Author: The Hippo Press

The Art Roundup 24/12/26

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

• Still time for Carol: Head to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) to catch the last few shows of A Christmas Carol, which will still be running there through Sunday, Dec. 29, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.Tickets cost $39 to $45.

• Cook and Kettner exhibit: “Caterpillar,” featuring works by Emma cc Cook and Em Kettner, will be on display at Outer Space (35 Pleasant St., Concord) through Saturday, Jan. 18. Emma cc Cook graduated with a BFA in painting from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and studied at the Angel Academy in Florence, Italy, according to the event page. Cook often combines dark paintings on canvas with abrupt insertions of walnut sticks, textural variations and intriguing thematic ventures that are inspired by rural American West landscapes and the broad discourses surrounding identity, history, environment and erasure, according to the website. Outer Space will donate 5 percent of its profits from any sales of her work to a nonprofit of the artist’s choosing, according to the same website. Visit outerspacearts.xyz. The gallery is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its Facebook page.

• Are you choral curious? Join the Granite State Choral Society for their 50th anniversary season as they are recruiting new members throughout January for the spring concert season. No audition is required and all are welcome to join who have an interest in singing and learning, according to a press release. The current members have a range of ages and are based in New Hampshire and Maine, according to the release. On Sundays, Jan. 12, and Jan. 19, prospective members may stop by to meet members, ask questions, and express interest in joining, and new members are welcome to attend rehearsals starting at the beginning of each season on Sundays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at First Church Congregational (63 S. Main St., Rochester). Visit gschoralsociety.org.

A year of exhibits and performances

Local arts experts talk about 2024 and what’s getting them excited for 2025

Compiled by Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

I asked members of the local arts community what they were most proud of in 2024 and what they were looking forward to in 2025.

• Fallon Rae, co-founder and owner of Pillar Gallery + Projects,205 N. State St., Concord; pillargalleryprojects.com, 657-8111: “We are so proud of our last juried open call exhibition, “NANO’”… where we included over 60 artists and over 100 works of art in our 200-square-foot space…. We worked on showcasing our maximalist curatorial approach with concurrent themes that reflect, express and relate to the larger conversations in artists’ worlds and how they mirror one another….”

“The next exhibition we are excited about is “Currents” (Feb. 9-April 2, with a reception on Feb. 23). This show focuses on contemporary interpretations of the ocean, waterways, and reflections on the changes we are facing as a collective. … Some of the artists include Mary Mead, Jackie Brown and Hannah Perinne Mode, amongst others, with 5 percent of sales going to Blue Ocean Society…”

• Dan Pelletier, Artistic Director, Cue Zero Theatre Company, cztheatre.com:“Personally, most proud work this year had to be our June production William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged). We were blessed with three incredibly talented performers taking on over 12 characters each, a wonderful costumer, a fanatic stage crew, and we created something truly special. We had a rehearsal environment of everyone wanting to give better than their best, and audiences left dying of laughter.”

“Assuming my upcoming wedding doesn’t count as a production, then I’ll have to say my 2025 production which I am most excited for is People Like To Be Scared: an Exploration of Fear. This piece is scheduled Oct. 3 through Oct. 5 and will be our third main stage devised piece. The actors will come into the beginning of the rehearsal process with no script, only a concept of wanting to explore fear from many different angles …”

• Zackery Betty, Artistic Director, NSquared Dance, nsquareddance.org: “NSquared Dance’s The Lavender Scare, June 27 at The Rex Theatre. This was a pinnacle moment to share the story of The Lavender Scare, a mass firing of federal government workers due to their sexual orientation as a threat to America in the 1950s. …We paired with New Hampshire Dance Collaborative and Manchester True Collaborative for this performance.”

“[For 2025,] NSquared Dance’s return to The Rex Theatre on May 4, 2025!”

• Elizabeth “Betsy” Craumer, Creative Ventures Gallery,411 Nashua St., Milford, creativeventuresfineart.com, 672-2500: “The performance I’m most proud of is our ability to get the students into the right class to start or continue their art journey. This includes networking with others in the art field to help with their next step. I’m also proud to help students progress in their artwork.”

“For 2025, I guess my goal is to get a little more involved with town activities …”

• Jen Sakash, Member of the Granite State Choral Society (20 Allen Street, #1431Rochester; gschoralsociety.org): “We are currently celebrating our 50th anniversary of the choir. This December we had our first concert as part of that year-long celebration: “Winter’s Embrace: Celebrating 50 Years of Peace and Joy.” …

“ In the spring (May 2025) we will complete our anniversary year by performing more popular pieces from over the years, such as Broadway show tunes and patriotic pieces.”

