O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s Your Turn.
New Hampshire is on the verge of becoming the only state in the country without a publicly funded arts council. This is not just a symbolic move—it’s a dismantling of the infrastructure that helps make our communities vibrant, connected, and economically resilient.
As someone who has worked in the arts for more than a decade, I’ve seen firsthand what public investment makes possible. Through Arts Build Community, our mural initiative has collaborated with schools and neighborhoods, bringing art into classrooms and working with over 2,000 children throughout the years. We don’t just paint walls—we build pride, voice, and visibility. This work is healing, especially in times like these.
And now it’s at risk.
The State Council on the Arts has been reduced by the Senate Finance Committee to a single dollar. One dollar. Lawmakers have asked the Council to become a volunteer operation and rely entirely on private donations—despite knowing this move could lead to the loss of all support staff and federal matching grants. This isn’t just a budget adjustment. It’s a slow erasure.
The Council leverages nearly $2 million in federal funds annually. Without a functioning arts agency, that money disappears. Programs like community murals, theater for youth, and veteran arts therapy will vanish alongside it. So will jobs, tourism activity, and the small business revenues that follow every concert, performance, or festival in our towns.
The arts in New Hampshire generate over $3 billion in economic activity. They enrich classrooms, elevate local businesses, and keep young talent rooted in our state. When we cut arts funding, we cut opportunity—for expression, for healing, for growth.
I urge the public, business leaders, and lawmakers to see this moment for what it is: a crossroads. We can either abandon the creative lifeblood of our communities—or recommit to it.
Let’s not be remembered as the only state that walked away from the arts. Let’s be remembered as the one that stood up when it mattered most.
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James Chase is an artist, educator and founder of Arts Build Community.