Category: Art & Theater

Manchester market hosts author event

A collection of new books written by local authors isn’t something one expects to find in a crafts store, but the Manchester Craft Market is not typical. Along with titles like S.M. Stevens’ award-winning novel Beautiful and Terrible Things and a history of New Hampshire’s soda industry called Granite Fizz by Dennis Sasseville, the store also offers food, delicacies like artisan granola and charcuterie board meats. There’s even fresh sourdough bread for sale.

How does this explain the upcoming “Meet Our Local Authors” event, where writers will gather to discuss their many varied books?

“They’re creating something, and they’re local,” store owner Jessica Moores said in a recent phone interview. “A lot of their titles are based in New Hampshire. We have a few different guides for things to do in the area, that sort of thing. There are some history books…. It’s bringing all that local creativity to the written word.”

Moores opened the store in 2016 with a mission to sell only items made locally. She’s stayed true to it.

“I don’t let anyone bring in imported things or resell stuff. No antiques. All handmade in New England. They pay a membership fee to get a space in the store. They get their own section on our website. They can teach classes in our classroom. We have an online shopping group with close to 18,000 followers … lots of little perks and bonuses.”

Among the wares on offer are home décor products, clothing, jewelry, food items, arts and crafts, beauty products, crafting kits, greeting cards and stationery, pet items, toys and more. The store also features regular crafting classes and workshops led by its artisans and artists, like a recent Paint Your Jenga event.

Originally it was located in an empty storefront on the outside of the Mall of New Hampshire. By 2023 it had moved inside, a couple of doors down from Macy’s. It also evolved, from a humble shop to something that resembles Etsy on steroids, or at least a three-dimensional version of the online superstore that allows customers to touch the merchandise.

That aspect is reinforced on MCM’s website, which recreates the store so customers can virtually walk through it, stop to inspect things, and click to learn about vendors. In the case of the book section, located in a corner next to the register, it’s possible to find out about a title, glance at a few pages, and read the author’s biography.

“That was a big goal of mine to get done one day; that was a lot of work,” Moores said, adding that the effort was a blend of envisioning and delegating. “I can see what tech can do, and I’ll say to someone, ‘This is what I want’ and then connect with the right person to help me. I added logos and links … someone else did the actual footage.”

Most sellers have dedicated spots, but when Moores introduced her “Read Local” section last year around the holidays she took a different approach.

“The model of renting a space doesn’t work as well for someone who only has one or two things to offer,” she said. “So I kind of combined all of our authors into one area to give them a shared space so they didn’t have to worry about that.”

Authors participating in the event include Stevens and Sasseville, along with Karen Coulters, Stefanie Jolicoeur, Dawn Reno Langley, John Clayton, Darcy Cates, Marti Suerst, Connie Evans, Jennifer Hallock, Walker Hound, Emily Kordas, Ellen H. Reed, David Rouleau, Killarney Traynor and Jim Wilcox.

For Moores, one of the benefits of running the store is being able to read new writers when their wares arrive. She expects the Meet Our Local Authors event will include a few new titles.

“I come to know and appreciate them through the store,” she said, “There’s definitely a lot to choose from…. I get to check them all out and find something new all the time.”

The book corner is a relatively new initiative at the store. Moores is encouraged by the initial response.

“It’s growing,” she said. “We’re getting a lot of interest in new authors coming in to join us. So I think once it’s grown a little bit more it will be almost like your little bookshop in the mall.”

Meet Our Local Authors
When: Saturday, May 24, 11:30-1 p.m.
Where: Manchester Craft Market at the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester
More: manchestercraftmarket.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

ArtHub in Nashua opens on Main Street

By Michael Witthaus

mwitthaus@hippopress.com

Among the many hard-luck stories to come out of the pandemic, the story of Nashua Artists Association’s ArtHub Gallery stands out. NAAA opened it in February 2020, only to have the world shut it down a month later. The place remained a memory until now, but the rebirth is even better than the original.

