Category: Featured Content

The Art Roundup 21/07/01

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

NHAA artists in Manchester: The New Hampshire Art Association recently partnered with Creative Framing Solutions, located across from the Palace Theatre at 89 Hanover St. in Manchester, to provide an additional venue for members to exhibit and sell their work. During July, the space will feature works by textile artist Cheryl Miller and painter Marianne Stillwagon. Miller creates fabric collages using hand-dyed cottons, batiks and vintage fabrics stitched by machine. Her exhibit, “Nature Up Close,” focuses on colors and symbolism in nature and a combination of abstract and realistic elements, incorporating birds, insects and flowers that symbolize hope and resilience. Stillwagon’s exhibit displays her paintings of the landscapes, wildlife and changing seasons of New England, and of South Carolina, where she has a second studio. An opening reception will be held on Friday, July 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 320-5988 or visit nhartassociation.org.

• Open doors to history: The New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord) has reopened its exhibition galleries to the public, according to a press release. Exhibits currently on view include “Discovering New Hampshire,” “White Mountains in the Parlor: The Art of Bringing Nature Indoors,” “No Longer Denied: New Hampshire Women Win the Vote” and others about New Hampshire history. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults and is free for members, kids age 18 and under, full-time students and active military personnel and their families. Masks are required in the building. Visit nhhistory.org or call 228-6688.

The New Hampshire Historical Society. Courtesy photo.

• Art downtown: Peterborough has its fifth annual Art Walk on Saturday, July 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Rain date is Sunday, July 4). More than 50 local and regional artists will be set up throughout downtown and Depot Park/Depot Square, showing and selling their work, including handmade jewelry, pottery, watercolor, fabric, wood carving, oil painting and more. There will also be live music in Depot and Putnam parks. “The fun of being outdoors in such a natural setting, meeting talented artists, meandering through unique shops and enjoying lots of food choices … will be a wonderful way to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday,” event organizer Pelagia Vincent said in an email. Visit facebook.com/depotsquare for a map and list of activities.

• Seeking directors: Manchester-based theater company Cue Zero Theatre Co. announced in a press release that it is looking for “directors with passion projects” to produce four mainstage productions and a number of side projects in 2022. The mainstage productions are scheduled for March, April, June and October of next year. Selected directors will work with the company to staff, fundraise, promote and produce the shows; and will have full access to all of the company’s resources for the show, including, but not limited to, sets, costumes, props, lighting, sound equipment, social media, artist database and base-funding. Directors can hold rehearsals at the Granite State Arts Academy in Salem or their own rehearsal space. Cue Zero will also consider playwrights looking to produce an original work and will pair the playwright with a director if needed. If interested, email your resume and a short letter of introduction that includes a statement about the piece you’d like to pitch to cztheatre@gmail.com. Interviews are being conducted now and will remain open until all four directors have been selected.

Featured photo: “This Day”, a textile work by Cheryl Miller. Courtesy photo.

Art

Exhibits

• “FRESH PERSPECTIVES” Exhibit features works by New Hampshire artists Peter Milton, ​Varujan Boghosian, Robert Hughes and others. New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford). On view in the Co-op’s Tower Gallery now through Aug. 31. Visit nhantiquecoop.com.

• “FASHION FORWARD: AFRICANA STYLE” Exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Visit saacc-nh.org.

• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “DON GORVETT: WORKING WATERFRONTS” Exhibit features more than 60 works by the contemporary Seacoast printmaker. The Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 12. Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.

• “TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM” Exhibit showcases New England painters and masters of impressionism Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley. On view now through Sept. 12. Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.

• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI – I BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.

• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email tsink@concordnhchamber.com.

• “TENSION: PROCESS IN THE MAKING” The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group presents an exhibit featuring fiber art and textiles by New Hampshire artists. July 24 through Sept. 4. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “SUMMER HAZE” Concord artist and gallery owner Jess Barnet hosts her first group art exhibit. Gallery located in the Patriot Investment building, 4 Park St., Suite 216, Concord. On view Aug. 6 through Sept. 3. Visit jessbarnett.com.

Fairs and markets

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• ARTS ON THE GREEN Arts and crafts fair will feature painters, potters, artisan jewelers, stained glass makers, bead workers, photographers and metal crafters. Presented by The Center for the Arts Lake Sunapee Region. Sunapee Harbor. Sat., July 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit centerfortheartsnh.org.

• CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR Nine-day craft fair featuring work by hundreds of juried League of NH Craftsmen members. Sat., Aug. 7, through Sun., Aug. 15. Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury). Visit nhcrafts.org.

• GREELEY PARK ART SHOW Annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Sat., Aug. 21, and Sun., Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 100 Concord St., Nashua. Visit nashuaareaartistsassoc.org.

Tours

• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Workshops and classes

• GENERAL ART CLASSES In-person art classes for all levels and two-dimensional media. held with small groups of two to five students. Private classes are also available. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Students are asked to wear masks in the gallery. Tuition costs $20 per group class and $28 per private class, with payment due at the beginning of the class. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.

