Dover – The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire has received a $20,000 grant that will help the museum continue its presentation of high-quality exhibits, workshops and performances to young children and families. The award-winning Dover museum is among 12 New Hampshire music, theater and visual arts and crafts organizations to receive Arts Jobs grants. The grants are paid for through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and distributed through the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.
 
“As a part of our commitment to arts education, we have been bringing visual and performing artists to the children's museum since 1983,” said Denny Doleac, Director of the Children’s Museum of NH. “Because we recognize that children benefit from experiencing a variety of art forms, we integrate the creations of many regional artists into all of our exhibits. The museum also presents musical performances and offers 5 exhibitions annually in its gallery. We are grateful that the funding from the ARRA will enable the museum to continue to offer arts education programs for children, families, schools and community organizations.”
 
Governor John Lynch and the Executive Council approved the Arts Jobs grants last week.
 
“We are very pleased that in a small way we have been able to help save jobs in New Hampshire’s vital arts community,” said Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod. “These organizations are an important part of not only their communities’ well being but the state’s as well. They provide a major economic engine that will help us all as we work our way out of these difficult economic times.”
 
The State Arts Council received $293,100 in grants to save 42 jobs in the arts workforce. The funds are part of a $19.8 million appropriation funded through ARRA. The NEA awarded the funds directly to state and regional arts agencies to respond to the unique needs of arts organizations around the country that are struggling to remain viable in the economic downturn. In New Hampshire, this first round of funds, a total of $230,000, was awarded by the State Arts Council through a competitive grant program called Arts Jobs: Putting New Hampshire to Work.
 
The NEA also offered direct grants to eligible cultural organizations. The Currier Museum in Manchester received a $50,000 NEA grant to support job retention in the arts workforce.
 
The NEA Web site offers a Recovery page at www.arts.gov/recovery with updates on Recovery grants, agency reports, and other information.
 
 
About the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is located at 6 Washington Street in Dover and offers two levels of hands-on, custom-created exhibits for children ages 1-12. Children can explore a wide range of subjects, from dinosaurs, music and aeronautics to world cultures, art and natural history. Open year-round, the museum hosts a variety of live performances, workshops, classes and special events for families. For more information, please call the museum at (603) 742-2002 or visit www.childrens-museum.org.