Author: Angie Sykeny

Angie Sykeny is a Hippo staff writer covering local arts, theater, music and pop culture. She can be reached at [email protected].

Lost and found

NH’s Lisa Gardner discusses her new thriller

Lisa Gardner of Jackson, known for her bestselling Detective D.D. Warren, FBI Profiler and Tessa Leoni thriller series, releases her newest, Before She Disappeared, on Jan. 19. It’s her first standalone novel since 2004. Gardner talked about the story and the inspiration behind it.

What is Before She Disappeared about?

It’s based on a new character, Frankie Elkin. She’s a recovering alcoholic, short on belongings and long on regret. She now travels from town to town trying to help [missing] people who are forgotten. In this case, she comes to Mattapan, Boston, where a 15-year-old Haitian girl went missing almost a year ago. She disappeared in the middle of the day without a trace. The police have no leads, and it’s not the kind of case that earns any media attention, but it’s exactly the kind of case that [fits with] Frankie’s mission. She is there to make a difference, no matter what the cost.

What was your inspiration for this story and character?

Most of my books have been ripped from the headlines, so to speak. For Before She Disappeared, I had read an article in the BBC on a real-life woman, Lissa Yellowbird-Chase. She had no police background, no specialty. She’s just an everyday person who had grown increasingly frustrated by the number of women who were going missing on tribal lands and, in many cases, not looked for at all. … She decided to do something about it and got involved in finding one of the women. It’s now become her life work. She’s an ordinary person doing the extraordinary, and I was captivated by that [and the idea] that any of us could make a difference. … Then I found out that there are entire online forums that are populated by amateur sleuths, drone operators, people who are willing to donate their canines to help search for missing people … and I thought, what might [a person doing that] look like? A woman who gives up all of her belongings, has no stable relationships or job, no white picket fence? I loved that in creating Frankie Elkin. She’s leading an anti-life. She has none of the trappings that most of us would say are earmarks of success and yet … she has found herself.

Is the theme of forgotten and uninvestigated missing people something you intended to address in Before She Disappeared?

Absolutely. After reading about Lissa Yellowbird-Chase, I did more research and … became aware of such things as the Black and Missing Foundation, which has a website with hundreds and hundreds of cold cases of missing Black children, men and women. Most of these cases, we’ve never heard about. … It’s a really sad nationwide trend that, often because of socioeconomics or your skin color or where you live, you can really fall through the cracks.

This is your first standalone novel in 17 years. What made you decide to take a break from your series?

I loved this notion of writing about an everyday person trying to make a difference. All of my previous novels are about an FBI agent, a police officer, etc. … but Frankie is like you or me, so it’s [easier] to try to be in her shoes. If you showed up in Mattapan, Boston, and wanted to find a missing person, what would you do? What questions would you ask? How would you go about it? It’s fun for the reader because for once the [protagonist] has the same [lack] of training, so if Frankie can figure it out, so can you.

Do you have any plans to continue Frankie’s story?

Yes, at least one more [book]. I really ended up loving Frankie, and I think she is now one of my most compelling characters. … Detective D.D. [the protagonist of Gardner’s D.D. Warren Series] is aggressive and has the right as a police officer to bully people into answering questions. That’s not Frankie. Frankie is very vulnerable and has to use that vulnerability as her strength. She gets people to talk to her simply by making them want to share their stories. I’ve just found that intriguing and powerful. So I’ve happened to come up with yet another book. … It involves Frankie and has to do with a number of people who are still missing on national public lands. … I’m writing it now and hopefully [will have it published] by this time next year.

What has it been like, releasing a book during a pandemic?

It’s very different. I’ve worked on this book for an entire year, and I don’t want to just release it out into the wild, so to speak; I want to connect with my readers, answer their questions and hear what they have to say. … But, like all things pandemic-related, we’re learning as we go and finding different ways to connect. Zoom is great. It means a great deal to still be able to connect with some of my readers virtually.

Lisa Gardner presents Before She Disappeared
Gardner kicks off her virtual book tour with a livestream book launch on Monday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m., hosted by White Birch Books in North Conway and 93.5 WMWV with Roy Prescott. The tour continues through Feb. 4 with virtual events hosted by bookstores throughout the country. For more information, visit lisagardner.com.

