Category: Art & Theater

Memory Café

Currier program helps those experiencing memory loss and their care partners

On the first Wednesday of every month, Currier Museum of Art in Manchester holds Memory Café, a program for individuals experiencing memory loss along with their care partners.

“The Memory Café is something that the Currier has done for quite some time, but we stopped doing it during the pandemic,” said Corey Lyford, who administers and designs the program. “We were only able to relaunch the program this past June. It’s designed to be a really joyful art looking experience for people in early stages of memory loss along with their care partners. A care partner could be a spouse, an adult child [or] a friend. … Any and all are welcome.”

Each session starts in one of the studio spaces at the museum, where attendees gather for light refreshments and socialization to get to know each other before heading to the gallery.

Before Covid, the entirety of the session would take place in the studio, where the art would be presented on slides. While this approach made it possible to look at multiple pieces, including ones that were not in the Currier collection, the team felt it was important to offer the true gallery experience.

While looking at the art, program facilitator Lucie Chmura likes to encourage people to use the method of “slow looking.”

“People get to really take time and relax into looking at a piece of artwork, much longer in front of it than one normally would when moving through the gallery spaces,” Lyford said. “Folks get to think about engaging their different senses, such as looking at a painting and thinking about what [they] hear when looking at this painting. Are there any sounds that come to mind? Everything is very open-ended. There are no wrong answers. People don’t have to draw on memory. This is really about what we’re all experiencing together in the moment.”

When deciding what art to select for the program, Lyford said she and Chmura think about the conversations the pieces may inspire, going for ones that are likely common to everyone in the group, to create an enjoyable, positive experience for both those experiencing memory loss and those who are not. Prompts are used to help viewers engage with the piece and to enliven conversation.

“We’re trying to blur that line between a care partner and someone with memory loss,” Lyford said. “We’re trying to help people not feel stigmatized and not feel like they’re standing out [or] like the attention of the program is on the fact that they have memory loss.”

She says the purpose of Memory Café is to create a support system and build connections while enjoying a creative experience.

“We hope for people to find respite and to find the museum as a resource for them and to keep engaging with these creative opportunities even if they are in a place in their life where they may have felt like that wasn’t possible anymore,” Lyford said. “We want people to feel safe and that applies to the person with memory loss and also for their care partners. They can be going through some pretty difficult times, so we’re hoping that this provides a creative space for them and one that they’ll want to come back to and see familiar faces from month to month.”

Memory Café
When: The first Wednesday of every month. The next session is Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 1 to 2 p.m.
Where: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester

Featured photo: Memory Cafe. Photo Courtesy of the Currier Museum of Art.

The Art Roundup 23/10/26

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

  • Bard-adjacent: Actorsingers presents the musical farce Something Rotten at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St. in Nashua) on Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students. The production is set in the 1590s when brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are trying to write a hit play that will get them out from the shadow of “The Bard” and are told by a soothsayer that the future of theater is singing and dancing and acting, according to actorsingers.org.
  • Spooky soiree: The Windham Concert Band and the Amherst Town Band will play a Halloween-themed selection of music including Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” Edvard Grieg’s “March of the Trolls” and more on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Souhegan High School (412 Boston Post Road in Amherst), according to a press release. Costume-wearing is encouraged; the event is free.
  • Quoth the raven: “Nevermore,” an exhibit that “pays homage to the mesmerizing allure of the darkness,” is on display at the Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester; 512-6209, mosaicartcollective.com) through Tuesday, Oct. 31, according to a press release. The gallery is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., and by appointment.

NH Furniture Masters
The New Hampshire Furniture Masters are collaborating with the League of NH Craftsmen for the exhibit “Connecting through Craft” on display through Thursday, Dec. 14, at the League of NH Craftsmen Headquarters Gallery (49 S. Main St. in Concord). The pieces in the exhibition were created during a partnership that paired New Hampshire Furniture Masters with League members, according to a press release. The gallery is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m., the release said.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the Furniture Masters will hold a Signature Fundraising Gala at the gallery. Attendees can explore the exhibit, talk to the makers and bid on silent auction items as well as enjoy food, drink and live music from Hot Skillet Club (a jazz band trio), the release said. Tickets cost $50 and are available at furnituremasters.org/the-main-event.

