October 2021 – Page 4

The Art Roundup 21/10/28

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• History carved in stone: Laconia Public Library and New Hampshire Humanities present a virtual program, “New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones,” on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Rubbings, photographs and slides highlight gravestones throughout the state that tell stories of the Great Awakening, the Throat Distemper epidemic, the American Revolution and other historical events. Learn about the craftsmen who carved these gravestones and how the gravestones provide insight into New Hampshire’s genealogy. Registration requested by emailing [email protected]. Visit nhhumanities.org/programs/577/new-hampshire-cemeteries-and-gravestones

• Shoe art and poetry: Catch “Kick-Start,” an exhibit by the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter on view at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen), before it’s gone on Sunday, Oct. 31. Also known as “the shoe show,” the exhibit features shoe-themed art by two dozen artists in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, artist books, small installations, photography, drawings and mixed-media pieces. “All the work is really different,” gallery director Laura Morrison told the Hippo earlier this month. “No one piece is like the other. We have things that are very serious, things that are just plain silly, things that are really powerful.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Additionally Twiggs Gallery will host a poetry reading and open mic event alongside the exhibit with the correlating theme “In My Shoes” on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eight poets who recently completed a four-week poetry class at the gallery will read their poetry. Community members are invited to bring and read an original or favorite poem that fits with the theme for the open mic portion. The event is free, and light refreshments will be served. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• Pandemic poems: COVID Spring II: More Granite State Pandemic Poems, an anthology of poetry by 51 New Hampshire residents about the pandemic experience in New Hampshire, is now available through independent Concord-based publisher Hobblebush Books. The anthology, edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, is a follow-up to COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, published in September 2020, which features original poems submitted by more than 50 New Hampshire residents, providing “a thirty-day snapshot of what life was like in the Granite State in April of 2020” through topics such as Covid-related “job loss, loneliness and love, masks, social distancing, surreal visitors, uncertainty, graduations deferred, grief, neighborly and less-than-neighborly acts, observing the beginning of the pandemic and making projections about the future, recalibrating or confirming what it means to be human, to be a resident of this region,” Peary said in the anthology’s introduction. “Picking up where COVID Spring left off, this new collection beautifully captures the uncertainty, the burnout, and the hope — lots of hope — of a diverse group of poets from the Granite State and beyond as they look toward a post-pandemic future,” Mary Russell, Director of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library, said of Covid Spring II in a press release from Hobblebush Books. Visit hobblebush.com or call 715-9615.

• Holiday shopping begins: Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact,” from Nov. 2 through Dec. 31, in person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• Winter art classes: Art classes for teens and adults are starting up at Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). The next 5-week session begins on Nov. 29 and offers Pottery, Stained Glass, Intermediate Watercolor and Clay Hand Building. All classes meet for two hours each week. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com for the full schedule and cost details.

Halloween Art

Flight Coffee Co. (209 Route 101, Bedford) is featuring Halloween-themed artwork by Max Gagnon on its walls during October. Gagnon is a freelance illustrator and painter working in pen and ink, gouache, acrylic and digital media. His colorful pieces are inspired by comic book art, painted portraits and film and television, particularly the cartoons he watched on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network while growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Hampshire-native, Gagnon graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, now called the New England College of Art and Design, where he currently teaches Conceptual Art. He also created the murals in Flight Coffee Co., and at To Share Brewing Co. on Union Street in Manchester. To see more of Gagnon’s art, visit mcg-illustration.com or find him on Facebook and Instagram @mcgillustrates.

ART

Exhibits

• “TRUTH BE TOLD: AN ARTFUL GATHERING OF WOMEN” Two Villages Art Society presents a collaborative exhibit of works by 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. On view now through Nov. 13. Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• “WPA IN NH: PHILIP GUSTON AND MUSA MCKIM” Exhibit features a pair of 14-foot monumental murals painted by artist Philip Guston and poet and painter Musa McKim for the Federal forestry building in Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1941. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Dec. 5. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com or nhartassociation.org.

• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Feb. 27, 2022. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “SMALL WORKS — BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit in-person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Nov. 2 through Dec. 31. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Fri., Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• “NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW” A collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, on display in eight exhibitions at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations include Belknap Mill Society in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.

• “9/11” Exhibit features images of the September 11 attacks and the aftermath, taken by war photographer Jim Nachtwey. On view now. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

THEATER

Shows

• WONDERS Phylloxera Productions presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 29 through Nov. 7, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord). Fri, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.50. Visit ccanh.com.

