Mount Washington and The Arts In New Hampshire

The Arts and New Hampshires Tourism Economy

After the Old Man of the Mountain fell, New Hampshire was left with an unanswered question – what defines us? It is not tax-free shopping or the lack of a motorcycle helmet law – but rather, it’s the arts that make us unique. An art exhibition at the Currier Museum of Art in 2017 presented the emerging link between our state’s arts and our tourist/adventure economy. New Hampshire was home to the White Mountain art that for almost a century defined our state, built its economy and launched our tourism industry and the conservation movement. New Hampshire was a very lucky state because the art of the 19th century not only defined who we are but introduced us to the world.

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Hundreds of painters from all over were drawn to the White Mountains, and their paintings received acclaim around the world, introducing everyone to the beauty and wonder of New Hampshire. The railroads followed, and so did the tourists, launching the era of the Grand Hotels. It also built the Mount Washington Cog Railroad and launched the M/S Mount Washington. At the same time, Augustus Saint-Gaudens came to Cornish to paint a farmer who looked like Abraham Lincoln. Saint-Gaudens was so taken by the beauty of the area that he decided to establish a studio there.  Soon, his friends and fellow artists in New York followed him to found the Cornish Art Colony. Not far away in Peterborough the MacDowell Colony welcomed artists from all over to the beauty of the Monadnock region. At the same time, the new League of NH Craftsmen brought together the most talented artists and craftsmen in the state. They launched their annual crafts fair that still defines the ongoing creative impulse in New Hampshire.

But it did not end there – the Palace Theatre helped kick start the rebirth of downtown Manchester in the late 1970s, as did the Capital Center for the Arts in Concord, leading up to the city’s transformative Main Street Project. Today, according to the late Van McLeod, New Hampshire has more artists and writers per capita than any other state in America.

But we don't seem to make a big deal about it–with just a smattering of information on VisitNH.com, and hardly a road sign on our interstates. This brings me back to the Currier Museum Of Art’s past exhibition Mount Washington: The Crown of New England. This was one of the first museum exhibitions devoted entirely to art featuring the Mount Washington region. And, that is surprising as this is something we need to celebrate. It is a big deal, it is who we are and a point of pride for the state.

New Hampshire today is defined by the arts, and we need to invest more in the arts economy and recognize how it improves our public reputation. Click here to learn how you can participate.