Category: Art & Theater

Music, arts and eats

The Currier Museum of Art holds its annual Block Party

By Zachary Lewis
zlewis@hippopress.com

The Currier Museum of Art will be hosting its annual Summer Block Party on Sunday, July 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. The entire community is invited to take part in this fun and free celebration of art and Manchester.

“Hopefully those that have not been to the museum before or for a long time can come and get to enjoy the museum for free,” said Karen Graham, interim director & chief operating officer of the Currier Museum of Art. She expects a good turnout.

“We typically get upwards of 2,500 people,” she said. Usually the building and the whole grounds are full of people enjoying the event.”

Guests can enjoy the fun inside or outside the museum.

“The first year we did it we weren’t sure if people would be interested in going into the galleries or if they would just stay outside because there are so many activities outside,” Graham said, “but the galleries … they were the most crowded of any day during the year during the Block Party.”

Some activities at the Block Party will be inspired by the museum’s new Daniel Otero Torres exhibition, “Sonidos del Crepúsculo (Twilight Sounds).” This is the first exhibition at a U.S. institution of the work of Colombian-born and Paris-based artist Torres. Activities will include a clay leaf project as well as a chance to “create watercolor seascapes inspired by the Stories of the Sea show,” according to the Currier’s website.

There will be a stamp printmaking station set up to mimic abstract patterns like the ones in Elisabeth Kley’s installation in the museum’s Welcome Gallery.

Outdoor activities are held in the Museum’s courtyard, some under tents. The event is held rain or shine.

“We close part of Ash Street on the side of the building and all of Prospect in front of the building … between Ash and Beech,” Graham said. This is where you’ll find food vendors including Deadproof Pizza, Consuelo’s, Arnie’s Place ice cream, Don Quijote, Chez Rafiki and the Gyro Spot as well as ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.

Beer and wine will be plentiful; the Currier typically crafts specialty cocktails based on its current exhibitions.

“We close off the parking lot, obviously, and that’s where the wine and beer tent, the musicians, and all the art activities are, throughout the whole grounds of the museum,” Graham said.

Live music will be performed outdoors by Joey Clark and The Big Hearts, and Party of the Sun. “We had both of them play here on different occasions in the past and the crowd loved them both,” Graham said. Laura Boyce from Rock 101’s Greg & the Morning Buzz will act as emcee.

It’s a good time to sign up for a Museum membership, if you haven’t already.

“New members that join as a member that day, they’ll get a discount. We’ll have some of our staff walking through the crowds inviting people to become members at a discounted rate,” Graham said.

And, as Graham noted, there’s always face painting. It’s one of the most popular activities at the Block Party. “We make it our biggest tent … when we used to leave it up to requests the line would circle the building, so now we pick and give them a few options to pick from … so there’ll probably be a fish, a mermaid, things like that.” The face painting will be themed to go with the current “Stories from the Sea” exhibit. Central High School’s Art Department volunteers with the face painting and are led by museum staff.

That combination of art and the community brings joy to Graham.

“I just love an opportunity to have so much of our community come together in the summer and enjoy art. We always hear the best comments from people that say, ‘Oh, I haven’t been here since I was a kid taking an art class and now I’m coming back with my own kids…. People really, really love the opportunity to come in and see the art.”

The Currier’s Summer Block Party
When: Sunday, July 14, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Where: 150 Ash St., Manchester
Admission: free
More: currier.org, 669-6144

The Art Roundup 24/07/04

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

• Army band: The Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band will present a free show titled “America the Beautiful” on Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m. at the Nashua Center of the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua), according to a press release. The Soldiers’ Chorus honors the veterans of every generation and recognizes the soldiers standing guard today in more than 140 countries around the world. Visit nashuacenterforthearts.com or call 1-800-657-8774.

