Monadnock Region - Jessica Iris is stepping down as Executive Director of Arts Alive after 11 years of service to the organization.
In an announcement to its community Arts Alive shared, “It is with sadness and gratitude that the Board of Directors of Arts Alive announces the departure of our Executive Director, Jessica Iris, after eleven remarkable years of dedicated service. Under her visionary leadership, our organization has flourished, touching countless lives in our community and establishing Arts Alive as a cornerstone of our local cultural landscape. Her passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment have built the strong foundation that will carry us confidently into our next chapter.
Jessica Iris speaking at the 2016 Ewing Arts Awards
Iris has served as Executive Director of Arts Alive since July 2014. During that time the organization has elevated the profile of the Monadnock Region arts scene statewide and nationally. With the launch of the Discover Monadnock website and cultural calendar, in partnership with arts institutions and organizations like Monadnock Travel Association, Hannah Grimes, and local chambers of commerce, Arts Alive centralized a go-to digital platform for learning more about the culture and things to do in the Monadnock region. Arts Alive has incubated several new arts businesses, including Ashuelot Concerts, MAxT Makerspace, and Nova Arts, and has provided coaching, business workshops, and funding to hundreds of individual artists. Iris has also led several studies on the value and impact of arts in the Monadnock region including economic impact studies and the Arts & Loneliness Study.
Board Co-Chair Holly McAdams says, “We are approaching this transition thoughtfully and strategically. Over the coming weeks, we'll be meeting with advisors, exploring interim leadership and organizational options to ensure seamless continuity of operations while we open a search for new leadership. We're also excited to engage our community in shaping Arts Alive's future direction.”
Jessica speaking at the March 2022 Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design workshop in Keene, NH
The organization has begun to collect feedback on Arts Alive’s impacts and its most valuable programs at events and in a short survey. To date, survey results show participants are feeling both hopeful and nervous about the sustainability of the arts community and their place in it. Three priorities emerging from the surveyed artists and arts leaders:
Identify and Increase access to essential resources including space, funding, tools, technical assistance, so arts presenters', educators', and leaders' visions can thrive
Lead professional collective marketing to increase attendance at regional arts events
Host events for artists, art lovers, and arts leaders to increase community connection
“While we will deeply miss Jess's daily presence,” board member and former Board Vice-Chair Alison Wilder says, “we are energized by the opportunities ahead. Arts Alive has never been stronger—we have a robust program portfolio, a dedicated community of supporters, and a clear mission that continues to resonate powerfully in our region.”
Iris will be moving on to a Co-Director position in Brattleboro, Vermont, at In-Sight Photography project. The organization’s mission is to create opportunities for youth to learn and use the photographic arts as a technical and expressive medium fostering personal development and cultural engagement.
When asked how she would like to see the mission of Arts Alive carried on, Iris said, “The stories are the most important thing. Arts Alive has been an outlet for creativity, and has been a way for artists to connect with each other, share their stories, and express the value that they bring to our community. Arts Alive has done this through the Ewing Arts Awards, member and organization spotlights, Discover Monadnock, Radically Rural’s Arts Track, Field Trips, Coffee Hours, and more. The more Arts Alive can continue to share stories of arts in our region, the more folks will understand and value what art and creative expression can do for individuals and communities. It is transformative and essential to our humanity.”
The Arts Alive board will be hosting an event on July 30th at 5pm at the Showroom in Keene, NH (RSVP here). “The community is welcome to attend to say goodbye to Jessica and join us in thinking about what the future holds,” says Jenny Foreman, Co Chair of the Arts Alive Board of Directors.
Jessica and Arts Alive community members on a site visit to plan the 2024 Elevate the Arts Festival held in Keene’s Commercial Street Lot