• DRAWING & PAINTING CLASSES Art House Studios, 66 Hanover St., Suite 202, Manchester. Classes include Drawing Fundamentals, Painting in Acrylic, Drawing: Observation to Abstraction, Exploring Mixed Media, and Figure Drawing. Class sizes are limited to six students. Visit arthousestudios.org.

Theater

Auditions

• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Auditions held Tues., July 27. Granite State Arts Academy, 19 Keewaydin Drive, Salem. Performers must be age 18+. Signups for a time slot in advance are required. Visit cztheatre.com.

Shows

• BETRAYAL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Now through July 3, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $27 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

•​ PIPPIN The Seacoast Repertory Theatre PAPA Jr. presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through July 18. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• SLEUTH The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. June 30 through July 17, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, July 6, and Thursday, July 8, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 6, through Thurs., July 8, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). July 9 through Aug. 15, with shows daily at 7 p.m. More information is TBA. Visit prescottpark.org.

• PETER PAN The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 13, through Thurs., July 15, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• DANI GIRL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. July 14 through July 31, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

•​ ‘TIL BETH DO US PART The Majestic Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester. July 16 through July 25, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.

• WIZARD OF OZ The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 20, through Thurs., July 22, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

•​ CABARET The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. July 22 through Sept. 5. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• THE LITTLE MERMAID The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 27, through Thurs., July 29, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• TELL ME ON A SUNDAY The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. July 28 through Aug. 14, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Aug. 3, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 3, through Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• RAPUNZEL The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 10, through Thurs., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• CINDERELLA The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 17, through Thurs., Aug. 19, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

•​ MAD HAUS The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Sun., Aug. 18, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. The show is also available to livestream. Visit seacoastrep.org.

•​ HOOLIGANS AND CONVICTS The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Aug. 18 through Sept. 4, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Aug. 24, and Thursday, Aug. 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• SLEEPING BEAUTY The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 24, through Thurs., Aug. 26, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

•​ IT HAD TO BE YOU The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Sept. 1 through Sept. 18, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 4 p.m., plus matinees on Saturdays, Sept. 11 and Sept. 18, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• TRUE TALES LIVE Monthly showcase of storytellers. Held virtually via Zoom. Last Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., September through December. Visit truetaleslivenh.org.

•​ GLORIOUS The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Sept. 22 through Oct. 9, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Oct. 22 through Oct. 24. Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry. Visit cztheatre.com.

• THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW: A PUPPET PARODY at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Sat., Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

Foraging Memories

The elderberries are in full bloom. For my family they hold special significance as they remind us of my father-in law, who passed away almost four years ago.

My father-in-law loved his wild edibles. Every year at about this time he would drive along the country roads of Pickaway County in Ohio where he lived, keeping an eye out for elderberry flowers at the edges of woods and farmers’ fields. He’d carefully take mental note of their location so he could return later in the summer to forage for their magical berries. I’ve heard how he’d make elderberry wine with the berries — or how they’d get baked into one of his wife’s delicious pies. He also had many “adventures” getting stuck in ditches and battling poison ivy and always had colorful stories to share about his quest for those berries.

My husband has continued the elderberry passion, planting them on our property and harvesting them for all things elderberry. He also enjoys spotting them while driving around Manchester and New Hampshire, and talks excitedly about how they evoke memories, brighten up the drives and landscapes, and provide nectar and pollen for our local honey bees — another one of his passions, best left for another day’s column.

Most years, he and our daughter cook up a batch of elderberry syrup that is especially nice on yogurt and vanilla ice-cream. He has not yet forayed into making elderberry wine, but I suspect that is coming. The cooked berries regularly go into people’s smoothies and many live in the freezer for winter treats, once again reminding us of summer’s warmth and of fond times with my father-in-law. (Do note the tart berries can be toxic and should be cooked before eating!)

One of my less-favored consequences of working with elderberries are the inevitable purple-stained fingers that linger for days — and yet they, too, evoke “tasty” memories and trigger anticipation of the next elderberry treat that will be heartily enjoyed. (“Tasty” is a food adjective commonly and enthusiastically used by my husband’s family.)

I realize these little things we take for granted, such as flowers on the side of the road that we may not even notice most days, spark important and meaningful memories. What are the items or events that do the same for you? I hope we can all take time to appreciate and savor the little things that help bring meaning and sweetness to our life today.

My family and I are grateful for the generous gift of memories (and yummy treats) that the elderberries provide us today and every year. I wish the same for you and yours.

News & Notes 21/07/01

Covid-19 updateAs of June 21As of June 28
Total cases statewide99,32999,455
Total current infections statewide196155
Total deaths statewide1,3671,371
New cases186 (June 15 to June 21)126 (June 22 to June 28)
Current infections: Hillsborough County5525
Current infections: Merrimack County1311
Current infections: Rockingham County3235
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 19 new positive cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire on June 28. The state averaged 21 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period (June 22 to June 28), a 10-percent decrease compared to the previous week.

