Meet Mary McLaughlin: Former Banker, Arts Advocate, and Musician
Photo taken in May, 2019 at Arts4NH's annual Arts Advocacy Summit "Beyond The State House.” Mary is standing with Paul Hodes and Nancy Pearson, the 2019 Arts Advocacy Awards recipients.
From the desk of Executive Director Tricia Soule:
If you know Mary McLaughlin, then it’s no surprise that this retired banker and longtime arts advocate has a special place in her heart for music and the visual arts. I recently sat down with Mary to enjoy a socially-distanced glass of wine and to talk art. Although I’ve known Mary for years, I didn’t know how she became such a proponent of the arts.
Mary has called New Hampshire home since 1980 when she made her way here from her hometown of Rochester, New York. She brought a passion for creativity and a deep understanding of how the arts positively shape our lives. In fact, she explained how growing up, art was woven into her daily life. Her family was committed to their arts community. Mary’s grandfather was a doctor with a well-developed appreciation of art. He was a founder of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences.
The practical application of the arts was not lost on Mary. She explained, “Mom worked for an architect during World War II and went on to volunteer making dioramas for the Museum that were used to teach children about Rochester’s history.” Mary takes pride in her mother’s use of her talents by working for an architect – a field largely populated by men. Her mom’s desire to expose her children to the visual arts likely came from her own work as a painter.
Mary’s mother ensured that she had opportunities to make art at a young age. “On Saturdays my older sister and I would go to the local art museum where we took pottery and painting classes and explored the art on exhibit.” An antique player piano at home set the tone for her interest in music. “I was fascinated by it and ended up taking piano lessons at age eight and played through college.” She returned to the piano bench later and has been playing since 2000.
While both sisters became artists, Mary’s professional journey took her in what appears to be a dramatically different direction – the commercial banking industry. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she also entered a field largely dominated by men. Listening to her talk about the challenge of analyzing financial statements and the satisfaction of helping companies maximize their potential, I almost think otherwise. I imagine the visual appeal of orderly columns of line items and numbers or the opportunity to engage with an audience of sorts as a loan officer may bear similarities to one’s creative process. Regardless, banking seems to have suited her given her success in finance.
Still, Mary says, “I love working with artists who are making a living with their art. I really missed being part of the art world.” Mary and I first met in the early 2000s when I operated an art gallery in Concord. I was overjoyed to recognize the artwork in her home by many local artists. Banking proved to be suitable for buying art and serving on nonprofit boards. The Capitol Center for the Arts and New Hampshire Furniture Masters have benefited from her involvement. Early on, Dr. Bob Wilson engaged her interest in the Furniture Masters when he spoke at one of the group’s events about the artist/patron relationship. “He talked about working with Furniture Master Bill Thomas on a piece in which he was part of the creative process. It was exciting to learn that they selected the wood and developed a design together. I was hooked!”
In recent years, Mary has added her voice as an official arts advocate serving as a Councilor for the NH State Council on the Arts, a state agency that “enhances the quality of life by stimulating economic growth through the arts, investing in the creativity of students, making the arts accessible to underserved populations, and preserving heritage arts.” She is also Chair of Arts4NH, a citizens’ advocacy organization. The group focuses on educating the public about the importance of the arts and works to encourage the NH Legislature to expand its role in making art accessible to residents of all ages and backgrounds. Mary explained, “the arts are fundamental to people’s wellbeing from Pre-K through the end of life. We are especially committed to highlighting the importance of integrating Art into STEM to become STEAM.” She points to Leonardo DaVinci as the epitome of how combining Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math drives curiosity, innovation, and invention. “We need to do everything we can to help kids become well-rounded individuals” who contribute to the betterment of society.
Mary’s dedication to and love of the arts is an excellent example of just that. I thought it would be fun to see one of her Chamber Music performances. Again, from a distance.
Enjoy Habanera from Carmen as performed in an Adult Recital at the Manchester Community Music School. Featured are: Mary on piano, Kyoko Hida Battaglia (professional musician & coach sitting at the piano with Mary), Jeanine Tousignant on clarinet, and Susan Grodman playing flute.