Featured photo: Lisa Gardner. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 21/01/07

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

Art by Chris Reid, featured in “The View Through My Eyes” exhibition. Courtesy photo.

• Gallery goes digital: Kelley Stelling Contemporary, an art gallery in Manchester that has been closed throughout the pandemic, announced in a newsletter that it will soon roll out a series of new digital programming, including artist talks, studio visits and home tours. Watch the gallery’s social media @kelleystellingcontemporary for updates.

• Drive-in singing: The Nashua Choral Society has found a creative way to continue meeting during the pandemic while observing social distance, according to a press release from the chorus. With a new drive-in choir system, members can gather in person and, while remaining in their cars, sing together using wireless microphones tuned into the same radio station. NCS purchased the wireless microphones with a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The chorus had its first drive-in sing on Dec. 13, which is World Choral Day. “Seeing everyone in person, even through car windows, was a joyful event,” the press release read. “NCS looks forward to hosting more socially distanced sings in the new year.” The choir is also planning to hold in-person public performances this year as soon as it is safe to do so, according to the release. Visit nashuachoralsociety.org

• Nature through the seasons: The New Hampshire Art Association has an exhibition, “The View Through My Eyes,” featuring the work of pastel artist Chris Reid, on view at the gallery in the Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (49 S. Main St.) now through March 18. Reid’s pastels depict nature scenes from the four seasons, like emerging flowers and plants in the spring; gardens, farms and greenery in the summer; harvest landscapes and the changinging colors of leaves in the fall; and the natural shapes formed by ice and snow in the winter. “My work is a conversation with nature,” Reid said in a press release. “My paintings are more than simple depictions of place. Rather, they invite a choreographed dance of the eyes, where the viewer is invited to look deep into the depths of the work and see the subject’s spirit and life-force.” Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• Literary Zoom: Gibson’s Bookstore of Concord will host a virtual author event with Beverly Stoddart on Monday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. Stoddart will present her new book Stories from the Rolodex: Important Figures of Journalism in Their Own Words, which includes a series of essays on local personalities from the golden age of journalism. She will be joined in conversation by local author (and Hippo associate publisher) Dan Szczesny. Then, on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., Gibson’s will virtually host poet Kyle Potvin, who will read from her new volume of verse Loosen (Volume XIV of the Hobblebush Granite State Poetry Series). Poet and executive director of The Frost Place Maudelle Driskell will join the reading and discussion. The events will be held on Zoom, and registration is required. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562.

• A look at slavery in New England: The Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden in Portsmouth kicks off its free public winter continuing education series with a virtual lecture and discussion, “Confronting Slavery in Early New England: History, Sources and Interpetation,” led by Dr. Jared Ross Hardesty, on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Hardesty is the author of Black Lives, Native Lands, White Worlds: A History of Slavery in New England (2019), “the first comprehensive look at slavery throughout New England in more than 50 years,” according to a press release from the Moffatt-Ladd House. The book explores the lives of enslaved people in New England, how New England became wealthy from the slave trade and the connection between slavery in New England and the Carribean. Registration is required. Email [email protected] to receive the link to the Zoom event.

Blast from the past

Robinson decries white supremacy, pays homage to the ’80s in Exo-Hunter

Science fiction, sociopolitical satire and 1980s nostalgia are the basis for Seacoast author Jeremy Robinson’s newest novel Exo-Hunter,released last month.

Exo-Hunter follows a Black Marine known as Dark Horse in 1989 who, after a mission gone wrong, is launched with his team a millennium into the future. In the year 2989, humans have abandoned Earth and expanded colonization throughout the galaxy under the rule of a white supremacist government called The Union. Separated from his team and now the only Black man in The Union, Dark Horse takes control of a space vessel and sets out to find his teammates, disguised as an Exo-Hunter, a space explorer seeking new planets for the Union to colonize.

Robinson said he had been contemplating a “sarcastic, fun, ’80s sci-fi” while also reflecting on the racial tensions felt throughout the country over the last few years.

“I thought I’d kind of just mash all of that together,” he said. “White supremacy … is a serious topic, but I wanted to address it with a sense of humor, similar to how the movie Jojo Rabbit did with Nazi Germany — funny but also moving and revealing.”

The humor in Exo-Hunter comes mostly in the form of sarcasm, Robinson said, with some sci-fi- and ’80s-related jokes thrown in.