To start with, the new location on Main Street has twice the room of the ill-fated Pearl Street space, and it’s in the heart of downtown. More room makes it easier to display larger objects, like the interesting work from sculptor George Eross, a T. Rex with duck feet and stubby arms made from dinner forks that serves as a de facto gallery mascot.

The addition of 3D art is a big part of ArtHub’s goal of including more artists.

“There is an amazing amount of talent in this area,” ArtHub co-manager Jacqueline Barry said in press release. “To bring that talent to our new downtown location will not only give the community the opportunity to see the local talent but inspire them to do their own work.”

A members-only quiet opening on May 8 also drew the curious, gallery co-manager Sonia Lee said recently, a marked difference from the light foot traffic at the old place.

“We had about 40 members come,” Lee said by phone. “And, there were two couples, not related to us, having dinner next door. They stopped in to see what we were doing.”

On May 14 the gallery will do a soft opening, followed by a grand reopening on Saturday, May 17. A wide range of work will be on display and available for purchase, from paintings and textile arts to ceramics made by artists like Nancy Barkman.

“One of the missions that we have is to give a place for the craftsmen, not just people who do wall art,” Lee said. “She’s a good example of that. Her work is artistic. You can say, well, it’s just a pot. Well, yeah. But it’s also artistic in that not just anybody can do that work. And there are a limited number of places where people who are craftsmen can show their work other than arts and crafts shows.”

Other artists displayed in the spring opening include Steve Goldstein, a Massachusetts photographer who works in black and white. Goldstein said, “creative image … serves as an antidote to all the screen time I encountered in my career as an electrical engineer.” Teresa Moller’s paintings are both colorful and whimsical. The Nashua artist will also present a puppet show during the grand opening.

Brenda Noiseux is a Granite State artist “encouraging conversations through artistic activism” who’s exhibited around the country including in Chicago and New York City, Kansas and Oregon. One of her pieces is a delicate heart-shaped bouquet surrounding the words, “Asylum was granted.” Another shows a faded student visa with “REVOKED” stamped on it, laid under a spray of flowers. Both are part of a series called “Awaiting Justice.”

The downtown gallery sits in what was formerly the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s gallery. Its centrality allows NAAA to take part in citywide efforts in a way they couldn’t previously, like the annual Holiday Stroll. “If you’re way off the main street, people aren’t going to come that way when you do the downtown events,” Lee said.

For nearly 75 years, the NAAA has served to advance art in Nashua and its surrounding communities. Their membership is composed of visual artists working in a variety of media as well as patrons of the arts. The organization welcomes all levels of experience, from students to established artists.

A few years after the organization formed, it launched Art in the Park, an effort that continues to this day. Through these combined efforts, they aim to foster collaborative efforts, Lee said. “Part of what I’m doing is reaching out to those other groups and recruiting, if for no other reason than just passing the word around. Because our mission is to encourage the arts, and it isn’t just our members that we’re talking about.”

Nashua Area Artists Association’s ArtHub Gallery – Grand Reopening

When: Saturdays, May 17, 2-7 p.m. with reception 5-7 p.m.
Where: 98 Main St., Nashua
More: On Facebook, search for “ArtHub – Downtown Gallery, Nashua Area Artists Association”

Featured photo: Work by George Eross & Work by Brenda Noiseux. Courtesy photo.

Sculpture symposium returns to Nashua

Most art exhibitions focus on already completed works, but the City of Nashua is unique in hosting an event that’s about watching art come to life, from raw materials to finished pieces. The Nashua International Sculpture Symposium (NISS) happens for three weeks in May in and around a converted mill building.

Every spring, four sculptors from around the world are invited to participate. This year’s include Valerie Funk, who lives and works in Berlin, Germany, Danaë LeBlond-Joris from France, South Korean native Yunmi Lee, who’s exhibited in Italy as well as her home country, and U.S.-born Casey Schachner, who teaches art at Georgia Southern University.

