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From February 20, 2009

Walter Butts nominated to be New Hampshire Poet Laureate

Governor John Lynch has nominated Walter Butts of Manchester to serve a five-year term as the state’s poet laureate. The nomination will go to the Executive Council for approval. An associate professor at Hesser College, Butts has published three books, Sunday Evening at the Stardust Café, Movies in a Small Town, and The Required Dance, as well as five chapbooks. He has an MFA from Vermont College.

Sign up for Public Art Workshop

Spaces are still available in the State Arts Council’s free workshop on public art, “Public Art: The Artist and Community Driven Projects,”scheduled for March 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Arts Council offices in Concord. Want to see your work in public buildings or successfully compete for community projects? Need to have a better understanding of the state’s Percent for Art program or community driven (vs. artist driven) arts projects? This session will demystify the RFP/RFQ process, and walk you through the process of applying for Percent for Art projects in New Hampshire. For information, visit http://www.nh.gov/nharts/newsandcalendar/artistworkshops.htm.
Workshop facilitators: Visual Arts Associate Julie Mento and Public Information Officer Jane Eklund, both of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts; and Gordon Carlisle, mural artist.

Getting the News Out More Effectively

The State Arts Council will soon be upgrading the way it distributes e-news, by switching to a data-base-driven system. Staffers are working hard to ensure as few glitches as possible, but it’s anticipated that a few people who subscribe to our electronic news bulletins will be inadvertently dropped. Please accept our apologies should you find yourself unintentionally dropped from the e-mailing list, and visit our subscription page, http://www.nh.gov/nharts/newsandcalendar/subscription.htm, to re-subscribe.

Poetry Out Loud Semifinals Coming Up

Twenty-four New Hampshire high school poetry recitation champions are in the running for 10 finalists’ slots in this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition. The semifinals happen March 3 at 7 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester and March 5 at 7 p.m. at New England College in Henniker. The 10 winners will go on to the state finals, scheduled for March 21 at Keene State College.

The top five finishers in each regional division will advance to the state championship to be held in Alumni Recital Hall, Arts Center on Brickyard Pond, Keene State College, Keene, on Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. The high school champions and alternate champions from each school have already won scholarship awards from Southern New Hampshire University and New England College of up to $15,000. The New Hampshire state champion will advance to the Poetry Out LoudNational Finals on April 27 to 28, in Washington D.C., where $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes will be awarded.

All New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud events are free and open to the public, although seating is limited.  For additional information, visit the New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud web page, www.nh.gov/nharts/newsandcalendar/POL/2009/pol.htm or call Catherine O’Brian, NHSCA, 603-271-0795, or Rodger Martin, 603-525-4715.    

Last updated: August 13, 2009