• ALL TOGETHER NOW!Produced by the Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theater Project. Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. Fri., Nov. 12, 7 p.m., and Sat., Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

• THE WEDDING SINGER Presented by The Peacock Players. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.

• 9/12 New World Theatre presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

Classical

• “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.

Natural canvases

Local artist paints spiderwebs, leaves, grains of rice

It started with leaves. After 40 years of building stone walls and fireplaces, Tom Abruzese of Londonderry turned to more delicate endeavors, picking up a paintbrush for the first time in his life and experimenting on traditional canvas. He was good at it, but he got bored quickly. So he started painting on leaves instead.

“I just had a knack where I could paint anything on a leaf, [and] it took off,” he said.

There is, presumably, a leaf with a painting of the White House somewhere in D.C., or possibly in the possession of former President Barack Obama.

“[I figured] no one’s ever going to buy the White House on a leaf, so I mailed it to the president,” he said. “About seven weeks later, I got a letter from the president, thanking me for the unique gift.”

The leaf painting of the Old Man on the Mountain that he sent to Gov. John Lynch when he was in office might still be in the Statehouse, Abruzese said, and he sent one to Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s office in Manchester too.

Abruzese makes prints of the leaves as soon as he’s done painting them, because eventually the colors of the leaf fade. He sells the prints at local craft fairs, and he said he gets a lot of commissioned work as well.

“The leaves are the big sensation,” he said.

Despite their popularity, after a while Abruzese wanted a new challenge.

“You can only paint so many leaves before you get bored or crazy, and I was borderline crazy,” he said.

Seeing a woman on TV painting feathers who said it was nearly impossible, Abruzese had found his next canvas. He uses turkey feathers and typically paints birds and other wildlife on them.

“Most of my [subjects are] from nature, because I use materials from nature,” he said.

Abruzese then turned to small rocks, painting them for use as jewelry.

“Everything I do, people seem to like,” he said. “I’m always looking for something else to create from.”

The latest something else? Spiderwebs, naturally. Abruzese lives in an old house with a carriage house attached, so they’re plentiful, and he thought it might be a bigger challenge than feathers or leaves. He was right ― but he’s figured out how to make it work.

It starts with a bottle cap that he pushes through the web, which clings to the sides of the cap so the web is suspended and not touching the front or back of the cap. Once it’s secure, it’s ready for acrylic paints.

“Because the web is sticky … I wet the brush just a little bit so the paint actually slides across the web; otherwise the paint would tear the webbing,” he said. “Once you get the first coat on, then it becomes a little easier.”

Abruzese puts his spiderweb paintings inside clear plastic containers so the whole thing is sealed.

“It’s so easy to forget that it’s a spiderweb,” he said. “One misplacement of your finger and the spiderweb is gone.”

Plus, he said, the sticky nature of the webs mean they collect dust if they’re not covered.

Abruzese said he paints whatever comes to mind, usually things in nature. But he couldn’t resist one obvious choice.

“Spider-Man ― how corny is that? You gotta put Spider-Man on a spiderweb!” he laughed.

As part of his repertoire, Abruzese also paints caterpillar webs, which are bigger and thicker, plus moose or deer antlers, birch bark, mushrooms, butternuts and grains of rice.

“My wife asks, ‘Why do you paint things people can’t see?’” he said. “To me it’s the challenge. [And] you can see it with a magnifying glass.”

The smallest he’s gotten is a sesame seed. The trick with these tiniest canvases is to use the very tip of the paintbrush and keep the brush in motion so only a finite amount touches the surface. Having a steady hand is key too.

“I don’t drink anything that has caffeine [when I paint],” Abruzese said. “The blood going through your finger makes it like a jackhammer.”

He hasn’t attended any craft fairs recently ― mainly because there haven’t been many to attend ― but Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20. He said none of his items have price tags because he wants his prices to be flexible for kids who are looking to buy gifts.

“The kids don’t have much money, [and] I do it for the pleasure and challenge,” he said. “I’m not there to make money.”

Still, he sold just about everything on his two tables at this fair two years ago.

“Someone looking for a Christmas gift, they can pick up something that is unique,” he said.

For those who can’t make it to the fair, Abruzese accepts requests for personalized art.

