As historian Samuel Eliot Morison once wrote of puritanical early New Englanders, they “gave up for lost anyone who preferred the brush or the fiddle-bow to the pen or the hammer.” In other words, writing and industrial pursuits were encouraged, but art and music were the Scarlet Letters of the day.
By the mid-19th century though, painters and folk musicians were everywhere, capturing New England life on canvas and in song. Before photography and the Internet, artists helped attract both visitors and commerce with their portrayals of the region’s considerable assets and charms.
This legacy lives on in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where artistic landscapes and cultural traditions are ready agenda-starters for groups.
Maine
“Maine’s unmatched natural beauty has served as a wellspring for imagination and creativity for performing and visual artists for centuries,” says Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism. “This is well reflected by the abundance of venues where world-class musical performances, dance, theater and art can be experienced within the state.”
In the capital region of Augusta, group choices include the Maine Shakespearean Theater at Monmouth, with performances staged in historic Cumston Hall, one of Maine’s crown jewels. Located adjacent to the State House capitol building, the Maine State Museum vividly portrays the state’s life and history.
Portland, the state’s largest city, boasts an impressive cultural lineup. In the Arts District, the 1,900-seat Merrill Auditorium ranks among New England’s finest performing arts centers, while the 1929 State Theatre, seating 1,350 people, recently underwent a multimillion-dollar re-glorification.
Portland Stage, Maine’s largest fully professional, nonprofit theater, offers its 288-seat main stage and more intimate Studio Theater for event rental. Ideal for receptions, dinners and meetings, versatile space at the Portland Museum of Art includes the Great Hall, Glass Gallery and McLellan House.
With nautical heritage reaching back 400 years, historic Bath is home to the acclaimed Maine Maritime Museum. Along with exhibits telling Maine’s sea story, programs include workshops and tours of the mighty Bath Iron Works. The museum’s shipyard is available for tented events, with the timberframe Long Reach Hall flexibly accommodating indoor gatherings of up to 200 people. The Chocolate Church Arts Center and Studio Theatre of Bath are additional choices in the “City of Ships.”
In Boothbay, the 250-acre Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens features outdoor sculpture, exhibitions and art-related experiences, along with flexible indoor and outdoor function space.PageBreak
New Hampshire
“New Hampshire offers meeting visitors not only incredible recreational opportunities but also a rich cultural heritage and a thriving contemporary cultural scene in cities, towns and many villages,” says Lori Harnois, director of New Hampshire’s division of travel and tourism development. “Great art and history museums, music festivals, art and craft galleries, fairs and markets are all part of the New Hampshire experience.”
Opened in 1927, Concord’s Capitol Theatre was once the capital city’s premier vaudevillian, movie and concert venue. Reborn in 1995 as the Capitol Center for the Arts, the Main Street institution today has helped put Concord on the cultural map. The 1,304-seat Chubb Theatre, the largest in New Hampshire, is available for rental, along with Governor’s Hall, accommodating up to 350 guests, and next door, the Victorian-era Kimball House.
At the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, the lower level is designed specifically for meetings, events and trainings, while the Winter Garden Cafe transforms beautifully for off-hours gatherings. Established in 1929, this fascinating museum, offering a range of classes and special programs, draws some 60,000 visitors annually to its collection of American and European art.
To the north lies Hanover, home of Dartmouth College and the historic Hanover Inn. With 11,000 square feet of meeting space and 108 newly renovated rooms, this local treasure, dating to 1769, is steps away from two Dartmouth institutions, the 1722 Hood Museum of Art and the Hopkins Center for the Arts, or the “Hop.”
Just shy of the Maine border in northeastern New Hampshire, the historic seaport of Portsmouth features a true cultural treasure, the Music Hall. Opened in 1878, this landmark 900-seat theater and its sister venue, the 124-seat Music Hall Loft, routinely host gatherings including meetings, conferences and red carpet premieres. PageBreak
Vermont
“Culture is right at home in the Green Mountain State, where planners will find a range of exciting attractions to incorporate into their meeting plans,” says Maureen Morgan, interim director of the Vermont Convention Bureau’s Boston office. “Wherever you hold your conference or event in the state, artful inspirations await you.”
In lively Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, the Flynn Center, opened as an “entertainment palace” in 1930 and then reborn as a performing arts center in 1981, has been a headline attraction for 80-plus years. Along with studio and gallery space, this Art Deco gem offers rentals of the original Flynn Theatre, now the 1,411-seat MainStage, for a range of gatherings.
Just south of Burlington in scenic Shelburne, attractive choices include the Vermont Teddy Bear Company and the Shelburne Museum. Currently planning for a new Center for Art and Education, the museum exhibits its far-ranging collection in 39 buildings around its leafy campus, including 25 relocated historic structures.
Shelburne Farms is a 1,400-acre working farm on the shores of Lake Champlain. Offering an extensive calendar of tours and educational programs, the nonprofit includes the National Historic Landmark Inn at Shelburne, with 24 rooms, four cottages and private meeting space, while the Coach Barn is a spectacular setting for larger events.
Founded as the Bennington Historical Association in 1852, the Bennington Museum is the largest art and heritage repository in southern Vermont. Along with gallery and outdoor space, the entire museum is available for private events. Continuing north, Manchester is home to the 100-acre campus of the Southern Vermont Art Center, with regal event spaces including a 1917 Georgian Revival mansion.
With 142 recently renovated rooms and function space for 300 guests, the Woodstock Inn & Resort offers guests free admission to the nearby group-accessible Billings Farm & Museum.
In northern Vermont, skiing mecca Stowe is home to the Vermont Ski Museum and Stowe Performing Arts Center.
Regular Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman frequently repairs to New England to refresh his artistic spirit.