  • Landscapes: The New Hampshire Antique Co-Op (323 Elm St. in Milford; 673-8499; nhantiquecoop.com) is currently featuring the exhibit “Celebrating the American Landscape” featuring pieces from the late 1800s to the present, highlighting The White Mountain School, the Dublin Art Colony and the Hudson River School, according to a press release. The exhibit is on display through Jan. 31. The Co-op is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Veterans’ art: New Hampshire Veterans Home (139 Winter St. in Tilton; nh.gov/veterans, 527-4400) will host an art show in the Town Hall great room on Friday, Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. featuring veterans’ art displays as well as live music, demonstrations and conversations with veteran and visiting artists (from The Galleries at 30 Main in Meredith), according to a press release.

Ceramics, signs and everything nice

The Great New England Craft and Artisan Show returns to the Hampshire Dome

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

Jewelry, upcycled lamps, books, sports apparel, jams, candles and more handmade products will be on display and for sale at the eighth New England Craft and Artisan Show on Saturday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Hampshire Dome in Milford.

Jody Donohue created the event back in 2016.

“My children were playing sports [at the Hampshire Dome] … and I had been helping out with that for years,” she said. “My youngest aged out of the program and they … [wanted me to] stay on and do other [events] there.”

After talking with the owner, she set up tables in the function room to promote the products of the venue’s members, an event so successful they decided to do it again the following year, this time bringing in outside vendors and opening up the event to the public.

“It blew up. It was packed,” Donohue said. “The owner, Rick, and I were sitting down afterward talking about it … and he said, ‘I dare you to fill the Dome next year.’ I said ‘Game on.’ He said, ‘No, you’re kidding.’ I said, “No, I’m not kidding.’ … That next October, the Great New England Craft and Artisan Shows was born.”

In addition to the crafts, there will also be live music, food trucks, including Carla’s Coffee and Yahso Jamaican Grill, and raffles. Cathedral Ledge Distillery will be providing samples, and Renaissance Massage will offer messages.

Returning to this show this year is Dana Selliken, an artist originally from Washington who does wall painting as well as chainsaw carved wall art.

“I’ve always been intrigued by chainsaw carvers,” she said. “They have a lot of that kind of stuff there. When I met my boyfriend, I talked about how intrigued I was, and it was fun especially when you saw women doing it.”

Nine years ago, in the town she and her boyfriend were living in, there was a chainsaw carver who sold carved bears on the side of the road who was happy to teach her the craft.

“I was always good at art at school [and] I always loved art classes,” Selliken said. “I’ve tried a different variety of things to do, but this is my niche now.”

Her carvings range from loons, cardinals and flowers to pumpkins and ghosts. She also makes figurines and Halloween and Christmas ornaments using the clay she makes from the sawdust.

While multiple shows are held throughout the year and at different locations, Donohue says that the Milford show features the highest-end products.

“We change it up,” she said. “My motto is ‘Never the same show twice, but always just as nice.’”

Products include painted gourds, chocolate, ceramics, natural photography, cards with designs made from aluminum cans, pet products, furniture and upcycled lamps made from various materials like a pipe from a sink, a piece of a railroad track, or a handle from a dresser.

“What makes us different from your local craft fair is the quality of the products [and] the intricacy that goes into creating [them].” Donohue said. “I think that’s why people keep coming back year after year.”

The Great New England Craft & Artisan Show
Where: Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
When: Saturday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Featured photo: Art by Dana Selliken. Courtesy photo.

Under one roof

Original play shows family through the generations

By Renee Merchant
arts@hippopress.com

Two local playwrights, Toby Tarnow of Hollis and Ellen Cunis of Amherst, share a personal story about family, community and strong women in their original play The Big White House on Main Street. The play premieres at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts in Milford on Thursday, Oct. 19.

The play begins with two Italian immigrants moving to Massachusetts in the 1920s to pursue their dream of opening a cafe and starting a family. Spanning five decades, The Big White House on Main Street is a piece of historical fiction inspired by Cunis’s parents and grandparents, who all lived together in a big white house.

Cunis said her grandparents owned the house and it was split into four apartments. Her grandparents lived in one apartment, her family in another, and her aunts and uncles lived in the other two.