Now in its 18th year, the event hews to a motto of “art as everyday living,” with a legacy of 52 different public art works in Nashua’s downtown, schools, parks, neighborhoods and walking trails. And it’s truly community-wide; the visiting artists are housed by area families and supported by local businesses and organizations.

NISS President Gail Moriarty is a metalsmith who first got involved by hosting the symposium in a building next to the Picker. In 2016 she and her partner purchased the Pine Street location and launched Picker Artists’ and Design Studio. Moving the symposium there made sense, both practically and aesthetically.

The location and layout of the studio lent it to showcasing the evolution of public art, Moriarty said by phone recently.

“It’s a busy street, and we have sculptors working. It’s a long mill building, so they work on the side of the building right next to the streets; everybody can see them,” she said, adding, “It’s a public, community-driven event.”

While there are only four host families, others get involved by hosting meals with the sculptors. People sign up for lunch or dinner, and bring enough for themselves and the artists. Their reward is a lot of one-on-one time to learn about the work and where the creators come from.

“You sit and enjoy your meal with them, which is private time that you get to spend with these international sculptors; it’s pretty popular,” Moriarty continued. “We love it because we show them the room, we set them up, we close the door, and they have that whole time with the sculptors. No one else is bugging them.”

While the people of Nashua love the event, Moriarty said it’s the sculptors themselves who are the biggest fans. “These are professionals, who travel the world doing sculpture symposiums,” who are more than happy to receive living expenses and a stipend at NISS. “I get requests all year long — when’s it happening, can I apply?”

Moriarty recalled going to breakfast with a sculptor after an installation. Upon learning what most at her level in the art world regularly earn for their work, she asked her why she wanted to come to NISS.

“‘Because of the people, because of your respect for us guys and the way everybody talks about you; all we hear is great things, how much fun it is and how the people are so cool … we just needed to be a part of it,’” Moriarty recalled being told. “They come from Israel and Ukraine and Iran, all these places, and then they go back home to what is going on in their country. But here they had three weeks of fun, and tons of food and lots of people and hugs.”

This year’s theme is “In The Making,” chosen for the unfolding nature of NISS.

“You never know what you’re going to get,” Moriarty said. “The sculptors … can do whatever they want, and it’s different every single day, different every single year. It’s very unique. To watch these people take these big pieces of stone and cull them into something that’s beautiful in just three weeks is just extraordinary.”

18th Annual Nashua International Sculpture Symposium
When: May 8 through May 31
Where: The Picker Artists’ Studios, 3 Pine St., Nashua
Opening ceremony May 8 at 5:30 p.m., closing ceremony May 31 at 1 p.m. (begins at Picker and moves around the city)

Featured photo: Clockwise from top left, sculptors Casey Schachner, Danaë LeBlond-Joris, Yunmi Lee and Valerie Funk (Courtesy photos).

Area stores participate in annual event

On May 4, 2002, Free Comic Book Day was launched to coincide with the premiere of the initial movie in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. The choice seemed fated when the play on words “May the Fourth be with you” gained popularity a few years later among Star Wars fans, around the time Disney acquired the franchise.

At the inaugural event, more than two million Spider-man, Star Wars, Tomb Raider and Justice League comics were given away. This year, there are 38 official titles, including Post Malone’s debut comic book and one based on the hit Netflix series Black Mirror. Ten different New Hampshire locations are participating.

Jetpack Comics

When Ralph DiBernardo opened his Rochester store in the late 2000s, he was quick to participate. First, he set up a small tent in the parking lot and a few hundred people showed up. It grew to a circus tent the next year, drawing a crowd of over 1,000. These days, DiBernardo said by phone recently, it’s city-wide.

“It takes place across 2 square miles; there are 20-plus businesses, a convention hall,” he said. “It’s a mini comic-con.”