“I think sarcasm can be helpful for us now as we look back at 2020 and all the bad stuff,” he said. “It’s a good way to deal with it all.”

The book also provides a comic look at the absurdity of a society without diversity.

“I wanted to kind of poke fun at how weird and strange it would be and how dull life would be,” Robinson said. “I guess the main moral of the story is, a world with diversity is just a better world.”

Readers who lived through the ’80s will get a healthy dose of nostalgia with references to ’80s pop culture, particularly sci-fi movies and new wave music. Additionally, Robinson created a playlist of the referenced songs as a musical companion to the book (available on his website) with hits like “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics and “Heroes” by David Bowie.

“A lot of the story hinges on these songs because they’re applicable to what is happening and are just perfect for the situation,” Robinson said, adding that pausing to listen to the songs as they are mentioned in the book can create a more immersive experience for the reader.

A New York Times and No. 1 Audible bestselling author, Robinson has written and published more than 70 books in a number of genres, including science fiction, action adventure, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, thriller and horror, as well as several comic books. Prior to writing novels he did primarily screenwriting, and he continues to write with the ultimate goal of getting his stories made into movies and TV series, he said. A couple of his books are currently in the process of being adapted for the screen, and a TV series based on one of his books has been in development for the last five years. (He is not yet at liberty to say which books, he said.) As for Exo-Hunter, Robinson said, he is “absolutely” envisioning it as an action-packed movie for the big screen.

“It was written with that intention, as most of my novels are,” he said. “[The production] would be really big and cost a lot of money, so [the book] will have to sell really well first for Hollywood to take the risk, but we’ll see.”

Exo-Hunter by Jeremy Robinson
Exo-Hunter is available now on Amazon and Kindle and locally at Jetpack Comics in Rochester. The audiobook is set for release on Audible and iTunes in February. To learn more about the book, visit bewareofmonsters.com/exo-hunter-dark-horse-rising, and check out the companion playlist at bewareofmonsters.com/playlist.

Art

Call for Art
• 35TH ANNUAL OMER T. LASSONDE JURIED EXHIBITION The New Hampshire Art Association seeks submissions of artwork from NHAA members and non-members. The theme is “Beyond the Boundaries.” Submit up to three pieces. Open to all artistic media. Deadline is Fri., Feb. 5, by 5 p.m. Submission form available online. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.

Exhibits
• “THE COLORS OF GREY” Theme art show presented by the Seacoast Artist Association. On display now through Jan. 30. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.
• “A NEW DAY” Exhibit features work by 35 new members of The New Hampshire Art Association. Viewable online, in the front windows at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and at the gallery in person by appointment. On display now through Jan. 31. A virtual opening reception will be held on Thurs., Jan. 7, at 6 p.m., on Zoom. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.
• “BRAVE NEW WORLD: RESILIENCE IN THE TIME OF COVID” Outdoor public art display features paintings by 80 students from the Nashua School District that convey a message of hope and resilience amid the challenges of Covid-19. Amherst Elementary School (71 Amherst St., Nashua). On display now through Feb. 14. An opening reception at the exhibit location to celebrate the student and teacher artists will be held on Friday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. Visit sites.google.com/nsd42.net/bravenewworld/home.
• “THE VIEW THROUGH MY EYES” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by pastel artist Chris Reid. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through March 18. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Tours
• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Theater

Shows
• WHERE DO I BEGIN? New Hampshire Theatre Project’s SoloStage program presents. Fri., Jan. 22, and Sat., Jan. 23, 8 p.m., and Sun., Jan. 24, 2 p.m. Performances held virtually and in-person at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth. In-person show tickets cost $30, and virtual show tickets cost $20. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org

New in town

Jessica Martin joins Intown Concord

Jessica Martin is the new executive director of Intown Concord, a nonprofit organization that promotes and celebrates small businesses, arts and culture and community events in downtown Concord. She talked about why she took the position, the challenges that come with it during a pandemic and what Intown is planning for 2021.

What is your background in this type of work?

I have a background in real estate. I was the executive director at the Greater Manchester/Nashua Board of Realtors for almost six years. I did all of their events — they had quite a few — and I really loved the event [planning] portion of that position. I ended up starting an event planning business on my own but kind of missed the normal 9-to-5, so I took a position at the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce as their events and marketing director for a year. … I’ve also been working on my master’s degree at UNH in community development and policy practice.