• So very: Heathers: The Musicalby Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the 1989 film, produced by Ro Gavin Collaborative Theater and presented by Hatbox Theatre (715-2315, hatboxnh.com) and Manchester Community Theatre Players, runs July 12 through July 21 with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at MCTP Theater at the North End Montessori School in Manchester (689 Beech St.). The musical is based on the 1989 film, the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful, ruthless, shoulder-padded clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $25 for students/seniors/members, $22 for senior members. See hatboxnh.com for content details.

INSPIRED BY NATURE
Two Villages Art Society presents the exhibit “Nature Wild” showcasing eight New Hampshire artists and their watercolor paintings inspired by nature. It opens on Saturday, July 6, at the Society’s gallery (846 Main St., Contoocook) with a reception from noon to 2 p.m. that is free and open to the public with music provided by Tom Pirozzoli, according to the press release. The exhibiting artists’ styles and techniques vary from impressionistic to illustrative. These artists include Sylvia Brofos, Fred Brewster, Sophia Eastley, Lenore Hall, Eva Kjellberg, Mary Jo McGowan, Carolyn Sherman and Claudia Tufo, according to the press release. Two Villages Art Society’s gallery is open to the public free of charge Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.Visit twovillagesart.org.

• Music in Mason: Bluegrass-rock combo Kitchen Dwellers will perform with Jatoba at The Range Live Music and Concert Venue (96 Old Turnpike Road, Mason, 878-1324, therangemason. com), Friday, July 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $41 in advance, $49 on the day.

• Art Walk: The 8th Annual Art Walk in downtown Peterborough will take place on Saturday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 60 regional artists will showcase their work in person, including jewelry, pottery, watercolor, fabric, wood carving, oil painting and more, according to the press release. Find live music at Depot Park and Putnam Park throughout the event, and there will be a small selection of dynamic female artists inside the Old Brick School House that’s hidden behind the Monadnock Center, through the iron gates, according to the release. This event is free and open to the public with ample free parking downtown. Rain date is Sunday, July 7. Find the Depot Square Facebook page for a map.

—Zachary Lewis

Strong sheets

3S Artspace hosts paper-centric exhibition

When it comes to papyrus, there’s more to the medium than meets the eye. That’s the message behind “Paper Work,” an exhibition opening July 5 at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. The upcoming show highlights the versatility and resilience of kozo, an Asian paper made from mulberry that becomes stronger when soaked in water and dried.

Denise Manseau’s art is about transformation. Many pieces are combined works, like “Spring”, an arrangement of dyed kami-ito threads embedded on mulberry paper. Even Japanese kimonos have been made using this method, along with mulberry-lined silk jackets.

In a recent phone interview, Manseau said the pieces to be displayed in the lobby gallery of 3S Artspace came about after she moved from her inland home near Lowell to the Seacoast.

“I did a lot of purging, but there were things that were almost good,” she said. “My friend’s there helping me, and she’s like, ‘Don’t throw this out, don’t throw that away.’ I end up with all this good stuff. Then I just started tearing them up and making other things with them.”

In a statement on her website, Manseau called her artistic process “generative and divergent — I excavate possibilities from previous work as a source for new work to emerge. Drawings make their way into paintings. Prints and drawings become cut-paper assemblages and structures. Through this process, the work undergoes multiple transformations — each alteration leaves a trace of the turbulence, tranquility and beauty I encounter each day.”

Her approach recalls Joseph Cornell, who employed ephemera and found objects in his three-dimensional works, though Manseau does add new touches to her assembled creations. “But there are always these elements from past work, whether they’re prints or drawings or just pieces of paper that had color on them,” she said. “So, they’re kind of recycled in a way; I’m giving them a new life. I feel good about that.”

“Paper Work” focuses on the durability of Asian paper, something Manseau learned about after she took up the fine arts in the early 2000s. “It looks so delicate and it’s so strong,” she said. “Instead of it breaking down like our wood pulp paper, their paper just gets stronger and more robust.”

Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Manseau was a graphic designer. Her old job involved deadlines and strict rules, while working in her art studio was more open-ended. It was something that professors, teachers and friends encouraged her to embrace. Work on as many things as possible at the same time, they told her.

