As the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fair prepares to open its gates this weekend, the organization is also navigating changes to state funding for the arts.
Fair organizers expect about 20,000 visitors to this year's fair, which runs from Aug. 2 to 10 at Mount Sunapee Resort. But they’re also expecting about $30,000 less in financial support under the recent state budget that passed in June.
The Craftsmen League’s new executive director, Kate Saunders, hopes this year’s exhibits will encourage elected officials to reconsider their support for the arts.
“Organizations change, right? Needs change, and I understand that,” Saunders said. “But let's try to figure out how do we do this moving forward in a way that we can not lose what is so beautiful in respect to the history and the culture of New Hampshire?”
Saunders says the fair’s organizers have invited state officials to attend this week, to encourage lawmakers to get to know local artists and their work.
“I think that's really important to deepen the understanding,” she said. “By opening our gates, so to speak, and having a day where representatives can come to the mountains, see it for themselves, have access to me for questions, is really important.”
The League did retain some funding through the Joint Promotional Program, which invests in tourism initiatives across the state.
In the absence of state funding, Saunders says the best way to support the League and its members is to attend the fair — and thank the artists for their work.
“By coming to the fair, you're supporting over 300 artists that will be on the mountain,” Saunders says.
This time last year, the League was also navigating the fallout from a wave of resignations, including its board chair. Saunders says that, while the majority of the board is new, many of them are also craftsmen themselves.
“We really focus on trying to bring the voice of the craftsmen to the leadership table,” she says. “That happens really smoothly now, which is really great.”
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is an NHPR underwriter. We cover them like we do any other institution.