What interested you in the position at Intown Concord?

This is the most perfect job I could have ever imagined. I was looking for a position where I could use my event [planning] skills but also my background experience from the Board of Realtors. … [As] a community organization that’s advocating [for] and promoting small businesses and the community, [Intown Concord] fits within that. It’s a marriage of events and marketing as well as the nonprofit management piece that I had done before and liked, so it checked all of the boxes for me.

What does your job as director entail?

Day-to-day is always different. I’m overseeing all of the events we’re working on [including] Market Days … and Midnight Merriment. We have one other staff person, Haylie Stoddard, who is our event coordinator and does a lot of our social media, and I manage the finances and anything that comes up with the businesses. I’m kind of the liaison between the businesses and our board of directors, working with them to make sure that we’re fulfilling our mission. A lot of my job is also just getting our mission out there and making sure people understand it and how valuable it is.

What are some of the biggest challenges coming into this new position right now?

The finances, managing staff, marketing, events — that’s all stuff I’ve done before, but [with Covid], this [job] is completely different. … I wasn’t [involved] when Intown Concord applied for [and] received PPE and a grant, and there’s going to be a rollout of another stimulus package soon, so [the challenge is] wrapping my head around that process and making sure I understand all of that. And not only do I need to learn it for myself, but then I also need to share that information as quickly and accurately as possible with the businesses that could benefit from it.

How are you handling those challenges?

A lot of education, and making sure I’m getting information from accurate sources. I’m attending a lot of webinars. I have one next week called “The New Hampshire Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund Webinar.” The Small Business Administration also has a wealth of knowledge about basically anything that you need assistance with related to Covid.

What is Intown planning for this year?

I’m optimistic that we’ll be doing all of our events [in 2021]. They might look a little different. They might feel a little different. In what way? I’m not sure yet. … We have to keep social distancing in mind. … We’re doing our winter festival at the end of January, since people can be outside for the majority of it and will be spread out. … We also have to be strategic with the timing of [the events with] the vaccine and the weather. Usually our biggest event [Market Days] is in June, but does it make sense to keep it in June, or should we be talking about possibly moving it to August to allow for a little additional time for people to get vaccinated and feel comfortable with being in large groups again? We have to be really thoughtful about everything, more than in previous years … and we have to be really clear about social distancing and masks and stuff whenever we’re promoting an event so that people know we aren’t just being reckless.

What are you most excited about?

I’m so excited about Concord in general. … As I go to these places downtown, I’m just blown away by how much Concord has to offer — great restaurants, art, culture, hotels, so much stuff going on. It feels almost like a little hidden secret, and I just want to scream it from the rooftops. It’s really easy to promote a city that has so many exciting things to promote.

The Art Roundup 20/12/31

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

• A gift from the harp: Salem resident Dr. Diana Kolben has donated her harp to the Manchester Community Music School. Kolben, who studied music at Oberlin College and worked as a music educator throughout her life, has owned the harp for more than 50 years. No longer able to play it, she reached out to the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra about finding the instrument a new home, and The Phil coordinated the donation to MCMS. “We are so happy to continue working with MCMS and its own mission to change lives through the power of learning, sharing and making music,” The Phil music director Mark Latham said in a press release. “We hope and anticipate that one day a student from MCMS, having studied on Diana’s harp, will perform … with The Phil.” The 1938 Lyon and Healy Model 23 concert grand harp was refurbished in 1983 and was freshly restrung before it was given to the school.

• Live performances on hold: The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord announced in a newsletter that it has extended its suspension of in-person performances, originally set to end Jan. 15, through March 1, at which point it will resume a limited schedule of in-person performances. All in-person performances and events that were scheduled between Jan. 15 and Feb. 28 have been canceled or will be rescheduled. “Although we are encouraged by the new vaccines being distributed, the risk of indoor performances at this time remains higher than we would like,” the newsletter said, adding that a schedule for a new virtual series of performances including concerts, comedy, theater and dance will be announced in mid to late January. Call 225-1111 or visit ccanh.com.