“I’ll have people bring in deer antler or moose antler [and ask me to] do something specific on it,” he said. “Once it’s done it’s one of a kind.”

Find Tom Abruzese’s art

Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also email him at [email protected] to see more of his collection or to commission a piece.

Featured photo: An array of Tom Abruzese’s work. Courtesy photos.

This Week 21/10/28

Big Events October 28, 2021 and beyond

Thursday, Oct. 28

Nothing but treats for lovers of classic horror and Halloween-y themed movies at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) starting tonight with The Thing (1982) at 7 p.m. Then tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 29) catch The Shining (R, 1980) at 2 and 6:30 p.m. and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (R, 1987) at 2:30, 5 & 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 30, it’s The Witches (PG, 1990) at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. and Psycho (R, 1960) at 2, 5 & 8 p.m. And on Halloween, Sunday, Oct. 31, check out The Exorcist (R, 1973) at 2 and 5:15 p.m. and Night of the Living Dead (1968) at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 28

Or go for some horror from the silent film era withNosferatu (1922), directed by F.W. Murnau, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; 668-5588, palacetheatre.org). The screening will feature live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Admission costs $10.

Friday, Oct. 29

Catch Adam Ezra Group tonight at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at the Flying Monkey (39 Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com, 536-2551). Tickets start at $25.

Sunday, Oct. 31

Were Ross and Rachel truly on a break? Perhaps the issue will be debated tonight at Friends The Musical Parody, a live show presented this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m.) at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com, 225-1111). Tickets cost $35 to $55 (plus a fee).

Sunday, Oct. 31

Buy some candy and turn on those porch lights for trick or treat today — for the most part. Get a rundown of when area towns are holding their trick-or-treats (some do it on Saturday) in last week’s (Oct. 21) issue of the Hippo on page 11. Find an e-edition of the paper at hippopress.com.

Wednesday, Nov. 3

The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; manchesterhistoric.org, 622-7531) is holding an open house and beer tasting tonight from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online or by calling the museum. The evening will feature live music by Alli Beaudry, eats and brews from Lithermans, To Share Brewing, Woodstock Inn Brewery, Great North Aleworks and more, according to the website.

Save the Date! Nov. 6

Catch the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra playing the music of Duke Ellington on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; anselm.edu). Tickets cost $40.

Featured photo: Adam Ezra Group. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/10/28

Gas grumbles

It’s been eight years since gas prices were this high; on Oct. 25, 2013, the average price of a gallon of gas in New Hampshire was $3.33, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey. This year on Oct. 25, the average price was $3.29 per gallon, up 8 cents from last week, 25 cents from last month, and $1.26 from this time last year.

Score: -2

Comment: On Oct. 25, there was a 46-cent difference between highest and lowest prices per gallon in the state, according to GasBuddy, with the cheapest station at $3.08 per gallon and the most expensive at $3.54 per gallon.

And the weather’s not great either…

If we’re going to complain about gas prices, we might as well complain about the weather too! After a pretty decent stretch of warmer fall weather, the past few days have been a reality check, with temps dropping, snow coating roads in northern New Hampshire and a Nor’easter bringing inches of rain to southern New Hampshire.

Score: 0

Comment: At least it’s not snowing in this part of the state yet, and we should make it past Halloween without seeing the white stuff. It’s been years, but QOL has vivid memories of trick-or-treating in the snow, so it’s always a win to get past that date without it.

Mixed economic bag for older adults

New Hampshire tied with Utah for second place in a recent MagnifyMoney study that looked at which states offer a better financial environment for retirement. The two states have a poverty rate of 6.2 percent for the 65 and older population and came in just behind Vermont, whose poverty rate is 6.1 percent. But when looking at other key factors that play into retirement-age economic conditions, including home ownership rate and rate of adults with retirement income, New Hampshire was on middle ground, coming in at No. 30.

Score: 0 (because low poverty is good, but ranking 30th for states where older adults are best positioned for retirement is nothing to brag about)

Comment: The “housing cost burdened” rate brought the state’s overall rating down, landing in 6th in that category with a rate of 36.2 percent (compared to top state West Virginia’s housing cost burdened rate of 17.4 percent).

Tuberculosis at Concord High

Concord School District Superintendent Kathleen Murphy sent out a notice to the school community on Oct. 13 saying that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services had identified a positive, active case of tuberculosis, which is an airborne infectious disease, at Concord High School. According to the notice, the district held an online community meeting the following day to provide information and answer questions. Infectious disease control experts said during the meeting that the case of tuberculosis is a “likely low risk event,” according to an Oct. 15 report from the Concord Monitor.

