Thank you, NH Council on the Arts!
Primary season is officially underway, and with all eyes looking toward New Hampshire during a very fractured time, I wanted to take a moment to recognize what I consider to be a unifying entity: our New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA).
A Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the NHSCA enhances the quality of life in New Hampshire by stimulating economic growth through the arts, investing in the creativity of students, making the arts accessible to underserved populations, and preserving heritage arts. The hard-working, talented team at the State Arts Council is dedicated to their charge, providing a wide variety of services, competitive grants, and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, schools, health care facilities, and individual artists.
The Music Hall has been fortunate to benefit from the NHSCA, this year receiving a two-year Public Value Partnership grant award. In combination with your generosity, these funds will allow The Music Hall to serve as an active and vital arts center for the enrichment of the Seacoast community and fulfill our mission to present the very best of diverse performing and related arts. Specifically, this grant will support The Music Hall’s efforts remain accessible to all audiences through our no and low-cost ticket initiatives, including our School Days Scholarship Program specifically designed to serve students from Title I schools, programs to provide complimentary tickets to families in need and to veterans and their families, and a commitment to offer “Under $30” tickets to as many live performances as possible.
Funding for NHSCA grants and services is provided by the New Hampshire Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. We are so grateful to the team at the State Council on the Arts for all they do for the citizens of New Hampshire, and to our legislators in the state and across the nation who recognize and support the role of the arts in creating a thriving community and a healthy economy. We thank you, too, for your support and advocacy on our behalf.