“It was a place of community … music, and laughter,” she said. “We would sit on the steps of the big white house and sing.”

While The Big White House on Main Street is not a musical, Cunis said that there is spontaneous singing and dancing throughout the play, echoing the musical traditions of her family during her upbringing.

Cunis began to write her story as a children’s book. When she shared it with Tarnow, whom she had worked with in the past, Tarnow recalls saying, “I can see it — it’s a play, let’s do it.”

“The only pieces [from the children’s book] that remain are some of the narration,” Cunis said.

During their writing process, Tarnow is often at the computer, capturing the story, while Cunis acts out the scenes, which they said can be an emotional experience.

“Then we’re both crying, and we’re both laughing,” Tarnow said. “We’re both living it.”

Tarnow said that she pictures the set, the lighting and the sound, and she adds those elements into the script.

“Our plays flow one scene into another and we use lighting to create our moods and our scene changes,” Cunis said.

“It runs like a movie,” Tarnow added.

In all of their plays, Tarnow directs while Cunis acts — a dynamic that shapes their storytelling process.

“Those personas will always be a part of who we are, so they come out in the play through the writing,” Cunis said.

Tarnow said she takes an actor-focused approach to directing.

“I want to see what they feel and how they want to express the character,” she said. It’s a process, she said, of trusting the actor to become the character and then fine-tuning it.

Instead of telling an actor what their character should do in a scene, Tarnow said she asks them questions like, “What is your goal in this scene?” to help them elicit genuine emotion.

In this play, Cunis is the narrator — a departure from her work in other plays in which she portrayed characters within the story.

“It’s very different for me because the narrator is outside of the story,” she said. “So the challenge is to feel it. It’s not just saying words or setting up the story; it’s actually feeling it in the moment, which presents a challenge because it can be emotional.”

Writing and producing this play, Cunis said, has been filled with personal reflection, and a journey into the heart of her past. “It takes me to a place of great appreciation for the simple things in life — for family, for living in that house — and sharing that experience with people.”

The Big White House on Main Street
When: Thursday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 21, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m., and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday
Where: The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford
Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors
More info: thebigwhitehouseonmainstreet.com

Featured photo: Tarnow, left, and Cunis, right. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/10/12

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

  • Art in the City: The Manchester Arts Commission is hosting an Open Studios & Art Walk on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participating galleries include Studioverne, Fine Art Fused Glass, Creative Framing Solutions, Mosaic Art Collective, See Saw Art, Brandy Patterson, Jason Baggetta, AR Workshop Manchester, Susanne Peterson Larkham and The Factory On Willow, according to the group’s Facebook page. Downtown visitors who find at least 10 of 14 pigeon mini-murals can also enter a drawing for gift cards to local businesses, according to a press release. Maps will be available for pick up in front of City Hall on Elm Street; an online map will be available on Saturday, Oct. 14, via the Commission’s Facebook page.
    Also, the Commission’s City Employee & Family Art Show is on display now at City Hall. The exhibit, which will run through Nov. 30, features works by dozens of artists — photos, paintings, ceramics and more, according to a press release.

Brigadoon
The Manchester Community Theatre Players will offer a modern take on the Learner & Lowe Broadway classic Brigadoon for the next two weekends. The show, which features classic songs like “Almost Like Being in Love” and “Bonnie Jean,” will run Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 22, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for ages 18 and under. Purchase tickets at mctp.info or at the door.

  • On stage this weekend: The Nashua Theatre Guild will present The Laramie Project Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua). The play tells the story of the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Wyoming, the aftermath and the trial of the men accused of killing Shepard, according to a press release. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 65+ and students; purchase tickets at nashuatheatreguild.org.

Versa-Style Dance
The Los Angeles-based Versa-Style Dance Company brings its blend of hip-hop, popping, lock, krump, salsa, merengue and cumbia dance styles to Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com) on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. Their latest show, “Freemind Freestyle,” is performed to remixes of hip-hop, classical and electronic music, according to a press release. Tickets cost $25.

