press room

For Immediate Release

(Concord, NH) New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts has joined forces with Americans for the Arts Action Fund of Washington, DC, to bring the arts center stage in the upcoming New Hampshire Primary. Titled ArtsVoteNH, the project's goals are to elevate arts issues before candidates and educate both candidates and voters about arts issues locally and nationally. "We look forward to asking every Presidential candidate about their personal experiences with the arts and about any new initiatives they would bring to Washington, if elected" stated Marilyn Hoffman, Board Chair of NH Citizens for the Arts. "We will share through our website how candidates plan to use arts programs as part of the solution to our nation's key problems."

New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide organization that advocates for the arts to benefit New Hampshire citizens. "Interested citizens may join through our website www.nhcfa.org." stated Hoffman. The Arts Action Fund in Washington, DC, an independent national organization related to Americans for the Arts, provided a seed grant for the project. Additional in-kind and cash gifts are being sought, and the initial donation was from the Grappone Auto Group.

ArtsVoteNH will be officially launched at the New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts' annual meeting on Wednesday, May 23rd at 8:30 a.m. at the Kimball-Jenkins Estate located at 266 North Main Street in Concord. The event is free but reservations are requested.

Hoffman announced today that, after a statewide search, Suzanne Delle Harrison was selected as the Campaign Coordinator for ArtsVoteNH and will work out of a Concord office. Ms. Harrison is the artistic director of Yellow Taxi Productions, a theater group in Nashua and a life-long resident of the state. She was selected as a one of the Union Leaders' "Forty under 40" in 2004 and one of NH Magazine's 2007 Women of Distinction. Her goals for ArtsVoteNH are to create visibility and support for arts issues among candidates and voters, and to recruit and train volunteers for every aspect of the project, from attending house parties and town-meeting events, to writing blogs, to assisting in the office and with special events.

Anyone wishing more information about ArtsVoteNH or how to volunteer and be a part of this initiative should contact Suzanne Delle Harrison at 603-703-4414 or sdelle@artsvotenh.org. To learn more about New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts and their advocacy work on both state and federal arts issues, go to www.nhcfa.org or www.artsvotenh.org.