Manchester, New Hampshire proves to be a difficult city for artists but has the potential to be one of New England’s most accommodating. Stocked with mill buildings lining the Merrimack River and a downtown filled with newly emptied office spaces, the “Queen City” is a cynical gentrifier’s dream. But there are those who argue that fostering a home-grown artistic community would offer a more durable investment than the promises made by fickle tech companies, who come and go with each market bubble.
The demise of the New Hampshire Art Institute has been a major blow to the city’s art community. Founded in 1895, the Institute’s final decade was a tumble of failed incorporations and break-in-case-of-emergency tactics, ending in a complete merger with New England College in 2019. It was announced in the spring of 2023 that the Manchester cam- pus — centered around the century-old Emma B. French Hall — would be closed, with students relocating 30 minutes north to Henniker.
In this tumult, only a short walk away on Hanover Street, Mosaic Art Collective (MAC) offers a respite for artists and art lovers alike. Founded by Elizabeth Pieroni Schulte in 2022, the space has grown to be an art-hub in the Manchester area, nested in close to neighboring establishments like the famed Palace Theater and Creative Framing Solutions, just around the corner. There is an initiative to transform Hanover into the city’s arts district, reminiscent of the successes seen in areas like Boston’s SoWa.