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WINNERS OF BUSINESS IN THE ARTS AWARDS ANNOUNCED AT GALA

Lincoln Financial Group, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Sanborn Head & Associates and Tumbledown Farms were announced as the winners of the 2007 Business in the Arts Awards at a gala evening presentation on May 14 in Manchester. Scott Rice was named as the recipient of the Leadership Award. More than 300 guests, including Governor Lynch, were in attendance.

The winners were applauded for their outstanding support of the arts with sponsorships, staff involvement, project assistance and donated services to the arts in their towns and throughout the state.

Lincoln Financial Group received praise for its continuation of statewide support of the arts focusing on arts education, accessibility and employee involvement for both large and small organizations, and for its leadership commitment to Concord’s Red River Theatres. Meredith Village Savings Bank received accolades for its leadership support of the New Hampshire Music Festival and for suggesting and executing successful marketing opportunities for many of the regions arts groups. Sanborn Head & Associates was applauded for its gift to ensure the folk department the Concord Community Music School is fully funded for two years. Tumbledown Farms was commended for renovating a barn into a performance venue for the Wolfeboro Folk Festival and for assisting in the productions.

Scott Rice, owner of the Woodstock Inn, was honored for leading people to understand that even a small community can do great things if they value the arts and work together. He is a long-time supporter of the North Country Center for the Arts Papermill Theatre, the North Country Chamber Players and the Believe in Books Literacy Program/Polar Express. A tireless board member, he has been effective in rallying other business owners and suppliers to support the arts. He has personally lent financial support to the arts as well as involving his business, the Woodstock Inn, to provide food for organizations and events, and for staff to take on tasks like stuffing envelopes and helping to store costumes.

Robert Shea, director of the Dana Center at St. Anselm College and respected fixture in New Hampshire’s performing arts community, was the Master of Ceremonies for the festivities. The showcase, highlighting art that was influenced or created by New Hampshire’s colleges and universities, included performers from the theatre and dance departments of New England College and the University of New Hampshire, poet Robert Crawford of Chester College of New England, and the Dartmouth College Gospel Choir.

Each winner received a framed pastel drawing of an abstract landscape by Plymouth State University professor Bill Haust. The New Hampshire Institute of Art provided table centerpieces of student and faculty work. The Artsbags highlighted the evening’s sponsors and contained cultural goodies of tickets, tee shirts, posters and books contributed by New Hampshire’s many cultural organizations and were awarded through a cultural quiz show hosted by Van McLeod, the State’s commissioner of the Department of Cultural Resources. The grand prize winner received two tickets from Southwest Air.

The Business in the Arts Awards Corporate Sponsors were BAE Systems, Bank of America, Latona Associates, Lincoln Financial Group, Northeast Delta Dental, Ocean National Bank, Public Service of New Hampshire, and Verizon. Underwriters were Citizens Bank and TD Banknorth.

Event Supporters were Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Concord Hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, Ernst & Young, Isaacson Structural Steel, Inc., McLane Law Firm, RMC Research Corporation, and Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green.

The New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts presents the awards annually to recognize and honor outstanding support of the arts. The NHBCA was founded to educate, motivate and recognize business support of and participation in the arts.