The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the state department of transportation are partners in curating the state's new welcome center in Seabrook. With funds from the transportation department, the arts council contracted with artists and exhibit designers to transform the welcome center into a showcase for New Hampshire's culture and heritage. Approximately 875,000 vehicles stop each year at this welcome center on I-95 between Massachusetts and Maine. Fourteen New Hampshire artists participated in this project, beginning with a weathervane and a granite sculpture that greets visitors as they enter the center. Inside are four display cases and seven photo displays organized by tourism region. The overall effect of the exhibits is to turn the space into a gallery that provides the visitor with more than brochures and maps. Each work is interpreted with labels that emphasize the cultural side of New Hampshire and gives the context of the artists' pieces. All art work and labeling is done with great care to meet ADA guidelines.

The success of the Seabrook project prompted the state transportation department to incorporate this partnership into its 10-year Highway Plan, which means that the arts council will provide similar assistance as new buildings are built. Currently, the arts council is refurbishing an exhibit at the Salem welcome center and has begun planning for a new center in Nashua. For more information, contact Rebecca Lawrence, 603/271-2789.