The Jaffrey Civic Center has named Hallie Driscoll its new executive director. She will be stepping into the leadership role at the 60-year-old community institution after serving as programs and communications coordinator for Arts Alive in Keene.
Driscoll officially assumed the position on Oct. 5. Shortly after her appointment, Arts Alive announced on Oct. 14 that it will close after 15 years due to cuts in state and national funding.
“Arts Alive is sunsetting, but their mission will live on,” Driscoll said. “I’m really excited that I will be able to expand on the work that I was doing before in my previous role, and to do even more, because the Civic Center isn’t only arts-focused.”
Driscoll said that the Civic Center’s broader mission is to engage the community in a variety of ways, not only through the arts.
Driscoll said that, while maintaining the Civic Center’s focus on art and continuing its schedule of art exhibits and classes, she is excited to expand the center’s programs — possibly including music classes, more events such as craft fairs, and what Driscoll calls “front lawn fun,” with community events on the Civic Center’s green space.
“We are interested in anything to get the community out and about and through the doors,” she said. “The original mission is actually arts, education, and civic engagement. I’m hoping to be able to expand on the programming. I’d like to get back to that original mission, and I know the board is supportive.”
Driscoll said the center’s popular “Stories to Share” program is an example of a program that is not necessarily arts-focused. Speakers have ranged from Rich Scheinblum, CEO of Monadnock Hospital, in November, to farmer Rachel Sawyer in December, and author Nancy Sporborg in February.
Driscoll said future plans for the Civic Center may include yoga classes or Tai Chi. “We’ve definitely had people ask for different types of classes that would work great in this space. We’re looking at some of the things we used to do and looking and seeing how we can expand on that,” Driscoll said. “I’d love to see what else we can do here.”
The center hopes to keep engaging younger people in the region. “We are definitely hoping to get more young people in the door, and in focusing on things that people are interested in, which is not age-specific,” she said.
Driscoll brings a background in nonprofit arts administration to the town’s sole community center. She said that while this is her first director-level role, much of it overlaps with her previous work at Arts Alive and what she aims to do at the Civic Center.
Driscoll grew up in the region and has lived in Swanzey for almost 30 years, where her daughter attends the same school she did.
Driscoll and her team are now planning the center’s 2027 exhibitions, which she says she is “super excited about.” The center has already posted an open call for exhibitions on its website, and artists can apply for solo shows or group shows.
“I’ve never planned an exhibition from start to finish, so I’m really looking forward to that,” she said.
Driscoll says artists don’t have to submit a fully finished show application, and the center is looking for new artists.
“They can just submit a sample of their work, or send us a concept for a show,” Driscoll said. “The goal is always to try to feature artists who have never shown here before, or if they have not shown in five years and their work has changed, we’re excited to see that as well. We have had submissions rolling in, and we are really excited about them.”