When it came time to select a college, Leo Peaslee, a graduate of Concord High School, wanted to be in a city. He chose New England College’s satellite campus in Manchester, which the Henniker-based school acquired from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in late 2018.
“I kind of like more urban areas because I like the walkability,” said Peaslee. “I think Manchester gets a pretty bad rap but I didn’t have any problems living there.”
NHIA was facing financial collapse at the time of the merger. For NEC, taking over the Manchester campus meant enlarging its own student body, and expanding its academic offerings to include a bachelor of fine arts degree.
Peaslee, a fan of anime as well as classical oil painting, said his freshman year on the Manchester campus, formally dubbed the Institute of Art and Design at New England College…
