many things, with big questions to answer.
I could tell you about the trials of the past year, the incredible loss of funding by corporations, foundations, and the loss of our own NH State Council on the Arts (that’s nearly 70% of our budget this year). Not through any wrong doing, or funders changing their opinion of how important what we do is – its politics, it’s the economy, it’s personal spending priorities. Instead I want to tell you how we have resisted and thrived inspite of all that.
For over a year we have been working through the process of accessing the federal money we are allocated by congress for the remaining construction at the Claremont Creative Center and the first few years of operations while we go through the rapid expansion we have already started. We cleared all the paperwork last week, the day before the government shut down. Now we wait with bated breath. We have amazingly been able to grow despite the financial and political stresses: investing in our programs carefully, accepting very generous fee reductions from artists, using our amazing partnerships to deliver the level of programs that we have been know for for most of the last 17 years. It has been a truly incredible show of love, support, and enthusiasm for the future by so many artists. My amazing and energetic staff have been quick, adaptable, and clever (they are all artists, so that’s no surprise). They have been the energy that has fueled the incredible expansion of our music education and arts education programs. Music lessons, ensembles, workshops with world renowned artists, an incredible slate of visuals arts programs. To top that off, a partnership with Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park for an incredible Art in the Park event, and the upcoming 3-Day Jazz festival. Two events that are among our greatest programming triumphs.
All that has happened in just the last 3 months. I’ve never been more excited for what we have to offer this community. And yet, I’m also in the most difficult position I’ve ever been in as the Executive Director. We’re down to the bottom of our cash flow, I’m running out of clever tricks to bring in the money we need to survive while we wait. Even with the appropriations money, support will be a crucial piece of the growth of the organization. Donations, class fees for those who are able, attending these amazing events. This is where the magic happens, and that’s why I’m writing you today.
In short, we need your support. Whether that’s making a donation, signing up a class, attending events, telling your friends about the programs and having them come with you – now is the moment to decide what value you put on our place in your life. If you don’t have money, just come and be apart of this incredible thing we are doing together against all the odds. My staff and myself, we are all artists, and we need some love (and to get paid) to keep us moving forward. It means our survival – as artists, as the people who keep the lights on, as creators of the experiences that can bring joy into your life during even the most difficult of times.
So what I’m asking you today is, will you help to keep us fueled?
You can make a donation by visiting www.claremontmusic.art/donate; sign up for lessons, workshops, and ensembles; or buy tickets to some of our incredible upcoming programs. The joy is here, will you join us?
With continued (and anticipative) optimism,
Melissa Richmond
PS. Check the dates below, sign up for lessons or visit our calendar for all the upcoming events. I hope to see you soon.
Claremont Mini Jazz Fest!
The inaugural Claremont Mini Jazz Fest will take place from October 6-8, 2025. A collaboration between the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts, the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College, Center Stage and the U.S. Department of State, the three-day Mini Jazz Fest is donation-based, and offers an array of performances, talks, and community jam sessions.
The festival kicks off the evening of Monday, October 6th, with a performance by musician-improvisers and long-time collaborators Taylor Ho Bynum and Tomas Fujiwara. Musician, teacher, and writer Taylor Ho Bynum is primarily a cornet and trumpet player; Tomas Fujiwara is a Brooklyn-based drummer and composer.
Tuesday’s lineup kicks off with a Creative Chat at 7:30pm, featuring Bynum, Fujiwara, and Abozekry. The chat is followed by an Open Improv Primer, a conducted, directed improvisation session led by Bynum. The sesson is open to high school through professional level musicians, and no improv experience is necessary. The final event of the evening is an Artist and Community Jam featuring Bynum, Fujiwara, and the Mohamed Abozekry Sextet.
The Mohamed Abozekry Sextet takes the stage for their performance on Wednesday evening, the final event of the Mini Fest. A master of oud (a lute-like Middle Eastern plucked string instrument), bandleader Mohamed Abozekry is a contemporary musician innovating within the frames of Egyptian classical music. Abozekry’s boundary-pushing sextet includes musicians who work across different continents and disciplines, all united in their Improvisational exploration of Egyptian music.
Hosted by the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (WCCMA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, in collaboration with the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College. The Mohamed Abozekry Sextet is on tour in the USA as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government.
Monday, October 6th
- Performance: 6:30 PM Taylor Ho Bynum and Tomas Fujiwara
Tuesday, October 7th
- Creative Chat: 7:30 PM Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomas Fujiwara, and Mohamed Abozekry
- Open Improv Primer: 8:00 PM A conducted directed improvisation led by Taylor Ho Bynum. For High School through professional level. No improv experiences necessary.
- Artist and Community Jam: 8:30 PM with Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomas Fujiwara, and the Mohamed Abozekry Sextet
Wednesday, October 8th
- Performance: 6:30 PM Mohamed Abozekry Sextet
Tickets are by donation. Choose and amount that is meaningful to you to support the arts. Suggested at $10-$45 per day, or whatever works for your household. Special thanks to our Fall Season Sponsor Monadnock Mills, LLC. Their support helps to keep tickets by donation!
In collaboration with the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College. Mohamed Abozekry Sextet is on tour in the USA as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. www.centerstageUS.org.
Arts Exploration Day – Music and Art Petting Zoo
plus African Drumming Workshop with Mamadou Diabate
October 10th, 3:30PM
Claremont Creative Center
56 Opera House Sq
Claremont, NH 03743
Free, donation accepted
Come try out instruments, meet music and art instructors, and sign up for lessons, workshops, ensembles and more! Inviting all homeschool and local students to come explore the programs that WCCMA is offering this fall, sign up for classes (art and music), and enroll in ensembles (especially the rock band, mixed ensemble, and African percussion ensemble).
We’ll have the world famous African Balafon virtuoso Mamadou Diabate to give everyone an opportunity to play together and try out balafon (African xylophone), djembe, and other percussion instruments. Be a part of our first ever African Ensemble. No experience necessary! All ages welcome.
SAVE THE DATE for upcoming events and workshops
10/5 Sunday 11:00 AM — Hand Lettering Workshop @ CCC
10/6–10/8 Claremont Mini Jazz Fest! (more info coming soon!)
10/8 Wednesday 6:30 PM — Mohamed Abozekry Sextet @ CCC
10/11 Saturday 1:30 PM — Cyanotype Workshop @ Union Church
10/18 Saturday — 3rd Saturday @ CCC (more info below)
10/24 Friday – Sameer Gupta Trio
10/25 Saturday 11:00 AM — Zine Club @ CCC
10/25 Saturday 11:00 AM — Block Printing using Rubber Stamps led by Juni Kim! @ CCC
11/8 Saturday 12:00 PM — Watercolor Workshop @ CCC
Cartooning Workshop with Wayne Carter
3rd Saturday @ 11 AM at CCC
Come join us for this monthly cartooning workshop for students and adults. This month, we will be drawing with our very own animal models.
Wayne Carter is a Cartoonist and Educator living in Vermont. Wayne is an Alum from the Center for Cartoon studies and recently finished a Residency for the National Parks Service. You can find more of his work at @pinkclownoress on Instagram.
More information
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SACRED HARP Singing
3rd Saturday @ 2 – 4:30 PM at CCC
Join us, friends! We’ll sing from the Sacred Harp (Denson, 1991)
Free with donations gladly accepted. All are welcome; no experience is necessary. Loaner books available.
Have you missed previous concerts? Watch them on our YouTube Channel!
Thank you for your continued support!
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