FEATURED ARTICLE

Deidre Randall Courtesy photo

The Seacoast's arts and entertainment industry sometimes gets taken for granted or even overlooked, yet this community life's blood is another economic driver. And taking center stage is often another leading lady.

Actors, artists, designers, singers, writers -- their names are some of the long time performers in southern Maine and southeastern New Hampshire, those who travel far and wide to display their art and to play out their dreams.

Joyce Andersen, Susie Burke, and Carri Coltrane are among notable musical artists. Portsmouth Poet Laureate Mimi White is one of several female wordsmiths in the area.

And concerning the entertainment infrastructure, The Music Hall is led by a businesswoman, Executive Director Patricia Lynch. The administration and board of directors for the region's premier performing arts center is peppered with women and supporting business men and women.

So rich in history and culture, the Seacoast has always been a receptive audience, says Deidre Randall, a singer-songwriter who also acts, writes poetry, and works as a book publicist. The mother of two also hosts the Writers in the Round radio show Wednesday nights at 7 on WSCA-FM 106.1 -- Portsmouth Community Radio.

Cuzin Richard Deb Cram photo

So often it is a labor of love, at least starting out. Women, like their male counterparts in or in search of the spotlight, understand they cannot quit their day job overnight, Randall says. She says artists in general understand they must balance their careers with family obligations and rely on the support of family, friends and neighbors.

"This is a supportive community for artists because it's so very vibrant," she says.

Richard "Cuzin" Smith of Cuzin Richard Entertainment Associates, who has more than three decades of experience in the industry, says his roster has gradually evolved year by year to feature more women. He attributes the growth in the ranks of artists and performers to advances in technology and a world in which there is so much people want to say.

The arts pack an economic wallop in greater Portsmouth. A 2000 study by Americans for the Arts estimated a $26 million annual economic impact by arts organizations, artists, and attendees. The number factors in all related expenditures.

While the arts and entertainment field is certainly integral to the region's travel and tourism market, there is also evidence it is the glue that keeps the community together.

The arts bring people to the area and those artists tend to put down longer roots than most people, says Jane James, a past president of Art-Speak, a nonprofit group supported by the city of Portsmouth to promote arts and culture.

When the average household moves every five years, an Art-Speak survey of artists indicated many lived in one place for 10 years or longer, according to James, a managing partner of Marple & James Real Estate. She notes that up until the early 1990s, when the former Pease Air Force Base closed, the average household moved every three years in Portsmouth.

The survey indicated artists have a long-term investment in the community.

"It's clear that the arts have made a difference," James says.