• Matt Cahoon, Artistic Director, theatre KAPOW,66 Hanover St., Suite 101, Manchester, tkapow.com: “While 2024 has been a very productive one for theatre KAPOW, I think the show we are most proud of is our September production of Aaron Posner’s play Life Sucks. …Our cast was full of longtime collaborators and that made every rehearsal feel extra friendly and comfortable.”

“I am really excited for Every Brilliant Thing. I love that play and all of Duncan Macmillan’s plays! It’s a one-person show that we will be presenting in February at the BNH Stage and the Winnipesaukee Playhouse. I think it is exciting for theatre KAPOW fans because it is probably the most audience-interactive piece we have ever produced and we are doing it with two of theatre KAPOW’s most stalwart performers, Carey Cahoon and Peter Josephson. …”

• Meme Exum, owner, Glimpse Gallery,Patriot Building, 4 Park St., Concord, theglimpsegallery.com, 892-8307: “Each exhibit is special in its own way so that’s a super hard question to answer. Tied six ways for favorite, of the six shows we had in 2024.

“I’m looking forward to the Feb. 9-March 9 show.”

• Irene Cohen, President, New Hampshire Theatre Alliance,nhtheatrealliance.org: “We had our first Awards show after the pandemic with over 800 people in attendance!”

“We are gearing up for our 20th Anniversary award show for Saturday, Feb. 1!”

• Jason Hackler, manager and co-owner, New Hampshire Antique Co-op,323 Elm St., Milford, nhantiquecoop.com, 673-8499:“So my favorite exhibit of 2024 is this one [‘Light & Brush: Luminous and Tonal Paintings from the 19th Century ​to Present’].”

“In 2025 we are going to be working on an exhibit called ‘Selections 25,’ which will be 25 works that will showcase the curated collection of 25 paintings and sculptures spanning the 19th through 21st century. We believe it’s going to probably launch in June.”

• Amy Fortier, Director, Ballet Misha, 84 Myrtle St., Manchester, balletmisha.com, 668-4196: “Ballet Misha really enjoyed our collaboration with theatre KAPOW last July for an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Dana Center’s Shakespeare on the Green Series at Saint Anselm College. It is always fun to perform outside, and the performances coincided with a stretch of really lovely summer weather. The experience gave my dancers some unique challenges as some of them had lines, and typically dance is an artform that expresses itself without spoken words. Theatre KAPOW was really great to work with and I loved watching the dancers and actors get increasingly comfortable with each other…”

‘In 2025, Ballet Misha will start its 17th year of bringing professional dance in New Hampshire. We are bringing back our March concert after a one-year hiatus, so I am excited about that. It will be at the Audi in Concord on Saturday, March 29, and I love that theater. “

• Margherita Giacobbi, Executive Director, The Players’ Ring, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth, playersring.org, 436-8123: “I think the production I will pick as the one that has made us most proud is America America, written and directed by Joan Bigwood. It’s the story of a Colombian house cleaner, Modesta, who enters the life of the wealthy (but dysfunctional) Porter family in Palo Alto and creates an unexpected and all but straightforward friendship with the other female character, Jane Porter…. the playwright realized how critical it was that the play be written in two languages, English and Spanish (as Modesta speaks barely any English and a lot of the misunderstandings, humor and drama indeed come from this linguistic and cultural disconnect), … we embarked in the thrilling experiment of incorporating subtitles in the play, which ended up looking almost like operatic supertitles projected on the walls of the stark and fancy Porters’ house.”

“For 2025 … I am very excited about Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph, running Feb. 28 through March 16.”

• Elizabeth Pieroni, Volunteer Executive Director, Mosaic Art Collective, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester, mosaicartcollective.com, 512-6209: “My favorite show from 2024 is a tie between our ‘Full Circle Speed Of Light’ in September and our Halloween show ‘Spellbound.’ Both of these two shows exceeded my expectations on the quality work that came in and really knocked my socks off from a curatorial perspective. All of the work spoke to each other in such incredible ways.”

“I’m most looking forward to our next show in February, titled ‘Illusions.’ It’s going to be a different show for us in general because it will be art that deals with optical illusions or blacklight reactive glow. But also further out we have a really exciting show planned for the summer called ‘Pallets to Palates’ that I’ve been working on in the wings with John Fladd from the Hippo. It should be a tasty treat for the eyes and the tummy!”