However, after last year, he decided to scale back, worn down by months of planning and out of pocket costs. Fortunately, the Rochester Opera House stepped up. They offered support through activities like a Star Wars-themed spoof of Annie, which opens the same weekend as Free Comic Book Day, and an outdoor show by Kiss tribute band Hotter Than Hell. Anthony Ejarque, Executive Producer of the Opera House, led the handoff effort. “This event has such strong community support,” he said by phone recently, adding that there are literacy events at the library, and that The DaVinci Code author Dan Brown is donating some of his children’s literature. “He’s not able to attend, but we’re excited to get him on board.”

Double Midnight Comics

Two comic book fan brothers and their best friend from high school launched Double Midnight Comics in Manchester a few months after the first Free Comic Book Day in 2002. Originally located in Maple Valley Plaza, the store moved in 2023 to The Factory on Willow Street. It has a second store in Concord, which opened in 2013.

Double Midnight always goes big on Free Comic Book Day. The store launched Granite State Comicon in 2003, and Free Comic Book Day is a smaller version of that fall event. There are movie cars, a cosplay contest, food trucks, and the event space behind the store has vendor booths, including several local creators.

“You get to see people from the region that are making comics; it’s basically a chance to meet and discover some new talents,” Chris Proulx, Double Midnight co-owner, said by phone recently. There’s also live music from The Clemenzi Crusaders, a father and son nerd rock duo. “They do things like rock up the theme from Star Wars or The Simpsons.”

Proulx boasts that everyone who attends can count on going home with a big stack of comics, and he enjoys seeing fans, both new and old, experience Free Comic Book Day.

“It’s always fun to introduce people to comic books for the first time or have somebody that might be a past reader come back and rediscover comics,” he said. “And there are people that bring their friends and family and kind of introduce them to comics. So it’s a great, fun day.”

Merrymac Games & Comics

The Merrimack store will welcome a few creator guests to this year’s event, including Perhapanauts author Craig Rousseau, who’s worked on titles such as Young Hellboy, Harley Quinn and Batman Beyond. Also appearing is Joseph Schmalke, a comics creator, writer and illustrator. Schmalke is the publisher of the Midnight Factory comic line and author of Murder Hobo, One Last Trick and Prophets of Doom.

Stairway to Heaven Comics

Also hosting local creators is Stairway to Heaven Comics in Newington. The panel includes illustrator and graphic artist Jesse Lundberg, Jake Allen, who worked on Kings and Canvas, and Jeff Lorentz, whose credits include Skin of My Teeth and My Coworker is a Vampire.

Stairway to Heaven owner Brad Gile’s favorite thing about the annual event is seeing a well-blended crowd take in the creative pulse, the excitement of graphic art and storytelling.

“We get so many different types of people in here,” he said. “Folks that typically are not as interested in comics will come in and get excited meeting talented local creators. And there are a lot of really great comics for kids. It’s exciting to see all the happy kids come in and walk away with some really cool free comics.”

Free Comic Book Day
When: Saturday, May 3
Where: Various locations
More: List of free comics at freecomicbookday.com

Double Midnight Comics – dmcomics.com
252 Willow St., Manchester, 669-9636
341 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2683

Stairway to Heaven Comics – stairwaytoheavencomics.com
109 Gosling Road, Newington, 319-6134

Merrymac Games & Comics – merrymaconline.com
550 DW Highway, Merrimack, 420-8161

Chris’s Comic Books – chriscardscomics.com
341 S. Broadway, Salem, 898-4151
919 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 474-2283

Jetpack Comics – jetpackcomics.com
37 N. Main St., Rochester, 330-XMEN

Newbury Comics
777 S. Willow St., Manchester, 624-2842
99 Rockingham Park Blvd., Salem, 890-1380
310 DW Highway, Nashua, 888-0720

Featured photo: Post Malone’s Big Rig Comic. Courtesy image.