Overview: Upper Valley Arts Alliance promotes free and affordable events
According to a 2022 Arts & Economic Prosperity Survey, the arts generated $19 million in economic activity and sustained 308 jobs in the region in 2022. The arts have proven to be a driver of community vitality and economic strength, and the Upper Valley Arts Alliance is raising awareness of free and affordable arts events to ensure greater access for everyone.
It was a dark time. As 2020 came to a close, I was serving as president of White River Indie Films (WRIF). Our annual film festival in White River Junction had been canceled. Despite our pivot to virtual screenings and online “talk-backs,” the magic of sitting in a theater and experiencing a new film together was gone — along with the boost to downtown businesses that the festival had reliably provided. How could we bring light — literally and figuratively—back to a struggling community eager to gather again safely?
Our answer was the “Light” River Junction Festival of Cinema Light. For the winter solstice, WRIF partnered with local film and media artists to project luminous moving images onto buildings, shop windows, even snowbanks! Braving the cold, people returned to stroll, linger in storefronts and carry takeout dinners home. For one cold weekend, the warmth of community and creativity glowed again in the heart of White River Junction.
That glow was more than symbolic. The arts are a proven driver of both community vitality and economic strength. In 2022, Upper Valley nonprofit arts organizations participated in the nationwide Arts & Economic Prosperity Survey. Results showed that in our region alone, the arts generated $19 million in economic activity—$16.5 million from organizational spending and another $2.4 million from related audience spending. This activity sustained 308 jobs, provided $11.9 million in income to local residents, and generated $3.2 million in tax revenue. And because the survey required significant time and effort from respondents, these figures likely understate the true impact.
Beyond numbers, the arts give us something ineffable: a sense of place and belonging. Many Upper Valley arts organizations bounced back from the pandemic with creativity and resilience, imagining new ways to reconnect us. The Lebanon Opera House launched the Nexus Music & Arts Festival, now a tentpole summer event that brings thousands downtown for free performances supporting local businesses. The Upper Valley Music Center has grown its annual spring celebration of community music, “Sing and Play,” which is free and open to the public. “When we have our busking tent at Lucky’s during Sing and Play, they always sell out of everything and there’s a crowd there all morning,” Upper Valley Music Center Executive Director Ben Van Vliet said.
On the Vermont side of the river, WRIF’s “Light” River Junction generated lasting momentum, earning a Better Places Creative Placemaking Grant to continue a monthly outdoor film and music series in 2021. Following WRIF’s merger with Community Access Television in 2022, a second Better Places grant helped establish JAM — Junction Arts & Media, which now hosts public media-arts events year-round, including free outdoor screenings and live music. These investments from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development recognized the power of the arts to revitalize downtowns and catalyze economic growth.
Other community art rituals, once dormant, are flourishing again in fresh forms and bringing new customers with them. White River Junction’s “First Fridays,” when shops and galleries stay open late and buskers croon from street corners, are back and growing. “At Revolution, we see a significant uptick in foot traffic during the many creative public events that take place in White River Junction,” reported Kim Souza, Revolution apparel store owner. According to economic data from the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce, the Aug. 1, 2025 First Friday drew nearly 3,600 visitors to downtown White River Junction, almost 1,000 more than a typical Friday afternoon.
“Events like First Fridays remind us how strong our small-town spirit really is,” Danielle Casa and Cori Skogerboe of Scout Hair Design added. “The extra visitors bring new energy to our business, and we’ve seen firsthand how supporting local events helps the whole community thrive.”
As businesses ourselves, nonprofit arts organizations rely on ticket sales, tuition, donations, sponsorships and grants to survive. Our success is intertwined with the success of our neighboring businesses, creating a cycle of vitality in which all benefit. Looking ahead, WRIF 2026 (March 2-8) will broaden “indie” from independent film to the full spectrum of local arts, include more free events for the general public, and feature even more partnerships with local restaurants, cafes, bars and other businesses welcoming both new audiences and returning regulars. We need each other to create a vibrant cultural life where everyone in our area can find opportunity, connection, belonging and economic sustainability.
This fall, arts groups and individual artists from across the region are coming together once again under the banner of the revived Upper Valley Arts Alliance (UVAA). Through its annual initiative, “UV Arts For All,” the UVAA is raising awareness of free and affordable arts events, building community, and ensuring greater access for everyone. An affinity group of the Upper Valley Business Alliance, the UVAA meets monthly to collaborate, share resources, and dream up new ways to elevate our region through the arts. Discover featured events, a comprehensive calendar, and more at uvarts.org.
Creativity inspires creativity. Together, we build communities that shine.
Samantha Davidson Green is Executive Director at JAM – Junction Arts & Media (uvajm.org). She also serves on the board of the Upper Valley Business Alliance and Vermont Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. She can be reached at: samantha@uvjam.org