Center for the Arts Celebrates 15 Years with New Home, Community Launches, and Honors for Local Leaders

New London, NH – June 30, 2025 – A full house gathered this weekend to celebrate a milestone 15 years in the making: the Center for the Arts – Lake Sunapee Region has officially opened the doors to its first official “Center”. The evening, themed “15 Years of Growth and New Beginnings,” was a heartfelt celebration of community, creativity, and the powerful role of the arts in everyday life.

CFA Executive Director Dena Stahlheber welcomed attendees, reflecting on the journey that brought the organization to this moment. “This new space, right here in the heart of the Lake Sunapee Region, is more than a building—it’s a hub of creativity, learning, and community,” she said. “It’s because of you—our sponsors, our partners, our volunteers, our neighbors—that this dream is now a reality.”

The new Center is already a vibrant destination, offering a diverse range of artistic classes and programs including stained glass, ceramics, writing, fiber arts, and visual art critique groups. With its own dedicated gallery space and a full calendar of events, CFA is redefining what it means to be an accessible, inclusive arts organization in a small-town setting.

At the event, the Center unveiled its newest community offering: The Creative Buzz Podcast, a platform spotlighting local artists, regional happenings, and the deeper impact of the arts. Early episodes feature interviews with the Lowe Sisters, artist Melody Wiggin, and author W.D. Shipley. The podcast will be available soon on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the CFA website.

Stahlheber emphasized the Center’s expanding reach, citing recent partnerships with Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Colby-Sawyer College, including a moving photography exhibit by Susan Sidebottom titled As If Nothing is Wrong, which explores dementia through visual storytelling.

But the evening wasn’t just about celebration—it was also a call to action. Stahlheber announced a new $50,000 fundraising campaign to support community art classes, youth summer camps, and inclusive programs for people of all ages and abilities. "These aren’t just numbers," she said. "They represent access, equity, and opportunity.”

The evening also highlighted exceptional contributions from community members:

• Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Susan Rogers, a longtime New London resident whose background in science and deep commitment to beautifying spaces made a major impact on the new Center’s renovation.

• Partner of the Year was awarded to Putnam Kidder and the New London Recreation Department, recognizing their collaboration on family-friendly programs and their shared commitment to accessible arts.

• Sponsor of the Year went to Foster’s Professional Painting Plus, whose team transformed the interior of the new Center—once a purple bike shop—into a clean and welcoming gallery and learning space.

  
  

The program also spotlighted rising literary talent through the Center’s Teen Writers Project. This year’s nonfiction first-place winner, August Bates, a student at Kearsarge Regional High School, gave a moving reading from the piece, A Thank You Letter to the Ocean. Free copies of winning entries were made available to attendees.

Stahlheber closed with a quote from Albert Einstein: “Creativity is contagious, pass it on,” urging guests to donate and help grow the arts in the region for another 15 years and beyond.

Following the formal program, guests enjoyed music by Sferes and White, interactive art activities, and conversations with local artists.

To learn more about the Center for the Arts, contribute to the campaign, or listen to the Creative Buzz Podcast, visit www.centerfortheartsnh.org or follow CFA on social media.