  • Crafts and corn: The Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road (Route 155) in Lee; nhcornmaze.com, 659-3572) will host an Artisan Craft Fair Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out the handmade offerings from local artisans and then head to the farm’s corn maze, also open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the fair is free; admission to the corn maze costs $10 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 5 to 12 and for 65+ as well as military and college students (ages 4 and under get in for free).
  • Halloween craft: Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., junction of Routes 3 and 4, Boscawen; twiggsgallery.org, 975-0015) will offer a free Halloween make & take on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Mixed media artist Shela Cunningham will lead the activity making spooky bookmarks. The event is free with all of the materials supplied, according to a press release.

Lizzie
Dive In Productions will present the punk rock opera Lizzie, about Lizzie Borden and the murders of her father and stepmother, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) Friday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 5. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and students.

Music, dancing and kinky boots

The Palace Theatre presents Kinky Boots

Dancing, music and the iconic red boots will take the stage for The Palace Theatre’s production of Kinky Boots from Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5.

“Ever since the Kinky Boots musical was on Broadway [in 2013], it has just been one of those big, splashy, exciting musicals that many people would go see,” said Shane Hurst, the assistant director of the production at the Palace. “Time and time again it has proven to be, first of all, very entertaining and just a good musical, but then it also brings in a lot of different types of audience members. … It is a story of friendship, perseverance [and] about celebrating who you are and accepting other people.”

On the brink of bankruptcy, things don’t look great for Charlie Price and his men’s shoe factory. He fears he will have to close his doors, until he meets a drag queen named Lola.

“Through a series of circumstances they begin a friendship, and Lola tells Charlie that there is not a big retailer of drag queen professionally made boots,” Hurst said. “Charlie kind of has a spark in his brain and takes that back to the factory and says, ‘We can save the factory if we just pivot a little bit.’ Instead of making men’s shoes, which isn’t going so well for them, they rebrand and Charlie and Lola come up with the name ‘Kinky Boots’ and start manufacturing professionally made, sturdy, danceable drag queen boots.”

The musical, the book written by Harvey Fierstein and the music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, has won six Tony Awards and a Grammy. The Palace Theatre is pulling out all the stops with a video wall on the back wall of the theater, and a bigger-than-ever costume budget allowing for multiple costume changes, sequins, glitter, wigs and makeup, Hurst says.

“No matter who you are, you are going to find yourself on stage and relate to one of the characters in the show. I think it’s a show that very carefully changes an audience’s mind,” he said. “I think a lot of people are going to go in with the word ‘kinky’ and think it’s going to be a sexy, bold, brassy show — which it is — but behind all of that glitter is a lot of heart and a beautiful story about love and loving your neighbor.”

Kinky Boots
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
When: Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5; showtimes on Fridays are 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., plus Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Tickets range from $28 to $49

Featured photo: Kinky Boots dress rehearsal. Courtesy photos.

