The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts has announced it has awarded eighteen General Project Grants for Community Engagement. The program helps not-for-profit organizations, Main Street Programs, municipalities and schools bring arts presentations and activities into communities, enhancing the quality of life for citizens, attracting visitors and helping stimulate local economies through the arts.
The Division of the Arts is a publicly funded agency within the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources. It began in 1965 with legislation designed “to insure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the education and welfare of our citizens.” Funding comes from state appropriations, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Conservation License Plate fund. Learn more at nh.gov/nharts.
The West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts’ (WCCMA) award funds performers from NYC and California appearing during the winter season, support for their 9th year of the Summer Concert Series at Union Church, and a variety of youth arts programs throughout the year. WCCMA is well-known in the region for their at times eclectic programs centered around fostering local talent, celebration exceptional artists, and providing access to some of the great performers and creators of our day. This particular grant supports everything from Irish traditional music and classical, to military band music and education. Last year these programs drew support from sponsors and foundations across New England, including the NHSCA, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Mascoma Savings Bank Foundation, Claremont Savings Bank Foundation, Mascoma Savings Bank, Lake Sunapee Bank, Casella Waste Systems, and with advertising support from the E-ticker News of Claremont.
WCCMA begins their 9th Season of the Summer Concert Series at Union Church this summer with an exciting program featuring a multitude of musical styles. The full season will be announced this spring, as will a variety of new arts workshops and education programs. Founded in 2008, and serving the Claremont region, WCCMA host programs at the Union Episcopal Church, the Moody Building, and the CSB Community Center.
Residents cite some of their favorite activities at the Summer Concert Series, the annual Japanese taiko drumming program, and the Claremont HopStops Family shows (a collaboration with the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth college’s Community Venture Initiative, and Claremont Parks and Recreations.) Programs are free or by donation so that all in our community have access to the arts. Through the success of these programs and mission, WCCMA and founding Executive Director Melissa Richmond were recognized in 2015 by Governor Maggie Hassan and given the 2015 Governor’s Arts Award of Distinguished Arts Leadership.