Score: -1

Comment:Since 2011, there have been 123 documented cases of tuberculosis in New Hampshire, 18 of which were reported in Merrimack County, according to the Monitor.

QOL score: 77

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 74

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

The annual NBA preview

The Celtics kicked off their season last week in an error-filled but very entertaining overtime loss to the Knicks. Even with that disappointment, the bright spot is that it looks like games between the C’s and the Knicks this year will mean something for the first time since the Bird era. The 1970s Havlicek/Cowens vs. Reed/Frazier games were even better, but beggars can’t be choosers. So I’ll take this.

That was followed by an awful loss to Toronto at home, which underscored why I’m totally wait-and-see on the C’s after being really harsh on most of the deals done by Brad Stevens this summer. Not so much for who he got rid of, or got back even, but for taking back less than he could have gotten in each deal. But I’ll admit they have much better depth as a result of his moves after depth being a major weakness a year ago. Thanks partly to their pure luck getting business challenged Dennis Schroder. After a far too placid demeanor in 2020-21, his feisty attitude should give them more of an edge in 2021-22. I also like that they’re building it with complementary players around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown rather than just assembling talent.

Celtics Players to Watch

Jayson Tatum: I’m harder on him than anyone and want more than just 50-point games. It’s obvious he hit the weight room because he is really cut, which will help him take the next step up as a player. But to be a Top 5 guy who can lead his team to the Promised Land, he needs to become the kind of leader he’s yet to grow into.

Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith: Are they going to grow into players of value? My money is on Romeo.

We’ll have more on the C’s as the year goes along, but for now here are some other things to keep an eye on.

Teams to Watch

Knicks: The NYC media as usual is overrating their own, but they have fight and toughness under Tom Thibodeau, which I like. As for the local connection: I hope Kemba Walker found a home in his hometown, but the C’s needed to move on from him for team fit reasons. I’m also glad Brad didn’t overpay to keep Evan Fournier away from New York, because while he can score as he did on opening night, he’s inconsistent and plays no D, as evidenced by the 46 Jaylon got on him in the opener.

Bucks: I don’t like to use the word “luck” when a team played as hard as the champs did, but I could never shake the feeling they weren’t that good last year, especially with only two reliable bench guys. It’s a testament to what a couple of stars can do in today’s NBA. Don’t see much change besides losing defensive brawler PJ Tucker. But Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s three best players and I don’t underestimate what the man who gives more effort than anyone on every single play means to this team. So they‘re dangerous, but if Al Horford can still play D the Celtics can beat these guys in a playoff series.

Nets: As with every team he’s attached to, they’ll be better without non-vaxxed Kyrie Irving. Because Kevin Durant and James Harden are the best one-two punch in NBA and are surrounded by good role players, and GM Sean Marks is a very smart guy who’ll come out of trading Kyrie with something better.

Miami: On paper Pat Riley’s moves look great, but their fortunes depend on whether (1) the tick down point for newly acquired big-game 35-year-old point guard Kyle Lowry isn’t on the horizon, (2) Tyler Herro stops being Miami Beach big-time boy and gets back to the guy who wrecked the Celtics in the 2019 playoffs, (3) Victor Oladipo can return to his pre-injury self to give them a major bench, and (4) Bam (love that name) Adebayo continues on his path to becoming one of the league’s top big men.

76ers: Who knows what the impact of the Ben Simmons mess will be? But I do know GM Daryl Morey overplayed his hand in demanding too much for an overpaid crybaby who shrinks from the big moment, That gives him zero trade leverage to get close to equal value in his coming trade. And, sorry, Philly gets no sympathy here, after screwing their fans by losing on purpose for four years to get this joker during the bogus/failed “Trust the Process.” You reap what you sow.

Hawks: A young up and comer, but not sure they are/were as good as the hot streak that catapulted them into the 2021 playoffs. Trae Young is great, but Tatum is better to make the Celtics better than Atlanta.

Lakers: In their continuing effort to break their tie with Boston for most NBA Championships won at 17, they made big news trading for stat-machine but hard-to-play Russell Westbrook. They also brought in an astonishing nine new players, including GM Lebron James’ buddy Carmelo Anthony and the returning Rajon Rondo (a good move). That’s a lot of adjustments. It won’t work if Westbrook plays point guard, but might if he plays off guard and LBJ runs the O as a point forward. Either way these dudes are work in progress.

