On May 6, more than 250 guests attended the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA) 40th Annual Arts Awards, where Northeast Delta Dental, Wentworth by the Sea and St. Mary’s Bank were among those recognized for their support of the arts and culture through their donations of time, funds and resources.

Northeast Delta Dental was honored with the Boundless Generosity Award for the company’s continued dedication and commitment to volunteerism of the arts. Their support includes institutions that range from theaters such as the Colonial, the Music Hall and the Capitol Center for the Arts to music and dance organizations such as NH Symphony and Manchester Community Music School and museums such as the Currier, and Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.

Ava Gallery and Art Center was awarded the Northeast Delta Dental Artsbuild Community Award for its free community programs, including the Art Lab for adults with disabilities, Senior Art, Community Arts Open Studio for young children and caregivers, Art Stop after-school program, Art Reach for the homebound, and more. Collaboration with the Special Needs Support Center has bolstered both organizations and fostered lifelong learning through the arts.

Wentworth by the Sea was awarded the Fanfare Small Business Award for expanding their support for Portsmouth’s Music Hall. They worked with the theater to create an exclusive space for members, designed as a speakeasy, with a private hallway entrance to the theater and a catering menu overseen by Wentworth’s head chef.

The Dyed-in-the-Wool Award was presented to St. Mary’s Bank for decades of support to the Palace Theatre providing funding for young people to experience live theater for the first time, enabling critical campaign improvements and sponsoring popular headlining shows.

Joan Brodsky was honored with the Bayberry Financial Services Artrepreneur Award. With a goal of providing a stable dance community through open and accessible opportunities for engagement and continued education and dialogue in dance, Brodsky shares her lifelong love for dancing to uplift fellow artists. She has become a vocal advocate for NH’s dance community, their champion for appropriate pay as well as exposure, and through the development of an Accelerator Program, their conduit to opportunities for expression on a statewide dance stage.

Duane Coute, general manager of Littleton Chevrolet, was recognized with the Changemaker Business Leader award for his longstanding support of arts and culture in his community. When the Town of Littleton faced potential censorship of art this year, Coute garnered more than 1,200 signatures to show the support and commitment local businesses have for the arts and culture scene. Coute also spearheaded a support rally and organized a public gathering in support of the Littleton Arts and Pride community, helping to lead the idea that censoring any kind of art should be abandoned.

“This year’s Arts Awards proved to be an unforgettable night … and we celebrated a group of amazing award winners who support arts and business in NH,” said Tricia Soule, NHBCA executive director. “This is our 40th year of recognizing individuals, businesses and organizations for their contributions to the state’s vibrant arts and cultural scene — a major milestone that we are so proud of.”

All winners were awarded a one-of-a-kind oil painting, hand-painted by Concord artist Pamela Tarbell specifically for the event. Each oil painting featured designs inspired by nature’s influence on the arts, highlighted in bright hues of blue, purple and green.