• Amy Regan, owner and operator, See Saw Art, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester, seesaw.gallery:“In 2024, See Saw Art produced 13 exhibitions, worked with 140 artists and exhibited 668 pieces of art. I am really proud of ‘Heatwave,’ our February 2024 exhibition, which featured both regional and international artists and was a really beautifully installed and interactive exhibition. ‘Group Effort,’ our annual August community-focused open call, … Lastly, ‘Threads,’ our July exhibition focusing on textile artworks, was very well-received and very fun!”

“In 2025, I am excited to continue to produce monthly exhibitions that highlight local talent and bring incredible fine art to Manchester … January will feature selections from Brunswick, Maine-based artist Ian Trask’s ‘Strange Histories,’ which are vintage slide viewer artworks — simply stunning!”

Featured image: Ryan Swedenborg Winks Series from See Saw Art. Courtesy photo.

This Week 24/12/26

Monday, Dec. 30

Comedian Juston McKinney will close out the year with shows at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $39 through the Center’s website.

Saturday, Dec. 28

The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters will take to the court at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) today with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35 through ticketmaster.com.

Saturday, Dec. 28

To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947, tosharebrewing.com) will host One Last Drag Show for 2024 tonight at 7 p.m. This full-blown show will feature performances by Glamme Chowder, Luke Laroe, ChiChi Marvel, Obscura Freakshow, and Baddie Longlegs. This is a 21+ event, with a $10 cover.

Tuesday, Dec.31

There are three ways to celebrate the new year at Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com): (1) A special New Year’s Eve Scratch Ticket Bingo tonight at 6:30 p.m. Winners will receive a stack of $5 scratchies. With purchase guests will receive a complimentary movie pass, a $5 food voucher to be used toward one food item during the event, a reserved seat, a bingo card and a $5 scratch ticket (provided by Chunky’s) gets added to the pot. Tickets for the event are $13 each. Or (2) Celebrate with an evening of standup with comedians Steve Scarfo, Kyle Crawfod and Dan Crohn, with shows at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $35. Or (3) Celebrate with the 21+ spectacle of Life’s a Drag, hosted by Karisma and Larissa Montes at 10 p.m. This hilariously filthy event comes with a Champagne toast. This drag show features New England’s fiercest entertainers. Tickets are $30.

Wednesday, Jan. 1

First Day Hikes are a long-running tradition at New Hampshire’s State Parks. Seven parks will host hikes today. This year’s participating parks include Milan Hill State Park, Monadnock State Park, Northwood Meadows State Park, Odiorne Point State Park, Pisgah State Park, White Lake State Park and, new to the list, Pawtuckaway State Park. Participants will be greeted with warm beverages and snacks around a cozy fire, along with a limited supply of New Hampshire State Parks-themed giveaways, including a special 90th-anniversary calendar and stickers. Register at nhstateparks.org/things-to-do/first-day-hikes-2025.

Save the Date! Thursday, Jan. 9
Disney on Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) with shows Thursday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 12, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets start at $18 through ticketmaster.com. Visit disneyonice.com/mickeys-search-party.

Featured photo: Juston McKinney.

Quality of Life 24/12/26

The opposite of dry reading

The Concord Public Library (45 Green St., Concord, 225-8670, concordnh.gov/1983/Library) found itself very, very damp, after a ceiling leak during the night on Sunday, Dec.14. As reported in a Dec. 16 online article by the Concord Monitor, water had come down “through the ceiling in the children’s room and pooled down on the first floor.” On Monday, Dec. 15, the Library posted on its Facebook page, “We have sprung a leak! Please excuse the mess as we dry out. The Main Floor is open for public use with the exception of the adult fiction collection. The Children’s Room and Lower Lounge will be closed for the day. We will be happy to get materials for you from the children’s and adult fiction collections.” The Monitor quoted Library Director Todd Fabian. “A few hundred library items were affected by the leak,” he said, “but how many books are a loss won’t be known for a few days.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the Monitor’s story, the Library has had “a few sizable leaks of this kind” in recent years. Last year the room housing its computer servers was flooded, and the Concord Room, which houses the Library’s historical archives, was flooded before that.