“That is very helpful … because it’s things in the periphery that always turn out the best in my case,” she said. “I tend to be a perfectionist and then I kind of ruin it in its perfection; it works for me. It’s always a thing on the side I’m experimenting on, and I don’t care if it gets ruined; those are always the best in the end.”

Asked if this might be a path toward a different kind of perfection, Manseau answered, “I guess, yes, because nothing can be perfect, right? Maybe that’s part of the bane of my graphic design era was that everything had to be precision, it had to go to press, it had to be a certain size, it had to line up…. I’ve been trying to go against that in the fine arts portion of my life.”

Manseau chose the woodcut image “Rye on the Rocks” to represent the upcoming exhibit. It was inspired by walks along the coastline near her home in Rye Beach and reflects the landscape influence of her work.

It’s something that can be misunderstood by those who consider landscapes “as being a pictorial representation of what you see, instead of how you experience it and how you put it together in your head,” she said. “I think that’s the hardest thing I have to explain to people. I really do consider myself a landscape painter.”

Paper Work
When: Opens Friday, July 5, 5 p.m. Continues through July 28
Where: 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth
More: 3sarts.org and denisemanseau.com

The Art Roundup 24/06/27

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

• On display now: Catch the art exhibit “Exploration: Line/Shape/Form” on display through Thursday, Aug. 22, at Art 3 Gallery (44 West Brook St. in Manchester; art3gallery.com, 668-6650). The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Get a peek at the show on the gallery’s website.

• American songbook: Welcome to The Club brings the music of the great American crooners to the Rex Theatre (823 Amherst St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) Friday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. This is a reinvention of the classic Copacabana Club with a full 19-piece Big Band and hits from Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Mel Tormé, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett. Tickets are $29.

The Lavender Scare
NSquared Dance will present The Lavender Scare in collaboration with New Hampshire Dance Collaborative and Manchester True Collaborative at The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St in Manchester) on Thursday, June 27, at 7 p.m. “The Lavender Scare”was the dismissal and resignations of thousands of federal workers because of their sexuality and took place during the 1940s to the 1960s alongside McCarthyism, according to a press release. The performance is a 45-minute dance work. Tickets range from $20 to $35. Visit nsquareddance.org/performances.

• Summer theater: Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua) as part of their Sunday Cinema Classics Series will be screening Summer Stock (1950) on Sunday, June 30, at 1 p.m., according to their website. The movie follows a small-town farmer, down on her luck, who finds her homestead invaded by a theatrical troupe invited to stay by her ne’er-do-well sister. It stars Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Visit nashualibrary.org.

• Flip for the circus: The Circus is in town. FL!P Circus, created by the Vazquez family, is bringing its 2024 production and its air-conditioned red and white big top tent to the Mall at Rockingham Park (99 Rockingham Park Blvd., Salem) from Friday, June 28, to Sunday, July 7, according to a press release. This all-new show was specially curated to showcase an eclectic mix of international human performers. Show times are 7 p.m. on weekdays; 1, 4, and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets range between $25 and $45, and certain discounts, like family or military, can apply. Visit FlipCircus.com.

• Artists reception: The Saxtons River Art Guild is excited for its first exhibition, to run from Friday, June 28, to Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Jaffrey Civic Center (40 Main St.) with an opening reception for the artists to be held on Friday, June 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., according to a press release. At the reception, artists from the Saxtons River Art Guild will be present to talk about their artworks. There will also be receptions on Friday, June 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. for the group shows in the Auditorium gallery and the Cunningham Gallery upstairs. The Saxon River Art Guild was founded in 1976 by a small group of artists who lived in Saxtons River, Vermont, and gathered informally for painting classes with various instructors. It is now a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and encourage the advancement of the fine arts, with about 80 members throughout the Monadnock region in New Hampshire and the Southern Connecticut River Valley area of Vermont, according to the press release. Visit jaffreyciviccenter.com.