• NHAA new member exhibit: The New Hampshire Art Association will highlight 35 of its new members in an exhibit titled “A New Day,” viewable online, in the front windows at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and at the gallery in person by appointment from Jan. 6 through Jan. 31. “We are thrilled to welcome so many talented artists into NHAA and are happy to provide them opportunities to show and sell their work,” NHAA board president Renee Giffroy said in a press release. “The fresh perspectives they bring help everyone in our community continue to grow.” Among the featured artists are Carla Zwahlen, a landscape painter from Mont Vernon; John Kessler of Windham, an oil painter of landscapes and still life; and Howard Muscott, a nature photographer from Amherst. A virtual opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. NHAA’s next jurying opportunity for new members is scheduled for March. “We look forward to having more local artists join us next year,” Giffroy said. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.

• Still time to see The Nutcracker: Catch a live performance of The Nutcracker by Safe Haven Ballet at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth), with showtimes on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 2 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 3, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Safe Haven Ballet is a nonprofit that provides trauma-sensitive ballet, art and movement opportunities for survivors of sexual assault and trauma. Seating will be socially distanced. Tickets cost $50 for adults and $45 for seniors and children. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

If you’d rather enjoy The Nutcracker from home, the Northeastern Ballet Theatre of Wolfeboro is streaming a video of its 2019 performance of The Nutcracker now through Sunday, Jan. 3. Virtual tickets cost $8. Visit northeasternballet.org or call 834-8834.

• Virtual author events: New Hampshire author KJ Dell’Antonia will present her new novel, The Chicken Sisters, which was chosen as the December book of the month for Reese Witherspoon’s Reese’s Book Club. Dell’Antonia’s friend and the producer for NHPR’s The Exchange Jessica Hunt will join the conversation. Then, on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m., K Woodman-Maynard, formerly of Concord, will provide a look at her graphic novel adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Concord novelist Virginia Macgregor will join Woodman-Maynard in the discussion. The events will be held on Zoom, and registration is required. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562.

Featured photo: Harp donated to the Manchester Community Music School. Photo courtesy of Toni DeGennaro and the NH Philharmonic Orchestra.

Art adapts

2020 became a year of unexpected innovation for arts organizations

In 2020, we saw art galleries and performance venues closed, shows and festivals canceled and classes and programs suspended. But in the face of the many challenges brought about by Covid-19, the New Hampshire arts community did what it does best: It got creative.

“Many New Hampshire arts organizations and artists are finding creative ways to engage the public during the pandemic, reimagining events and activities in both physical and virtual spaces,” said Ginnie Lupi, director of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Performance venues erected new outdoor stages and spaces to welcome socially distanced audiences; theater companies, musicians and authors accommodated audiences at home through livestreamed and recorded shows and discussions, and educators in the arts carried on with classes and lessons remotely.

Now, as a Covid vaccine brings hope that a return to normalcy is on the horizon, artists and arts organizations are reasoning that the solutions they improvised to get through the pandemic may still have merit in a post-pandemic world.

“We expect many of these changes to become permanent,” Lupi said. “Many organizations are finding that online performances and activities are reaching more diverse and distant audiences.”

Living room theater

The Majestic Theatre in Manchester is one of many local theater companies that installed new video equipment to offer virtual performances.

“The virtual component has been a valuable tool to share our performances with those who are homebound,” artist director and CEO Rob Dionne said. “Now, a virtual component will be a part of most of our shows moving forward.”

Genevieve Aichele, executive director of New Hampshire Theatre Project in Portsmouth, said that purchasing new video, audio and computer equipment and hiring a part-time associate producer for media was an advantageous use of the CARES relief funds it received.

“The board and staff of NHTP views this as an investment for the future,” she said. “NHTP will be continuing to offer programs online for the foreseeable future.”

Though New Hampshire Theatre Project is presenting in-person performances again, it and many other theater companies that are able to do so are now using both formats, giving audiences the flexibility to experience theater in a way that meets their needs and comfort level. Aichele said the virtual option remains the most popular, noting that New Hampshire Theatre Project’s November production of The Adventures of Sleepyhead brought in 36 tickets for the in-person show and 245 tickets for the virtual one.

Matt Cahoon, artistic director of Theatre Kapow in Manchester, said the company’s “significant [investment in] time, energy and money” to offer virtual performances will “define this company for the next decade.”