An astronomical achievement

As reported in a Dec. 19 online article by WMUR, a team of students from Nashua has won a competition to have an experiment performed on the International Space Station. “Team Hydra” from the Academy for Science and Design wanted to look more closely at the effects of precipitation in microgravity. As explained by WMUR, “The experiment will analyze how calcium chloride and sodium carbonate interact in space, with potential applications for water filtration systems on Earth and in space exploration.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Tech company Space Tango will implement and monitor the students’ experiment in space sometime in the next year. The Academy’s team competed against 10 other teams from across the region.

The cost of dog ownership can be ruff

A recent study by online discount platform WeThrift has ranked U.S. states by how much the residents in each spend on their dogs. According to a Dec. 18 press release, “New Hampshire ranks as the eighth most [expensive] state for pet owners, with a total cost of $1,883.38, 12.36% above the average annual cost across all states.” According to the study, some factors that contribute to the state’s pet spending include the cost of pet food (“an annual cost of $761.60, 11.54% above the national average”), veterinary care (“$75.32, which is 8.55% above the average”) and vaccinations (“The state’s annual dog vaccine cost is $233.46, which is 4.88% above the average”).

QOL score: -1

Comments: The study found that Massachusetts has the highest dog spending in the U.S., at $2,275.97. The most affordable state dog-maintainance-wise is Kansas, with yearly spending of $1,403.40.

QOL score last week: 73

Net change: -1

QOL for the end of 2024: 72

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

Let us know at [email protected].

The state of business

Bright spots and challenges

Michael Skelton is the president & CEO of the Business Industry Association, New Hampshire’s statewide Chamber of Commerce. He spoke with the Hippo about business in the Granite State. Visit biaofnh.com for more information.

What has been the biggest challenge for businesses in New Hampshire in 2024?

The workforce shortage continues to be the biggest challenge, and the insufficient supply of housing at all levels is one of the most significant causes. Virtually all industries are affected, but we are particularly concerned about the impact on vital economic sectors experiencing strong job growth such as manufacturing, life sciences and high-tech.

What do you see as the biggest challenges in 2025?

BIA’s priority for 2025 is supporting legislation and policies to spur new housing development, increase affordability and help build our future workforce. Over 27 percent of our workforce is age 55 or older, highest among the states, and New Hampshire faces the retirement of an estimated 200,000 workers in coming years. It’s essential to allow more higher-density housing of all types, but particularly starter homes, while streamlining municipal and state approval processes for new housing developments. Recruiting and retaining the next generation of workers depends on significant action this legislative session as it will take years for housing spurred by new policies to be built.

What are the brightest spots of the economy?

The Granite State has incredible opportunities with the burgeoning biofabrication and life sciences sector and growing advanced manufacturing sector. A strong manufacturing sector is critical to economic success. Manufacturing’s impact ripples throughout the economy from local jobs to research and development that drives innovation and increases productivity. The life sciences and manufacturing sectors will create additional opportunities in our high-tech industry and educational system and growth will spread throughout our economy, creating thousands of high-paying careers.

What are specific advantages in New Hampshire?

U.S. News & World Report named New Hampshire as the second-best state to live in for 2024, citing our safety, fiscal stability and economy. New Hampshire continues to see economic growth and has one of the lowest state unemployment rates in the nation. We also benefit from New Hampshire’s business and political leaders who are dedicated to working together to solve the challenges and make our state an even better place to live and do business.

Which businesses are on the rise or do you expect to do well in the state in 2025?

As the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, BIA is proud to promote a strong manufacturing sector. More than 1,100 businesses employ over 42,000 people, 5.6 percent of the state’s total employment, and the sector is growing, adding over 1,000 jobs from 2017 to 2022. These are well-paying careers. Average annual earnings for an advanced manufacturing worker in New Hampshire are $111,728, far exceeding the $82,673 average for all industries.

Is there anything else about New Hampshire’s economy you would like to speak on?

The state must continue efforts to lower the cost of electricity. New Hampshire’s industrial electricity rates last fall were 84 percent higher than the U.S. average, and commercial rates were nearly 50 percent higher. These uncompetitive prices raise the cost of doing business and increase the risk of losing companies to less expensive regions. — Zachary Lewis

The SEE Science Center
Where: 200 Bedford St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last admission 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m with last admission at 4 p.m.
Tickets: $14 per person ages 3 and up
More info: see-sciencecenter.org or call 669-0400.

Featured image: Michael Skelton. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/12/26

Leadership Program

Stay Work Play is now accepting applications for its 2025 Rising Stars Leadership Program, a leadership development initiative tailored to young people across a myriad of industries from February through June, according to a press release.

