community survey:
it's not too late!
For over a decade, Arts Alive! has been actively promoting, advocating for and providing technical assistance and resources to businesses and individuals engaged in the arts, culture, craftsmanship and the creative economy in the Monadnock region. We need your feedback on how to best use our resources, network, and tools in the coming years!

What matters to you?

Please take this 5-minute survey via Survey Monkey to let us know what ways you’d like to see us working to support a thriving arts community in the Monadnock region and beyond.
artist spotlight:
hand cut paper by
Hannah Ellingwood
For the past five or so years I have been exploring the art of paper cutting. Using a surgical scalpel I hand cut and layer paper to create intricate, colorful images. My subject matter is inspired by New England; wild animals, beautiful landscapes and outdoor spaces that I’m always excited to explore.

I’m drawn to paper cutting because it’s such a versatile medium and I love that I can take a simple sheet of paper and turn it into something complex.
community conversation :
sharing arts across the region
On Tuesday, March 3 at 6 pm , MAxT Makerspace, Arts Alive! and a group of artists will host an open community meeting at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture to discuss progress made on finding solutions to the loss of Sharon Arts Center.

The discussion will be led by the “Sharing Arts” steering committee, as it is nostalgically calling itself, which has shepherded the project forward. Members of the Committee will report on new partnerships, opportunities they have explored since the last community conversation four months ago, what temporary programming has emerged, and what is needed to forge ahead.

There are a few key items to update the community on:
  • The steering committee believes MAxT Makerspace is well aligned with the goals and needs of the displaced artist community once supported by the Sharon Arts institution. MAxT has stepped in as an administrative support umbrella organization under which programming and project development will occur.

  • A stronger relationship with the Dublin School is developing to share classroom and curated gallery space.

  • The need for cooperative space and equipment sharing for the ceramics community is also a driving force. With feasibility research completed, MAxT is working with the ceramics community to build a makerspace.

  • To keep the community connected, MAxT is offering a series of decentralized workshops intended to keep the creativity flowing by providing opportunities for artists to create art and connect with each other. These workshops are already happening all over the eastern side of the Monadnock region.
business after hours:
arts alive! co-hosting
May 20 between 5:30 and 7 pm, members of the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce will meet and mingle at the Robertson Building where Arts Alive! and the Monadnock Conservancy will host a Business After Hours. A donation of $5 is requested. If you plan to attend, the Chamber requests your RSVP.
arts alive! coaching:
March 6, 9, & 23
March 6 , 10am-3pm at Hannah Grimes Center
March 9 & 23 , 12-3 at the Peterborough Chamber
by appointment

Who: Artists, nonprofit arts staff, arts advocates, town planners, economic development professionals, and tourism industry workers.
Why: for referrals, creative economy and arts market data, to learn about workshops and opportunities (from grants to marketing), to discuss long-term cultural planning and arts integration for towns and businesses, to brainstorm ideas for partnerships, and to connect on communicating the value of arts and culture in a community.
With: Jessica Gelter, executive director of the organization for the past five years, will be in the coach’s chair. Gelter is also an artist, performer, playwright, past arts educator, and community arts organizer passionate about the arts for its transformative power in communities.
artisan opportunities:
put yourself out there!
2020 Art Walk in Downtown Keene- Here's your chance to show your work in a juried show with a huge audience! Get your work seen! Application deadline is April 1.
discover monadnock:
list your events!
The Discover Monadnock Calendar is one stop "shopping" for events in the entire Monadnock region. It's chock full of events and seen by an ever-growing audience. The listings include a variety of concerts, theater and film events; weekly events and rehearsals; craft and art shows; art parties, wine tastings and more. If the event is arty or beneficial to the region's charm in some way, it's there! Check it out and be sure to list your event! We might just select your event for the Discover Monadnock e-newsletter seen by hundreds of local residents!

If you need assistance with your posting contact Patti at the Arts Alive! office. You can also send her press releases . She can help you Tuesday - Thursday. Or you can call, 283 -0944.
grant workshop:
nh state council on the arts
The NH State Council on the Arts has a variety of grants available for 2021 fiscal year. Come and meet NHSCA staff and learn about our grant programs. Registration is still open for the session on Wednesday, March 3 in Newport at 11:30 am.

Each year, the NH State Council on the Arts offers grant information workshops. These sessions are designed for both new and former applicants. NHSCA staff will present an overview of the State Arts Council's programs and the latest information on grants, including changes to the State Arts Council's grant guidelines and the services offered by the NH State Council on the Arts. Pre-registration is required as space is limited.
arts alive! is supported by:

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
Hoffman Family Foundation
Eppes Jefferson Foundation
Putnam Foundation
C&S Wholesale Grocers
Carl & Ruth Jacobs
The Keene Sentinel
Acera Consulting
The City of Keene, NH
Southwest Regional Planning Commission
Savings Bank of Walpole
The Mountain Corporation
Dew Construction Corporation
Tom & Barbara Putnam
The Arts Alive! Board of Directors
Arts Alive! Members & Creative Businesses
And our greater community of donors!