Leaders of many of New Hampshire's major cultural organizations have agreed to work together to create a unified strategy for shaping the state's future. "We're at a crossroads," said Van McLeod, state commissioner of cultural resources. "I believe we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to be engaged at a new level."

The group of about 60 representatives of arts, heritage and library groups met at the N.H. Institute of Art in Manchester in September. They endorsed McLeod's plan to invite trustees from all the state's 1,041 cultural organizations to a larger summit early in 2004 to continue the discussion and begin mapping a long-range strategy. The meeting will take advantage of the research on the creative economy conducted by the New England Council.

Co-conveners of the September summit were the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, New Hampshire Main Street Center, New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts, LCHIP and the New Hampshire Library Association.