2003 Governors Arts Awards

Community Spirit Award Recipient
Town of Littleton, Municipal Government

Littleton has become a leader in the North Country for recognizing the value of the arts to community life. This leadership is manifested in many ways, from direct support of facilities and art programs to integrating the arts into economic development plans. The Town's support of a wide variety of arts projects has been integral to the success of the Littleton Main Street program - recipient of the 2003 Great American Main Street Award sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Through the hard work of community members, Littleton has shown a commitment to a variety of artistic expression. Community members participated in a year long heritage discovery process to select subjects for public artworks. In addition to chronicling key moments in the town's history for an outdoor mural, Littleton selected the fictional character Pollyanna for a new sculpture to celebrate Pollyanna author Eleanor Hodgman Porter who was born in the town. NH sculptor Emile Birch was commissioned to create the bronze sculpture. Located in front of the Littleton Public Library, this delightful statue has come to symbolize the town's optimistic spirit.

Other arts activities in the town have included participatory arts projects, sidewalk art shows and the ongoing restoration of an extraordinary collection of Edward Hill landscapes housed at the Littleton Public Library. The visual arts have been visible throughout the town and the performing arts are regularly enjoyed both indoors and out.

Last updated: March 31, 2006