Suns: Bet my autographed Alvan Adams NBA card this team takes a big. I’m too impressed with myself, step back. And not just because Devin Booker is tempting fate by going out with one of the Kardashian clan. Though it is a reason, because their curse on sports people has taken down far bigger players than him.

Golden State: Steph Curry is unbelievable, and getting Klay Thompson back is major. But I don’t see this group getting back to what they were at peak.

Arguments for Another Day: Chris Bosh in the Hall of Fame? The Top 75 NBA players list. I can assure you I have a lot to say about both in the days ahead.

Leading the way

New Hampshire celebrates school principals during October

As part of National School Leaders Month, Gov. Sununu has proclaimed October 2021 as School Principals Month in New Hampshire. Bridey Bellemare, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, is currently touring schools throughout the state to recognize school principals for their service and to discuss how schools can be improved.

What is the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, and what is your role as executive director?

We are a nonprofit organization that focuses on fostering the development of school leaders in the state of New Hampshire. … A lot of times we focus on educators and teachers — rightfully so, because they’re critical to the profession — but my role is to represent the voices of … and elevate the [focus on] school leaders.

What is School Principals Month?

The National Association of Elementary School Leaders and the National Association of Secondary School Leaders recognize October as National School Leaders Month. … This year I worked with Gov. Sununu to develop a proclamation specifically for New Hampshire to recognize October 2021 as School Principals Month in the state of New Hampshire. … It’s been several years since school leaders have been in the center of a conversation. … Certainly, post-pandemic, school leaders are still dealing with difficulties in reopening schools and looking at how education has been and how it needs to continue to evolve, so it seemed rather timely to ask the governor to encourage citizens and local communities to recognize school leaders for what they are doing in service of their communities.

What is your school tour about?

I [extended] the invitation to [New Hampshire school leaders] and said, ‘Hey, if you want me to come to your school to see what’s going on and talk about what’s working and what’s not and how we can continue to network across the state to support each other, I’m happy to come visit.’ … Since most [school leaders] are pretty busy right now with reopening schools, assessing what kids need and meeting with parents, I thought I’d get maybe 10 schools or so that said, ‘Yeah, sure, come on by,’ but I received over 70 invitations. Obviously I can’t visit 70 schools during the month of October, but I’ve made a commitment to get to as many schools as possible before the end of the year. I’ve visited 16 schools in the past two weeks, and I have about 20 schools that I hope to get to next week. … I am posting each visit on social media to try to get the story out there about the great things that are happening in our schools and that our school leaders are doing, and as a way to help school leaders get to know other school leaders so that we can strengthen the school leadership pipeline in the state of New Hampshire.

Is there anything you’ve learned during the tour so far that surprised you?

A lot of [school leaders] north of Concord said they feel forgotten. Hearing those words really mattered to me, so I made it a priority to start in the North Country, and I’m going to continue the tour to the Lakes Region, southeast, southwest and south-central parts of the state.

What are some of the biggest challenges school leaders are facing post-pandemic?

The pandemic has upended almost every aspect of schooling. The focus has had to shift to management and operations in a whole different capacity, looking at things like ventilation systems and safety issues around masking and testing to ensure that staff, students and everyone in the school setting is safe. That has taken a lot of time away from focusing on school climate, culture, instruction, curriculum and attendance. … Learning loss continues to be a huge concern; [there are] students who are maybe one-and-a-half years behind what they would have been if school had been in full session for the past two years. … Going remote in some areas, whether they were urban or rural areas, created some [education] accessibility issues for students and families. … Some students were not coming to their classes, whether remotely or in person, because they were taking up part-time jobs to help their families who were out of work. … [Academic] achievement gaps aren’t the sole story here; students … also experienced anxiety and depression and different levels of [difficulty] as a result of the pandemic, some [of which] were even traumatic experiences.

What can families and community members do to support school leaders?

Please, afford your school leaders and educators grace during these times, when they’re making difficult decisions for all families and students. … Let’s assume best intentions and engage with one another in a healing-centered way so that we can work collectively to make a difference in students’ lives, both educationally speaking and otherwise.

Featured photo: Bridey Bellemare. Courtesy photo.

Month: October 2021