“I would hate to see us just leave that behind,” he said. “I imagine that some of the technology will come back with us, and that we will find ways to meld together the live and virtual experiences.”

Unexpectedly, Cahoon said, the virtual format has given Theater Kapow the opportunity to enhance the theater experience for audiences by incorporating storytelling elements that aren’t feasible on a live stage. For example, the use of cameras allows him to draw the audience’s attention to small details that they might miss in person.

“The audience’s perspective of the actors was closer than ever,” he said. “It seems impossible to me to go back to a time where we say to audiences, ‘OK, you sit over there in the dark and we will be up here with the lights on us.’”

Art on screen

The visual arts have also found a new place in the virtual realm, with many arts organizations and art galleries shifting to an online format.

Lauren Boss, co-president of the Nashua Area Artists’ Association, said the Association moved its operations online when the months-long closure of its brick-and-mortar art gallery, ArtHub, limited members’ opportunities to sell their art.

“The pandemic forced us to figure out how to make e-commerce work for us,” she said. “This is something that will definitely remain after the masks are gone.”

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen made a successful transition online after Covid made it impossible for the League to host its annual Craftsmen’s Fair in-person. The nine-day arts and crafts fair held in August at Mount Sunapee Resort typically draws 20,000 paying attendees, provides 80 percent of the League’s yearly operating income and is the largest opportunity for more than 300 local and regional artisans to sell their work; canceling the event altogether, League executive director Miriam Carter said, was simply not an option.

The League held the fair virtually on its website by providing links to the artisans’ online shops as well as a virtual exhibition tour and exclusive video content including craft demonstrations, musical performances and guided try-at-home craft projects for all ages.

While the virtual fair was a success in that artisans were still able to sell their work, it also had some silver linings that extended far beyond the fair itself, Carter said.

“[It] inspired 80 of our craftsmen to create websites or online sales capability for the first time,” she said. “This is a significant and welcome culture shift in a membership that is generally slow to adopt technological innovation … [and gives] craftsmen online tools they need to sustain their business through the Covid era and beyond.”

Carter said the League plans to make virtual elements a permanent feature of the Craftsmen’s Fair moving forward.

Learning from home

During the pandemic, many local arts organizations started offering classes, lessons and educational programs remotely, with students and educators meeting over video conferencing apps like Zoom, and some plan to continue offering remote education as an option indefinitely.

New Hampshire Writers’ Project hosted its annual 603: Writers’ Conference, normally held in Manchester in the spring, remotely in October. The reimagined 603: Writers’ “Sit and Click” Virtual Conference featured most of the same activities as the in-person conference, including panels, classes and a keynote speaker, accessible live on Zoom and through recordings that were available to participants for 90 days following the conference.

“We also have become more creative with our programming,” New Hampshire Writers’ Project board chair Masheri Chappelle said.

Many of New Hampshire Writers’ Project’s regular programs are now offered virtually, which has increased membership and participation, including writers from as far as Utah and Australia.

Peggy Senter, president of Concord Community Music School, said there has always been a number of students who travel from out of state to participate in the school’s programs as well as students who discontinue their education after moving farther from the school. Remote classes and lessons have eliminated that barrier, she said, and have proven to be “a wonderful opportunity for people who live far away and otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate.”

“Going forward, we will most likely offer remote learning to those who would be unable to participate due to distance, illness or adverse weather,” she said.

Additionally, virtual student recitals have given students a chance to share their musical abilities with people who would not be able to attend the recital in person.

CCMS has produced 11 student recitals on YouTube since March, Senter said, the most recent of which featured 40 students.

“Going forward, we will look forward to in-person recitals again, but also having a recorded version is allowing friends and family to access these performances from around the country and the world,” she said.

Supporting the arts

Lupi said that while the creativity exhibited by the New Hampshire arts community to keep the arts alive has been “encouraging” and “speaks to the value of the arts,” local arts organizations aren’t out of the woods yet.

“The pandemic will definitely have an ongoing, long-term impact on New Hampshire’s arts sector,” she said. “Some organizations and businesses may not survive, and those that do will have a long financial and programmatic recovery. … More aid to the sector will definitely be necessary for 2021 and beyond.”

Featured photo: Peter Josephson in Theater Kapow’s virtual production of A Tempest Prayer in November 2020. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.

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