The Art Roundup 25/01/16

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

Look within: The Women’s Caucus for Art/New Hampshire and Kimball Jenkins present “The Invincible Within” Saturday, Jan. 18, through Thursday, Feb. 27, at Kimball Jenkins Carriage House and Mansion (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com). The exhibition will feature nearly 75 pieces including paintings, printmaking, photography, fiber art, sculpture and other media, according to a press release. The exhibition is on view on Wednesdays (Jan. 22, through Feb. 26, except for Feb. 5) from 2 to 6 p.m.; Thursdays (Jan. 30 through Feb. 27, except for Feb. 6) from 4 to 6 p.m.; Friday, Feb., 7, from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Jan. 18, Feb. 1 and Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and as part of the reception on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., the release said. The exhibition will also be on display during the Concord Garden Club’s “Art and Bloom” show on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 2 to 7 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MLK Celebration: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will hold its “Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day” on Monday, Jan. 20. The museum will be open, free admission, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The day will “celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., the vision of Black American artists, and the power of self-expression,” and is hosted in partnership with volunteers from the Racial Unity Team with the support of Citizens, according to the museum’s website. The day will feature an educator-designed art activity; tours of Black American artists in the museum’s collection; a presentation from Dr. Kenneth Nivison, history professor at Southern New Hampshire University, on “The Promissory Note: Selma, Voting Rights, and the Work of Equality,” and spoken-word poetry performed by Manchester West High School students, the website said.

Winter exhibit: Four new artists have their works on display at the Sandy Cleary Community Art Gallery in the lobby of the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com). The winter artists are Kathy Bouchard, Rebecca Fredrickson, Carolyn Maul and Denise Thompson-Coutu, according to a Facebook post from the Center.

Author visit: Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, author of 2015’s The Sunlit Night (which was made into a movie starring Jenny Slate) as well as 2020’s Hex and a 2012 collection of poems called Lofoten, will speak at the Monadnock Writers’ Group’s monthly speaker series on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 9:45 a.m. at Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St. in Peterborough, according to a press release. See more about the author at rebeccadinersteinknight.com. The event is free and open to the public; see monadnockwriters.org.

Movement: Truepenny Arts will hold a workshop on “Power and Presence Through Bone Awareness” on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The workshop will be facilitated by Truepenny’s Michael Cobb, according to an email notice that describes it this way: “Our bones provide a physical foundation to draw upon for acting, performance, presentation and life. Come explore and revitalize your relationship with your skeletal structure!” The workshop is designed for ages 16 and up and will be held at Diamond Rolfing & Movement Studio (210 N. State St. in Concord); the cost is a suggested $30. Email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Camera photography: “More Exploring Photography,” a six-week series led by local photographer Alan MacRae, will take place at The Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. East in Laconia; 524-8813, belknapmill.org). The series starts Thursday, Jan. 30, and runs Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The class “will be an adventure looking at different areas of photography, structured around the interests of the group members,” according to a press release. Bring a camera (not a cell phone camera) that allows you to adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings, the release said. Register at belknapmill.org/classes. The cost is $200, according to the website.

This Week 25/01/16

BIG EVENTS JANUARY 16 AND BEYOND

Thursday, Jan. 16

Coffee & Kindness (105 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 833-221-1822, coffeeandkindness.co) will host an open mic tonight from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Come to watch or come to perform. The mic is open for music, poetry and comedy. Full drink and food service is available; please arrive early to order before the show starts.

Friday, Jan. 17

Positive Street Art (48 Bridge St., Nashua, 589-9003, positivestreetart.org) will host a Vicus Vox (Latin for “Voice of the City”) open mic session this evening at 6 p.m., where participants can showcase their vocal talents with the community. Signups are on a first-come-first-served basis. All content must be friendly for all ages. The cost for spectators and participants is $5. Participants must fill out an application at tinyurl.com/4ckh3pzp.

Saturday, Jan. 18

Iconic jazz combo the Branford Marsalis Quartet will take the stage at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $49 and are available through the Nashua Center website.

Saturday, Jan. 18

The New Hampshire Wolves Hurling Club will hold its winter gala this evening from 7 to 11 p.m. at American Legion Hall 43 on Baboosic Lake Road in Merrimack. This first annual celebration brings together players, families and supporters to honor the achievements of the past hurling season and to kick off the new year with enthusiasm. Tickets begin at $30 and are available through the club’s website.

Sunday, Jan. 19

The Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) will present an afternoon of swing dancing, beginning with swing dancing lessons at 3:30 p.m., followed by dancing at 4 p.m. The 19-piece New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra, led by Clayton “Skip” Poole, a 45-year veteran of the idiom, and acclaimed vocalist Laura Poole will provide the backdrop for the event. Tickets are $30.75 and are available through the Capitol Center website.

