Ten NEC Students Present Creative Response to Participatory Democracy

Over the past year, ten students from New England College have been exploring New Hampshire’s signature form of local government, the town meeting, in a unique multi-disciplinary course titled “Exploring Community in Our Towns: The New Hampshire Town Meeting.” The proposal for the course, submitted by Maura MacNeil, Associate Professor of Writing, and Inez McDermott, Associate Professor of Art History, was one of twenty-six selected by the Periclean Faculty Leadership Program from twenty-six Project Pericles institutions across the country.

The ten students will present their creative responses to their study of participatory democracy in an exhibition at the New England College Art Gallery on Monday, May 9 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Work on view will include photographs, drawings, paintings, manuscripts, plays, installations, and other mixed media works. The Gallery is located on Main Street in Henniker, New Hampshire and the exhibition is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Throughout the course, students have had an opportunity to interact with a number of New Hampshire citizens who represent a variety of perspectives on the concept of the town meeting. Paul Wainwright, whose book of photographs, “A Space for Faith,” explores New England Colonial meetinghouses, and Howard Mansfield, a Hancock author whose work examines New England traditions, gave presentations to the class. Additional guest speakers included Rebecca Rule, writer, humorist, and storyteller, and Peter Flynn, Town Administrator for Henniker, New Hampshire. Students also attended the Henniker Town Meeting in March.

The May 9th exhibition includes work by: Zachary Harris; Erica Lebel; Erica Leiblich; Autumn Monsees; Ashley Paul; Pat Perugino; Katherine Rhames; Katherine Rich; Chaloe Tyler; and Molly Wilcox.

For further information, contact Maura MacNeil, mmacneil@nec.edu or Inez McDermott, imcdermott@nec.edu.