With a rich landscape of both for-profit and nonprofit endeavors in New Hampshire, the arts and culture play an important role in both drawing audiences and providing employment in the state.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, even while experiencing about a 4 percent dip, likely due to the pandemic, the arts and culture sector contributed $2.9 billion to New Hampshire’s economy in 2020, which represents about 3.3 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, making it the second-highest grossing sector in the state. That places it above construction, which represents $2.8 billion of the state’s GDP.

According to a study done by Americans for the Arts in 2017, which included analysis of the economic impact of cities and regions across the country, estimated spending in the local economy was about $5.3 million in the Monadnock region alone. The Monadnock region had about 659 jobs supported by the arts, representing about $12.7 million.

Monadnock Music is an organization with a goal to bring professional-caliber classical music to rural areas, with concerts played on commons, in meetinghouses and other small venues.

“They’re musicians you would see playing in Boston, or New York, but in these very intimate settings. It gives you something really special,” said Laina Barakat, executive director of Monadnock Music.

Barakat said their concerts, which are intentionally put into small, intimate venues, draw people from as far as two hours away to attend.

“Even if they might be able to see the same caliber musicians where they live, people from Boston or the bigger cities might come here, because they don’t get the exclusivity or intimacy that our concerts give them,” Barakat said. “And for them, it’s a little getaway.”

Occasionally, concert visitors will stay in local inns or bed-and-breakfasts as part of a weekend excursion, but even those who don’t stay overnight often eat at local restaurants for dinner or shop locally.

The Peterborough Players, a professional production company which stages shows out a converted barn in Peterborough, similarly draws audience members from as far away as Boston, said Artistic Director Tom Frey.

“We pull from the whole Monadnock region, and we get people from even further away,” Frey said. “People often, either before or after a show, go out to dinner, or to a pub or bar, or walk around shopping in Depot Square. It’s a significant contribution to the economy, given that we bring a lot of people in, and they need places to stay, places to eat, and things to do.”

And not just the audience members. Both Monadnock Music and Peterborough Players have a national, and sometimes international talent pool they pull from, and both have a residency program for artists who have come to the Monadnock Region for the summer to participate.

This year, the Peterborough Players has a total of about 17 or 18 acting members, plus professional backstage crew, and three residential artists. Those numbers fluctuate based on the performances scheduled for the year, Frey said. This year’s productions have small casts – the largest cast of the season is the current show, “Grand Horizons,” with a total of seven characters. Last year, the Players’ production of “Cabaret” alone had a cast of 18.

Actors come from as far away as the West Coast, Houston and New York for Players productions.

Similarly, Monadnock Music also has a pool of artists that stretches internationally that come to play at concerts locally.

“We don’t bring them in for one gig – it’s a summer residency,” Barakat said. “They eat locally, get to experience the mountains and everything the state has to offer. For touring musicians, the summer can be a slow time, and to be able to provide a steady employment is something we can do.”

Barakat said this year, due to the rising cost of living, Monadnock Music decided to improve its rates for musicians a significant amount, about 20 percent from its previous rates. This year, about 25 musicians are involved with Monadnock Music’s program, but in the past, that number has been as high as 40, or as low as 10, depending upon the size of the groups involved.

This year, between 10 and 15 musicians are in residence for the summer with Monadnock Music.

In Wilton, Town Hall Theatre adds shows because of increased demand, according to Jeff Rapsis, who has played music for silent films at the venue for the past 15 years.

“We often get our largest turnouts in June, July and August,” Rapsis stated.

Cyndy Burgess, president of the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce, said Jaffrey has some major draws in perfect locations for Jaffrey’s Main Street to capitalize on in the Jaffrey Civic Center and The Park Theatre.

“The civic center is always bringing in interesting programs and artists and showcasing them, and making people feel welcome. And the Park has done an amazing job -- they’re bringing in comedy acts, singers, bands, entertainers, movies – they’re covering a broad range,” Burgess said.

Another central piece to downtown arts is the TEAM Jaffrey Concerts on the Common during the summer months.

Burgess said all of these are draws for downtown, and bring people not just from the immediate area into town. But she said Main Street needs to build up stores that help keep those people in the area for more than just the event they came in for.

“We have the potential,” Burgess said. “The hard part is that we have these things that people enjoy, that they come in from a broader base than Jaffrey to enjoy, and then we don’t have anything th at keeps them here.”

Particularly, Burgess said, Main Street needs more family restaurants or cafes. With the closure of the Lab ‘n’ Lager and Sunflowers Restaurant & Catering, and the restaurant replacing Sunflowers, 21B Bar and Grill, not y et open, dining is limited on Main Street, Burgess said.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, xt. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.