A new Creative Economy Coordinator for the Arts Alliance -- and a new blog

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Sasha Eisele is the Arts Alliance's new Creative Economy and Cutural Tourism Coordinator

Courtesy PhotoTitle: Sasha Eisele is the Arts Alliance's new Creative Economy and Cutural Tourism Coordinator

Sasha Eisele is the Arts Alliance's new Creative Economy and Cutural Tourism Coordinator

The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire is pleased to introduce Sasha Eisele, its new Creative Economy and Cultural Tourism Director, and her new blog, Creative North. “Bringing creative businesses and people and those involved in the arts to the region is what drives me,” says Sasha, who will blog regularly on Creative North. “I like having other creative minds to work with.”

Around the country there is growing recognition of the importance of creative enterprise; together, artists, cultural nonprofits, and creative businesses produce and distribute cultural goods and services -- from theater productions to website designs to handmade products of all kinds -- that impact the economy by generating jobs, revenue, and quality of life. The northern New Hampshire creative economy initiative, says Sasha, is vitally important as the region looks at ways to revitalize an economy that has been greatly impacted by the loss of local jobs due to the closure of the paper mills, the effects of global warming on seasonal businesses, an aging population and young people who leave the area in search of jobs.

The Arts Alliance is a strong voice for this effort, serving as the connector between local presenters and artists (who are generally forced to focus on their own financial survival and capital needs) and the regional and statewide nonprofits and government agencies working on broader economic issues. Arts Alliance staff serve on the North Country Council’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy committee and have been active participants in the Northern Forest Sustainable Economy Initiative and the Coös County Economic Development planning process.

“The arts are a vital economic driver,” notes Frumie Selchen, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance. “Our cultural nonprofits and arts-based businesses have a significant direct economic impact, but they also play important integrative roles in regional tourism, in attracting new businesses to the region, and in critical areas like education, sustainability and even health care. That integration is what we’re focusing on. We want to make sure that the creative economy is a real part of regional and local economic thinking and planning.”

As the Creative Economy Coordinator, Sasha will work with Arts Alliance members and a regional advisory committee to support and develop creative centers throughout the region, and to regularly survey creative enterprises around the North Country to track their economic progress. This winter the Alliance will undertake a comprehensive Artists Survey -- of both resident artists and those who might be interested in the region -- to better understand their needs and interests, from affordable housing to access to markets and networks of colleagues.

Sasha grew up outside New York City, where she was able to take advantage of the Big Apple’s art and cultural offerings. She holds a degree in art history and printmaking from Maine College of Art in Portland, and has pursued a career in marketing and development with small non-profits.

A couple of years ago, after commuting between Portland and the North Country on weekends, Sasha and her husband, Erik, decided to move to Glen to be in reach of all the outdoor activities they enjoy, and to take advantage of the quality of life and natural landscape that the North Country has to offer. She cites the affordable housing and business spaces that are available here as reasons other young people might also consider moving to northern New Hampshire.

Sasha’s position at the Arts Alliance has been preserved by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “Sasha is a wonderful addition to our team,” says Frumie. “We’re lucky to have someone so dynamic and so dedicated to exploring creative economy opportunities, and we’re looking for other like-minded people to be involved.”

Creative businesses will be regularly highlighted on the Creative North blog (go to www.aannh.org for the link). “The businesses and organizations in this area are unique and special,” says Sasha, “and tools like this can be valuable in promoting economic development here. We want people to go to the blog and use it as a way to communicate with us and others.”

Sasha welcomes news of new and established North Country creative enterprises. She can be reached at sasha@aannh.org or (914) 643-3345.