“The landscape here seems to nourish creative energy. At the end of the 19th century artists were drawn to the area by its bracing scenery and the inspiration of Mount Monadnock. They cultivated a unique community centered on the arts, and today we strive to follow their example.” Joe Caracappa, Chair of the Monadnock Art Studio Tour board.
A Historical Society that brings in innovative practices to celebrate history, culture, and community || by Rick Swanson || For 91 years the Historical Society of Cheshire County has been collecting, preserving, and communicating the history of Cheshire County. We do all the things that other historical societies do – from archives to re-enactments. But that’s not all we do. The museum world is changing and we are changing with it. We fully recognize that people will not return again and again to museums that are just repositories of “old stuff”. Today people support organizations where the public can come to make discoveries about local history and culture, form connections to the past, and create their own sense of place. Our partnerships with artists, writers, and musicians are key ingredients to make that happen.
Two hubs of the Monadnock Region are uniting arts and main street businesses to activate and enliven their communities by hosting arts activities, building partnerships with artists, and encouraging downtown businesses to stay open late every First Friday of the month! Arts are a great driver of tourism, economic activity, and community vibrancy. First Friday Monadnock in Peterborough and First Friday Art Hop in Keene are beginning to build a partnership in which the two groups will come together to co-market the First Friday events in both locations.
We recently had a chance to talk to their leadership about their programs and their exciting campaign - MoCo Moves: Building MoCo Arts’ Future Capital Campaign - for a brand new facility in Keene for the future of the organization, along with the architect and builders taking on the project. Please enjoy!
I am presently the Resident Artist at the newly formed Tisané Art Residency on a farm in hills of Marlborough. The opportunity to live in the natural beauty of the Monadnock Region is dream come true: a bike rider, hiker and artist dream come true. I feel quite fortunate to be in the political environment of Keene with their progressive commitment to sustainability and be in an area so engaged with the arts. I hope to connect with artists to share ideas and possibly collaborate in creating work related to environmental justice, recycling or material salvage.