Tuesday, Jan. 21

The Goffstown Public Library (2 High St., Goffstown, 497-2102, goffstownlibrary.com) will host a New Hampshire Humanities lecture on “A Taste of the Old Country in the New: Franco-Americans of Manchester” this evening at 6:30 p.m. Historian Robert Perreault will share stories about life in one of America’s major Franco-American centers. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Jan. 22

Comedian and New Hampshire native Sarah Silverman will take the stage at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 8 p.m.

Save the Date! Friday, Jan. 24

The Hotel Concord and Intown Concord will host the seventh annual Concord NH Winter Fest, Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25. There will be ice-carving demonstrations, an ice-carving competition, a Food Truck Festival and more. This is an outdoor event, so come dressed for the winter weather. This year there will only be food-related vendors and event sponsors. Visit members.intownconcord.org/events.

Featured photo: Branford Marsalis Quartet

Quality of Life 25/01/16

Opioid deaths down in Manchester and Nashua

As reported in a Jan. 7 online article by WMUR, deaths from opioid overdoses fell dramatically in New Hampshire’s two largest cities in 2024. “According to American Medical Response, there were 46 suspected opioid deaths in Manchester in 2024, 21% fewer than in 2023,” the story reported. “In Nashua, there were 20 suspected opioid deaths, marking a 49% drop. These are the lowest numbers since AMR (American Medical Response) began tracking them in 2015.” In a related Dec. 13 story, WMUR reported that one factor in the drop in overdose deaths might be the increasing availability of emergency medication. “Narcan, also known as naloxone, can reverse a deadly opioid overdose. Today, it can be found in public buildings and first aid kits,” that story read.

QOL score: +2

Comment: To see data from the New Hampshire Drug Monitoring Initiative, a project of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Resources, regarding New Hampshire’s drug use, visit dhhs.nh.gov.

Reading is up in Nashua

Nashua residents checked out significantly more books from the Nashua Public Library in 2024 than the previous year. In a Jan. 9 article, Nashua Ink Link reported a 12 percent increase in the Library’s circulation. “We read nearly 44,000 more books than last year,” Ink Link quoted Library Director Jennifer McCormic. According to the Library staff, the book that was checked out the most — The Ride of Her Life: A True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts — was read more than three times as often as the next most popular — 554 times, compared to 163 checkouts for The Women by Kristin Hannah.

QOL score: +1

Comment: For lists of the Library’s most popular books by category, visit a Dec. 29 post on the Library’s Facebook account at facebook.com/nashuapubliclibrary.

The long reach of long Covid

In a Jan. 9 blog post, the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute reported that according to a recent study, “long Covid” has had a substantial impact on New Hampshire’s work force. “Longstanding symptoms resulting from initial Covid-19 infections and Post-Acute Covid-19, more commonly known as ‘long-Covid,’ may have kept several thousand Granite Staters from returning to work,” the post read. “About 9,300 Granite Staters with current long-Covid symptoms may still experience impacts to their work, with approximately 5,300 workers reducing their hours and an estimated 4,000 leaving the workforce entirely.” The state’s relatively small population has exacerbated the effect of long-term Covid infection, Jessica Williams, a Policy Analyst with the Institute wrote. “With an average of only 20,000 residents unemployed and actively seeking work in 2024, long-Covid’s impact on labor force participation may pose a significant challenge to New Hampshire’s economic growth and prosperity.”

QOL score: -2

Comment: To read the report, visit nhfpi.org/blog.

QOL score: 51

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 52

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

Burns Night

Scottish Arts celebrates a night for the poet

Claire MacPherson is the president of Scottish Arts, an organization that has taught and preserved a myriad of Scottish musical traditions since 1984, including Highland dance, piping, drums and Scottish fiddle. Lezlie Webster, the founder of the organization, also provides weekly instruction to the New Hampshire Police Band. They host the Indoor Scottish Festival in April in Manchester as well as the Quechee Scottish Games and Festival in August in Vermont. On Saturday, Jan. 18, they will be celebrating the 18th-century Scottish poet Robert Burns with Burns Night at Castleton in Windham. MacPherson spoke to the Hippo about the event. Visit scottisharts.org or call 227-0207 for more information.

What exactly is Burns Night?