The program consists of six in-person sessions that focuses on leadership skills, community engagement and fostering ambition for the Granite State. Tuition is $2,000 and discounts are available for Stay Work Play Board of Advisor members, according to the release. Applications are due Friday, Jan. 24. Visit stayworkplay.org/rising-stars-leadership-program for more information.

In a statement, Corinne Benfield, Executive Director of Stay Work Play NH said “the Rising Stars Leadership Program exemplifies our mission to elevate and empower the incredible young people that call the 603 home. By investing in this program, we are ensuring that New Hampshire has strong ambassadors who can help shape New Hampshire to be an attractive and vibrant place to live, work, and play.”

Here, fishy, fishy, fishy

According to a press release, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department stocks trout during the fall to bolster the winter ice fishery for winter anglers.

Fish and Game has listed on its website links for different bodies of water that are open year-round as well as rules for these water bodies with special regulations included in the New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest, which is also available from license agents, according to the same release.

The following lakes and ponds were stocked with trout during the fall of 2024 and are open to ice fishing: Akers Pond in Errol, Beaver Pond in Woodstock, Bow Lake in Strafford, Cedar Pond in Milan, Big Diamond Pond in Stewartstown (opens Wednesday, Jan. 1), Higher Ground Pond in Wentworth, Highland Lake in Andover, Hildreth Pond in Warren, Little Dan Hole Pond in Ossipee, Manning Lake in Gilmanton, Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster, Mascoma Lake in Enfield, Mirror Lake in Woodstock, Newfound Lake in Bristol, Ogontz Lake in Lyman, Pearl Lake in Lisbon, Perch Pond in Lisbon, Pleasant Lake in Deerfield, Streeter Pond in Sugar Hill, Sunapee Lake in Newbury, Tewksbury Pond in Grafton, Webster Lake in Franklin, White Lake in Tamworth, and Winnisquam Lake in Laconia. There are additional ones not listed here.

In a statement, Fish and Game’s Inland Fisheries Program Supervisor John Magee said that “the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s hatcheries stock post-spawn brook and brown trout into selected water bodies that do not have a closed season before winter. These fish can range from 2 to 3 pounds each. Numbers, dates, and stocking locations vary annually. I would encourage anglers of all skill levels to take advantage of this season’s stocked opportunities throughout New Hampshire when weather conditions are favorable and once the ice is safe.”

In another statement, he said that “The Granite State’s rivers and streams open to fishing on Jan. 1, and there are some quality fish to be caught in some of the tailwater fisheries such as the Newfound River. When water levels are drawn down on larger lakes for the fall, prize-sized fish often drop down below dams, creating opportunities for savvy winter anglers. This winter’s free fishing day is Jan. 18, so why not try your luck through the ice this year.”

To learn more about ice fishing in New Hampshire visitwildlife.nh.gov.

More access to education

According to a press release, New Hampshire’s public higher education systems have created more than 100 direct pathways designed to help students move smoothly from associate degree programs offered by New Hampshire’s community colleges to bachelor’s degree programs offered by the University System.

This collaboration between the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) and the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) makes it easier for students to continue their education, earn subsequent degrees more efficiently, and fill critical jobs in New Hampshire’s workforce faster and with less debt, according to the release.

Students currently enrolled in or planning to enter any of New Hampshire’s seven community colleges can now follow clear, structured pathways that lead directly to bachelor’s degrees at Keene State College, Plymouth State University, or the University of New Hampshire (UNH), which includes UNH Durham, Manchester and the College of Professional Studies Online, according to the release.

In a statement, USNH Chancellor Catherine Provencher said “these pathways give students the confidence to pursue their educational goals with assurance that we have taken steps to align programs to help manage time and cost. This collaboration makes it easier for New Hampshire residents to stay in the state, earn a degree, and strengthen our workforce.”

The CCSNH has trained advisors available at each community college and USNH sponsors a centralized Outreach and Enrollment Center that assists with applications, financial aid resources, and other support services available to students in both systems, according to the same release.

For more information visit nhtransfer.org.

There will be a Winter Ball at Phenix Hall: Home for the Holidays, Saturday, Dec. 28, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Phenix Hall (38 N. Main St., Concord). Tickets are $100 each. Visit eventbrite.com.

Shaskeen Pub (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenirishpub.com) will hold its annual New Year’s Eve Bash on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. There will be an open bar, a free buffet, a free Champagne toast, and music by DJMyth.Tickets are $60 through ticketleap.com

The Strand (20 Third St., Dover, 343- 1899, thestranddover.com) will feature a dance party on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m.

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