The Art Roundup 23/10/05

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

  • Just keep swimming: The Community Players of Concord will present their Children’s Theatre Project’s Finding Nemo Jr., with a cast of actors ages 7 to 16, on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $15 to the show that runs about an hour, according to communityplayersofconcord.org, where tickets are on sale now.
  • Book shopping: The Hudson Friends of the Library hold a book sale on the second Sunday of each month at the Hills Memorial Library building (18 Library St. in Hudson; 886-6030, rodgerslibrary.org). Do a little browsing Sunday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Book raffling: The Friends of the Bedford Library will hold their annual Books, Baskets and Beyond raffle. Buy 10 tickets for $10 or 25 for $20 and then select the baskets — featuring books, book-lover items and sweet treats — you hope to win. The raffle runs online through Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Find the link to the online form on the Friends’ Facebook page. There is also a raffle of a signed Tom Brady Patriots jersey, with tickets for that raffle selling for $10 per ticket.
  • Open studios, part 1: Get a peek inside artist studios in Peterborough, Dublin, Jaffrey and other Monadnock-region towns in the Monadnock Art Open Studios Art Tour this Saturday, Oct. 7, through Monday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A map to the 65 participating locations is available at monadnockart.org.
  • Season preview: The New London Barn Playhouse (84 Main St. in New London; nlbarn.org) will host a preview of the 2023-2024 Northern Stage Season’s productions with scenes from Selling Kabul, Constellations, The Play that Goes Wrong and a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, on Friday, Oct. 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Northern Stage is located in White River Junction, Vermont; see northernstage.org for more. The event is free and open to the public, seecenterfortheartsnh.org.
  • Theater insider: Kurt Steelman, founder of Steelman Productions in Keene, will be the “Stories to Share” speaker at the Jaffrey Civic Center (40 Main St. in Jaffrey; jaffreyciviccenter.com) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Steelman worked as a stagehand at his father Barry Steelman’s theater Cinema 93 in Concord; today his Steelman Productions provides management and labor for live events of every scale, according to a press release. The event is free; register to attend at bit.ly/3E35bsA. Or attend virtually via www.youtube.com/channel/UCvvRObxjqvVsgZ8iOP1UOEw/live.
  • Open studios, part 2: The Center for the Arts will hold a Lake Sunapee Region Open Studios Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, according to a press release. The studios of 17 local artists will be open throughout New London, South Sutton, Warner, Andover, Bradford, Springfield, North Sutton and Sunapee, featuring paintings, jewelry, photography, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture. There will be a kickoff event at Prospect Hill in Lake Sunapee Harbor on Friday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. featuring new art by current artists. “Open Studios brochures including the list of participating artists, locations, and contact information, as well as a map of the studios, are available to pick up at The New London Inn, Morgan Hill Bookstore, Tatewell Gallery, in New London, and at all artists studios. Visit the Center for the Arts website to view the interactive map to use during Open Studios weekend.centerfortheartsnh.org/open-studios,” the release said.
  • Artist reception: The exhibit “Seen and Heard” featuring works from the Women’s Caucus for Art Northeast Regional Juried Exhibition (nationalwca.org; see wcanh.org for more on the New Hampshire chapter) is currently on display at the Art Center (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; 978-6702, theartcenterdover.com). An artist reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, Oct. 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you can see the online gallery at theartcenteronlinegallery.com.

Art at the Currier

Current and upcoming exhibitions at the Currier Museum of Art

This fall the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester will present works by classic and current artists in a multitude of media and styles. “Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris,” which debuted on Sept. 7, will be joined by “Heart of a Museum” on Thursday, Oct. 19, and “Abstraction in the Currier Collection” on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“I think one of the great things about [‘Fabricating Modernism’] is not only is the art really wonderful, but it comes from a private collection from a person who put most of it together by himself,” said Kurt Sundstrom, a curator at the museum. “He promised the whole collection years ago as a gift to the Currier upon his passing. It was a great honor to work with him, to watch his collection grow and now for him to share it with us.”

The School of Paris refers to 20th-century artists who were from, or worked in, Paris.

According to Sundstrom, these artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, were key in innovating modernism. He says the exhibition explores the themes of modernism instead of focusing on a narrative.

“First of all there’s color theory,” Sundstrom said. “You don’t [have to] paint tree leaves green; you can paint them blue. If you want to … elicit an emotion you can use color that way also.”

He also notes how Picasso’s frustration with the two-dimensional canvas led him to develop cubism to portray three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface.

c“I think part of the strength of this exhibition … is that it provides context for the development of these different styles in conversation with each other,” adds Rachael Kane, curator of education and interpretation. “Prints are hard to display — they age really quickly in light, so we often can’t keep as much of our print collection out as we’d like to, so something like this is a really special moment to be able to see some of those artistic linkages between work that is already regularly on display around the museum.”

“Heart of a Museum” features work by artist Saya Woolfalk, whose career has shown interest in science fiction, empathy and imaginative human connection and often involves images of the human body, according to Kane. Her display will feature projections, hanging glass and ceramic objects and custom wallpaper to create an atmospheric quality that Kane says her work is known for.

“A lot of it relates back to this idea of wanting to establish this historically grounded and personal connection to the history of the institution,” she said. “I think a lot of her work is really personal for her [and] a lot of it is a reflection on how she sees herself and people like her reflected in these spaces and wanting to get at the heart of that in her own way.”

“Abstraction in the Currier Collection” will also feature work from underrepresented groups with a high proportion of art by female artists like Joan Mitchell. According to Kane, this show is a great opportunity to see the abstract work that the Currier has to offer that people don’t often get to see.