It’s really a celebration of Scotland’s most beloved poet, Robert Burns. It happens around his birthday, which was the 25th of January, 1759. People gather together and celebrate his life and works. The night typically follows quite a set pattern, so it starts off with a welcome to dinner and then the haggis is piped out. We have something called the Selkirk Grace, which is a little poem that’s typically recited and then someone will do the “Address to [a] Haggis,” which was one of his famous poems. … then the speeches begin.

One of the first speeches will be ‘The Immortal Memory,’ which is kind of the main speech of the night and typically follows a pattern of talking about Robert Burns and highlighting some of his works. The person giving the speech can take it wherever they want to go, but it would typically involve a deeper dive into some of his poems or some aspects of him, because he covered so many different topics for his works…. Interspersed throughout the evening are some poetry readings. The night will usually end with a rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ which was his, what you could look at as a world anthem, really, because everyone sings it to bring in the new year. We typically have a lot of music in there as well, because he wasn’t just a poet.

It began as a Burns supper in a place in Edinburgh, and his friends would gather and just remember him and recite his poems because he is our national poet and our most beloved son. It just blossoms into this huge event.

Besides being a poet, who was Robert Burns?

He was a humanitarian. He was very proud of being Scottish. He’s probably best known because he chose to write in the Scots dialect. He was really keeping that language alive and infusing pride in it. … He did a tour of Scotland and he would pick up songs, maybe even just fragments of a song that had been long forgotten, and he would go home and work on it and get a tune going. … That way he was keeping our music alive, the words and the tunes, the old tunes. His songs are just as important as his poetry. He was an amazing lyricist as he was a poet. So … because we’re a school of music, we’ll have a lot of music infused throughout the night.

Who will be performing music on Burns Night?

We’re very lucky to have Kirsten Z. Cairns, who’s coming to sing. She has the most beautiful voice. She will be singing some of her favourite Burns songs. Then we have Celtic Beats, who will be doing our traditional Scottish music. That’s pipes and fiddle, drums. Then we always have a little bit of a treat where we have our pipe band join us. That’s our sister organisation, the New Hampshire Pipes and Drums. We end our night on a Ceilidh, which typically means a dance. It has an older meaning to do with coming together and telling stories and some dancing and singing at somebody’s house, but typically now the meaning is to get together at the end of the night to do set dances. So Lezlie, our founder, walks people through the steps and everyone gets involved. In fact, it’s more fun if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s a great community feel to it.

What is Scottish Arts and what do you all teach there?

Predominantly, we are a school of Scottish music and dance. We have about 50 students at the moment doing bagpipes with Lezlie Webster, who’s our founder and bagpiping teacher. She’s also a judge. She’s as highly qualified as possible to be, so our students are really getting an amazing pipe instruction from her. We have about seven Highland dancers at the moment. Then we have drumming, which we do through our sister organization.The lessons are done through the New Hampshire Pipes and Drums, which is separate but connected to us. A lot of our pipers end up going into that pipe band. Drumming is done through that [too] and that’s snare, tenor and bass drumming. We also have fiddle lessons as well. That’s like violin, but it’s a Scottish fiddle.

Do you all have any other events coming up?

We run some events throughout the year. So the first event that we have coming up is the Indoor Festival, which will be at Manchester Memorial High School and that will be on April 12. … There will be the usual solo piping, pipe band competition and then dancing and drumming. There will also be some workshops we are going to put on for our students too, just to help enhance their instruction. We have some amazing judges coming to that, Bruce Gandy and Bob Worrall, who is a legend in the world of piping in Glasgow. He’s hosted that for a long time, and then we also have a little judges’ event performance at the end. That’s really a treat to see some world-class professionals playing the pipe at the end of the event.

Burns Night
Where: Castleton, 58 Enterprise Drive,
Windham
When: Saturday, Jan. 18. Cocktail hour
5 to 6 p.m. Call to dinner 6:05 p.m. Ceilidh
8 p.m.

Zachary Lewis

Featured image: Previous Burns Night.

News & Notes 25/01/16

Radon Action Month

According to a press release from the American Lung Association, about 35 percent of radon test results in New Hampshire equal or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level, as reported in the Association’s “State of Lung Center” report, which you can see at lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer. As part of January and National Radon Action Month, “the Lung Association in New Hampshire strongly urges all residents to test their home for radon and take immediate steps to mitigate the threat if high levels are found,” the release said. “Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground…. [Radon] is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.” Get a free radon test kit at freeradontestkit.com/ala. See lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/radon for more on radon.

Museums, assemble

The Currier Museum of Art, SEE Science Center, the Manchester Historic Association, which operates the Millyard Museum, and the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire are launching a “Manchester Museums” collaboration that will seek to promote the museums, according to a press release. A new website, manchestermuseumsnh.org, will offer links to the four museums’ websites as well as a suggested two-day trip itinerary. The partnership will hold a launch on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St., the release said.