—Zachary Lewis

A great hang

Concord art gallery welcomes NH artists

To understand the business philosophy of Meme Exum, owner of The Glimpse Gallery in Concord, the story of how she acquired her first piece of art is instructive. At age 20 she studied political science at Georgia State, waiting tables to support herself. Her only roommate was Angelina, an angelfish from the Amazon River.

Exum had an emotional connection with the fish, who’d nibble her finger when she fed it. One day she rushed off to work worried her aquarium’s pH balance wasn’t right, and when she returned from her shift her beloved companion had passed. Heartbroken, she asked a friend, a student at Georgia State’s art school, to paint her portrait.

She paid $50 for the small painting of Angelina in a spray of river silk with tiny bubbles escaping from her mouth. The image now greets visitors to Glimpse; it’s both a logo and the source of the gallery’s name. With the bubbles, “you’re getting a glimpse of her in her native habitat,” Exum said.

What does this have to do with running an art gallery located on the alley side of a building across the street from the Statehouse? First of all, Glimpse isn’t a moneymaker. Exum breaks even on costs, and her web design company pays the bills. She charges a wall space fee sufficient to cover maintenance but doesn’t take a commission when something sells.

She mounts six exhibitions a year, relying on word of mouth to draw people in. The current show offers works from seven artists whose works range from surreal images of stair-climbing fish to watercolor horizons, colorful canvas sculptures that echo Van Gogh, and portraits of players on the NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

It opens July 9, preceded by four Friday evening receptions; the final one is June 28 at 5 p.m. It will include works from Julie Daniels, Mark Ruddy, Kevin Kintner, Rose Culver, Paul Gilmore, Cheryl Mitchell and Christina Landry-Boullion. Art prices can range from under $100 to a few thousand dollars.

“I simply am in it to get the art out,” she said, adding that she eschews social media. “That’s not the vibe, it’s more an underground following. You hear about it from other artists, you hear about it from people who truly love art. Then you come here, have a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic beverage and you simply see new art. If you don’t buy anything, you’re still supporting the artist.”

There’s another reason for her altruism, however.

After being bit by the collector bug in college, Exum got a job at an Atlanta architect’s office. There she ran a side hustle connecting her artist pals with interior designers.

“When I sold a piece from a struggling student who just graduated to an interior designer, that feeling of being the intermediary was my goal,” not money, she said. “It was a power for good.”

Her reward was being able to snag pieces she liked before they ended up on the wall of a million-dollar condo. “You know where I made bank?” she asked. “I get dibs on all the first art … I get to see all these artists and pick what I like.” In other words, she’s in business for reasons very similar to those of people who run used record stores or antique shops.

This explains the ancient Toyota pickup truck parked in front of Glimpse. “We’re never selling this, and our other car is a 10-year old station wagon,” Exum said. “Why buy a fancy car when we could have that cash available for when we see the right piece? We can buy it if we don’t have a car payment.”

Glimpse’s first exhibit in February had works from the online gallery Exum ran out of Atlanta before she and her husband moved north, along with pieces from her brother in Vermont and a few from a Bow artist. Since then she’s managed to fill the walls with mostly New Hampshire artists.

Choosing what to display doesn’t come down to her personal preferences; Exum tries to keep an open mind and find work outside of her comfort zone.

“I really look at pieces that I’m not necessarily drawn to, because we all like our own taste,” she said. “If I’m not really drawn to it let me see if I can understand it more and if that will give me a connection.”

Exum also knows there’s always more to glean.

“I am learning so much from the artists that Glimpse represents, like when they’ll mention an artist that I’ve never heard of,” she said. “It’s a very humbling place to be a gallery owner, and everyone’s telling you stuff you don’t know, but I’m just trying to absorb it as much as I can.”