“This is an important time of year for the museum,” Kane said. “I think we’ll see a lot of really celebratory and special events connected to these shows and I think it’s such a range of material it really offers something for everybody.”

Cover photo: Pablo Picasso, Portrait de Jacqueline de Face II, 1962. Courtesy of the Currier Museum of Art.

Currier Museum of Art
Where: 150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144
Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays for Art After Work (when admission is free)
Admission: $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and student, $5 for ages 13 to 17, 12 and under get in for free

“Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris”
On view through Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024

“Heart of a Museum”
On view from Thursday, Oct. 19.

“Abstraction in the Currier Collection”
On view from Wednesday, Nov. 15

Taste and Art of Greece

Manchester shop brings Grecian goods to the Granite State

During a summer vacation in Greece, an American adolescent meets a Greek teen, creating a bond that will last a lifetime. It sounds like a movie, but it is in fact the true origin story of Taste and Art of Greece, an online shop that brings products made by small-scale Greek artisans to the Granite State with a new brick and mortar location on Hanover Street in Manchester, which was slated to open Sept. 27.

“Growing up Greek, we often went [to Greece] as children and I made some wonderful connections over the years, one particular person, Strati Vougiouka, who lives in the village where my father was born,” said Elaine Setas, who owns the shop along with Vougiouka.

After losing touch, the two reconnected as adults when Setas started regularly visiting Lesbos again with her husband.

“Strati started talking about a dream and a vision to open a traditional Greek store,” she said. “We did research for about a year and half, two years and what we saw were a lot of Greek shops … but they weren’t talking about what products meant, who is making the product or the meanings and traditions,” Setas said “So I said, ‘I don’t want to make a store that’s just selling products — let’s make something that tells a story.’”

At the time, Setas was working as an office assistant and thought this would be a great hobby to take on. The pair opened their online store, Setas handling the marketing and attending local Greek festivals, and Vougiouka working behind the scenes in Greece, dealing with the artists and organizing shipments. After a while, the business proved to be so much more than a side hustle, so when Setas was laid off from her office job, she jumped fully in and never looked back.

“We hear a lot at these festivals and things that we go to that we definitely stand out,” she said. “We’re not your typical Greek shop.”

The duo’s initial plan was to sell more food than they currently do, but they had to be selective with what they brought in due to the complicated nature of importing food into the States. As a result, they expanded the art side of things with blankets, clothing, jewelry, handbags and ceramics while also carrying pantry items like spices, infused honey and olive oil as well as chocolate.

“One of the biggest items with a story that resonates with many people [are the ceramic] pomegranates,” Setas said. “Pomegranates mean luck and prosperity in the home and at midnight on New Year’s Eve in Greece they step over the threshold of their door and smash a real pomegranate and the amount of seeds that scatter means the abundance of luck you’ll have.”

In addition, the shop also sells ceramic boats that symbolize charting a new path and honor the fishermen of the Greek islands, as well as hand painted, traditional sheep bells that Setas says carry a sense of nostalgia for summers spent in Greece. Each item comes with a card that explains its meaning.

“We have something for every person, every culture, every nationality,” Setas said. “Greeks are known in the world for their hospitality and our art and our culture and … our whole mission [is] to share that with the world.”

Taste and Art of Greece
Where: 32 Hanover St., Manchester
When: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Additional special hours will be posted on their website and social media pages.)
Visit: tasteandartofgreece.com

The Art Roundup 23/09/28

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

  • 93rd season: The Concord Community Concert Association commences its 93rd season with a performance at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord; theaudi.org) by Next Generation Leahy, a groups of siblings who play not only Celtic music but music influenced by French-Canadian step-dancing and more, according to thenextgenerationleahy.com, where you can see concert videos and hear their music. Next Generation Leahy will perform Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, at the door or at ccca-audi.org.
  • Icons: And speaking of the Audi, the Walker Lecture Series continues with “Secret Stories Behind Iconic Paintings” with Jane Oneail on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. which will look at works such as “American Gothic,” “Whistler’s Mother,” “Starry Night” and “The Nighthawks,” according to a press release. Doors open at 7 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.
  • Henniker Homegrown: The fall festival known as the Henniker Handmade & Homegrown event will run Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Henniker and feature more than 70 artists, crafters, farmers and food makers, according to a press release. The vendors will set up at the community center and park at 57 Main St., the release said. The event will also feature music including Joey Clark & The Big Hearts, the Danny Savage Band, Peabody’s Coal Train and Beechwood — all at the Angela Robinson Bandstand. The food truck offerings will include Taco Beyondo, TOLA Rose Italian Eatery, and Drink Positive NH, the release said. Parking will be available at the Henniker Community School. See henniker.org.