“Cultural institutions are the heartbeat of a city’s economy, weaving creativity and heritage into the fabric of daily life, driving tourism, innovation, and community growth,” said Heather McGrail, president and CEO of Greater Manchester Chamber, in the press release.

The four institutions are launching the campaign in advance of the November 2025 convention of the New England Museum Association, which will be held in Manchester, the release said.

Franco-American guv

Kelly Ayotte, who officially became New Hampshire’s governor on Jan. 9, is the first Franco-American elected to the office, according to a note in the Franco-American Centre’s newsletter from the Centre’s executive director John Tousignant. She is also the first Republican woman to hold the office, the note said. Large numbers of French Canadians moved to New Hampshire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the note said.

Cash to charge

New Hampshire received $15 million in federal grants for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, according to a press release from the state’s Department of Transportation, which applied with collaboration from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and others. The funds will be used for the “Next Level NH” program, which will increase EV charging hubs throughout the state, the release said. See dot.nh.gov/projects-plans-and-programs/ev-charging-infrastructure for more on the projects.

Go, Twitchers

The Twitchers, a New Hampshire Audubon team that participates in the Mass Audubon’s annual Superbowl of Birding, will once again seek to find the most bird species during a 12-hour period on Saturday, Jan. 25, according to a press release. The Twitchers, led by captain Becky Suomala, are looking to raise $4,000 for the NH Audubon Conservation Department, the release said. See nhaudubon.org/make-a-donation-to-twitchers for more on the Twitchers. For more on the event, which covers the Massachusetts North Shore as well as towns in Rockingham County, see massaudubon.org and look for “Superbowl of Birding” in Programs & Events.

From church to home

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance has a new handbook available to “assist congregations that are considering leaving or repurposing historic properties and want to explore their building’s re-use for housing,” according to an Alliance email. The handbook, Transitioning Religious Properties to Meet Housing Needs, is available for download for free at nhpreservation.org or for purchase as a hard copy for $22.

The preservation trades

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is also offering “career exploration opportunities for participants ages 16 to 19 who are interested in the old building trades,” according to an Alliance email. During February (Feb. 24-Feb. 28) and April (April 28-May 2) vacations, teens (who do not need experience) will get exposure to “a range of historic preservation activities which may include traditional construction techniques, repair of damaged building elements, wood window restoration and the history of the buildings being worked on,” according to the website. Professionals — many of whom are members of the Timber Framers Guild, the Window Preservation Alliance or other trade organizations — will provide the mentoring, the website said. The program will be offered in two regions — Central New Hampshire (Canterbury, Andover, Warner, etc.) and the Seacoast (Portsmouth and the vicinity), the email said. Apply at nhpreservation.org/internship-program by Jan. 24 for the February week and March 14 for the April week, the website said.

The New England Petite Pageant will be held Sunday, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). The pageant is open to women of all ages who are 5 foot 6 inches and under. See newenglandpetite.com.

Queen City Rotary Club will hold its annual Comedy Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. The event will feature a buffet dinner, comedy show, raffle, silent auction and cash bar, according to a club press release. Tickets cost $50 per person and can be purchased on eventbrite.com, search “2025 Comedy Bowl,” the release said. The comedian line-up includes Harrison Stebbins, Rob Steen and Tim McKeever, the release said. See queencityrotary.org.

St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester will hold an Apokriatiko Celebration (a Greek Mardi Gras) on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the church hall featuring music from The Salonica Boys with Greek and American dancing, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The cost is a $25 donation per person (children 12 and under get in free). Call 622-9113 for information.

Nashua Fire Rescue will hold an “Adult Field Trip” with the Nashua Fire Marshal on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. Meet at the fire station at 70 E. Hollis St. in Nashua on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. to learn more about the Nashua Fire Marshal’s office, tour the station and get fire safety tips, according to a newsletter from Great American Downtown Nashua.

Discover New Flavors — 01/09/2025

On the cover

10 Get ready for NH Wine Week! The celebration of wines from around the world returns to January in New Hampshire with the New England Winter Wine Spectacular capping the event. Get all the details about the Jan. 23 event and the fun leading up to it in this week’s cover story.

Also on the cover, Art Escape lets you get messy and make art (page 14). Will precision flour lead to better baking (page 22)? Women of Soul at Pembroke City Limits presents Audrey Drake, Katie Dobbins and Sophie Markey on Saturday, Jan. 11 (page 26).

Read the e-edition

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