First Glimpse Art Show
When: Friday, June 28, 5 p.m.
Where: The Glimpse Gallery, 4 Park St. (Patriot Building), Concord
More: theglimpsegallery.com

The Art Roundup 24/06/20

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

• Curtain calls: The Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) production of 42nd Street offers five shows in its final weekend: Thursday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 22, at 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $38 to $59. See Michael Witthaus’ look at the production in the June 6 issue of the Hippo on page 14 (hippopress.com to find the e-edition).

• On stage:Sleuth is presented by The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts on Friday, June 21, at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 22, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, majestictheatre.net, 669-7469). As described on the website, the show presents the ultimate game of cat and mouse played out in a cozy English country house owned by ca elebrated mystery writer whose guest is a young rival who shares his love for games. Tickets are $15 and $20.

• Craft: Hall Memorial Library (18 Park St. in Northfield; hallmemoriallibrary.org, 286-8971) will hold a Summer Craft Show on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Premiere:The Nashua Historical Society at The Florence H. Speare Memorial Museum (5 Abbott St., Nashua) will be hosting the premiere of the documentary ​At Home and Abroad: Nashua and World War II on Saturday, June 22, at 11:30 a.m. and at 1 p.m., according to their website. The documentary chronicles the stories of civilians, veterans and Holocaust survivors as Nashuans share personal and family World War II stories. The film was created by local filmmakers John Sadd and Jeremy Frazier. The showing is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11 a.m. Visit nashuahistoricalsociety.org.

• Fest in the Clouds: Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough is hosting its second annual Community Arts Festival on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will feature more than 100 booths with the works of local crafters, artists and community organizations and attendees can look forward to a scavenger hunt, art activities for kids, and other events, according to a press release. Seecastleintheclouds.org.

• Symphony Saturday: The Boston Civic Symphony with Conductor Fransico Noya and Pianist Frederick Moyer will perform Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 22, Chevalier de Saint-Georges – Symphony Op 11 No. 2, and Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor at Colby-Sawyer College’s Sawyer Center Theater (541 Main St., New Boston) on Saturday, June 22, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students. Visit summermusicassociates.org or call 526-8234.

• Outdoor theater: The annual mainstage production for the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth opens Friday, June 21, when Legally Blonde The Musical hits the stage at 7 p.m. The show runs most Thursdays through Sundays until Aug. 11, all at 7 p.m. with matinées on Sunday, June 30 and Sunday, July 28 at 1 pm, according to prescottpark.org where you can find information on reservations.

WHAT IF? SHAKESPEARE
Cue Zero Theatre Company at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive, Salem, onthestage.tickets/cue-zero-theatre-company) presents William Shakespseare’s Long Lost First Play (Abridged) on Friday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15. In this play, an ancient manuscript proves to be the long-lost first play written by none other than 17-year-old William Shakespeare from Stratford, according to the company’s website, which says they “are totally not completely making this up.”

MUSICAL HORROR PUPPETS
Puppeteers for Fears, Oregon’s only dedicated puppet musical horror troupe, will perform their original show Cthulhu: the Musical!on Wednesday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at CapitolCenter for the Arts BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) as part of the company’s 2024 summer tour, according to a press release. As described in the press release, the play is adapted from the 1929 short story “The Call of Cthulhu” by H.P. Lovecraft and tells the story of his most famous creation, Cthulhu, a giant, malevolent, octopus-faced elder god who hibernates beneath the ocean, communicating to humans through their dreams, slowly driving them mad. In a statement, PFF Artistic Director Josh Gross said, “We are always looking to turn classic themes on their head instead of rehashing tired storylines…. When I said, ‘Cthulhu: the Musical,’ for the first time, a bunch of heads immediately turned in my direction, and strangers started asking where they could see it. So I knew we had to do that as a show, even though the challenge of turning something so dark into musical comedy was pretty daunting. … There was a lot of comedy to be found and this show is so much fun to perform.” Tickets are $25 and the show is intended for those 18 and older since the material is R-rated, according to the press release.

—Zachary Lewis

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