Music, eats and art
Head to the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org, 673-7441) on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 7 p.m., where you’ll find the New England rock band kNowhere Kids (pictured) — bring an instrument and join the jam session, according to the website — and the food truck Cedi’s Tasty Treats. The Institute is currently hosting three artists as part of its International Sculpture Symposium. See the website for more on the artists.

  • Autumn and crafts: Shop more than 75 juried craftsmen and artisans at the Autumn Festival on the Lake at Mills Falls Marketplace (Route 3 in Meredith) on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See castleberryfairs.com.
  • Family story: Amherst-based author Thomas Fisher will discuss his book Gifts from Prometheus at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. The book is “a true journey into his family’s past. A moving and compelling personal story of discovery concerning his family’s roots and his recounting of his grandfather’s life as a Black man ‘passing’ in mid-century Boston,” according to a press release.
  • Arts and foliage: Find both at the Deerfield Arts Tour on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. each day. Meet the artists at more than a dozen studios featuring painting, pottery, glasswork, fiber art, mosaics, jewelry, woodwork and more, according to deerfieldarts.com, where you can find the map of all the locations and a look at the works by participating artists.
  • News from the Count: See Matt Kirkland of Dracula Daily, a book that compiles the installments of an email newsletter that sent pieces of the novel Dracula, arranged chronologically, at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. No registration is required. The book includes artwork and memes from the newsletter’s subscribers, according to a press release.

Hand to God
“After the death of his father, meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry” — so begins the description of the play Hand to God by Robert Askins, which will be presented by the Actors Cooperative Theatre at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) starting Friday, Sept. 29, and running through Sunday, Oct. 15. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. “Hand to God explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind us,” according to the website, which notes that the production contains adult themes and language. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and students.

  • October at Balin: Balin Books (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; balinbooks.com, 417-7981) has events on its October hosting schedule. On Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m. author Kathleen Watt will discuss her book Rearranged: An Opera Singer’s Facial Cancer and Life Transposed with fellow memoirist Melanie Brooks. See kathleenwatt.com. On Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m., illustrator Beth Krommes (she did the images for Susan Marie Swanson’s The House in the Night) of Peterborough will discuss and sign the children’s book We Are Branches, by Joyce Sidman, which Krommes illustrated. See bethkrommes.com.
  • A tribute to Hollywood: Temple B’Nai Israel of Laconia (210 Court St. in Laconia; tbinh.org, 524-7044) will present The Jersey Tenors with “A Tribute to Hollywood” on Saturday, Oct. 28. The concert will benefit the Interlakes Community Caregivers, according to a press release. Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $40 at tbinh.org.
  • Visiting dancers: The Boston Dance Theater will present two performances of the Carol Kaye Project at the 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St. in Portsmouth; 766-3330, 3arts.org) on Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. This contemporary dance program celebrates one of the most prolific bassist-guitarists of all time, according to a press release. Tickets cost $25.

Art After Work
Get music and arts discussion at the “Art After Work” this Thursday, Sept. 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. (when museum admission is free) at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144). Folk singer-songwriter Halley Neal and bluegrass band Pretty Saro will perform, and a program at 6 p.m. will look at the exhibit “Distant Conversations: Ella Walker & Betty Woodman” (on display through Oct. 22). “Italian Connections” will feature Katarina Jerinic, collections curator at the Woodman Family Foundation, “offering insight into how Betty Woodman’s time in Italy influenced her singular approach to ceramic sculpture” as well as a presentation of Lorenzo Fusi, chief curator at the Currier, “highlighting the influence of Italian fresco on Ella Walker’s work” according to the website. Register for this program, which will be held in the Winter Garden Cafe, online.

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