As of June 28, just over 730,000 Granite Staters — roughly 53.9 percent of the state’s population — were fully vaccinated. State-run vaccination sites were set to close on June 30, but vaccine doses are still available at hundreds of locations statewide, including at many hospitals, pharmacies, outpatient offices and community health centers.

The United States Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit filed by the State of New Hampshire against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to a June 28 report from WMUR, over income taxes collected from roughly 80,000 Granite Staters working from home for Massachusetts companies during the pandemic.

“This decision will have lasting ramifications for thousands of Granite State residents,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement on June 28 following the ruling.

State budget passed

On June 25, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 1 and HB 2 into law and issued the following statement: “Historic tax cuts, property tax relief, and Paid Family Medical Leave delivered all in one sweeping action is a win for every citizen and family in this state.” House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) applauded the actions, saying in a statement that the House passed a “historic budget that is balanced and fiscally responsible,” and that “Republicans delivered on tax cuts, reduced spending, education freedom, much needed mental health services and more without raising taxes or increasing spending.” NH House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) said in a statement that the budget includes more than $170 million in tax cuts and is “a major win for every single taxpayer in this state.” Democrats in the House disagreed. Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord), ranking Democrat on the House Finance Committee, said in a statement that the budget does not meet the needs of constituents and that cuts to vital programs and services will hurt the state’s most vulnerable residents. House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) said in a statement that the budget “harms our state by cutting education funding, raising property taxes, and forcing right-wing ideology on the people of New Hampshire.”

New Hampshire’s kids

Several state departments have recently announced programs and services designed to promote the quality of life of children and families throughout the state.

Mental health at camp: Community mental health centers in New Hampshire will be offering services at camps throughout the state this summer. According to a press release, the Department of Education and the Community Behavioral Health Association are using Covid-19 response funds to provide mental health training to camp counselors and will be on site offering mental health services at many camps in the state as well. These services are part of the Department of Education’s Rekindling Curiosity: Every Kid Goes to Camp program, which offers camp tuition support in an effort to get more kids outside and participating in normal activities to counteract some of the negative effects of the pandemic, the release said. The 10 community mental health centers in the state will each designate staff members to be on site at camps on a weekly basis, and camp counselors ages 14 and older will receive training to address basic mental health issues as well as any mental health crises that may arise.

Stabilizing child care: The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services will use federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to launch several new initiatives in the next few weeks, according to a press release, including stabilization grants to child care programs, workforce recruitment and retention efforts, and market rate increases for the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. All of the initiatives are designed to help residents who need access to child care return to work. According to the release, they include child care stabilization grants open to all licensed and enrolled license-exempt child care providers beginning July 12; child care scholarship increases for families enrolled in the NH Child Care Scholarship Program beginning July 12; child care workforce recruitment and retention efforts; a child care virtual job board; a pre-apprenticeship program to provide experience for people interested in a career in child care; and Open Your Home to Child Care, which will help people who are interested in becoming family child care providers and license-exempt home providers navigate the start-up process.

Charter school grants: The 2020-2021 federal charter school grant competition is now underway, with applications being accepted until 4 p.m. on July 22, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The grant funds will be used to start new public charter schools or to replicate and expand existing high-quality public charter schools and are being made available as part of the five-year, $46 million grant award the state received from the U.S. Department of Education in 2019. Over the next four years, the funds will aid in the creation of 20 new public charter schools and strengthen the existing charter school oversight infrastructure. According to the release, many of the state’s chartered public schools currently have long wait lists for student enrollment. Priority funds will be given to schools that target disadvantaged and at-risk student populations or that offer highly innovative models for advancing student achievement in a given field.

On Saturday, July 3, 13 New Hampshire communities will host readings of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech in which he asked, “What to the slave is your Fourth of July?” Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the readings will be held most locally in Concord, Hopkinton, Nashua, Manchester and Warner. For exact times and locations, visit blackheritagetrailnh.org or call 570-8469.

There’s a new splash pad and playground in Manchester. According to a press release, on June 25 the water features were turned on for the first time during an opening ceremony at Sheehan-Basquil Park Splash Pad and Playground, located at 297 Maple St.

A mosquito batch collected in Bow last week tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. It’s the first time JCV has been found in mosquitoes in New Hampshire, though there have been a few cases in humans, including in Bow in 2020. Testing mosquitoes for JCV has not been part of routine surveillance until this year, the release said.

The Nashua Board of Education announced on June 28 that Dr. Garth McKinney will continue to serve as Superintendent of Schools on an extended interim basis. The board sent a message to all district families and staff informing them that McKinney, who has served as interim superintendent since late January while former Superintendent Jahmal Mosley transitioned to a new job in Massachusetts, will continue in his role until June 30, 2022.

Travel the World

Your guide to a summer of books with exciting locales, thrilling adventures, mysteries and more

Travel the world this summer, even if you’re staying home. Whether you’re on a hammock in your backyard or sitting by the community pool, you can travel near and far with a book. This past year welcomed all kinds of new releases, from page-turning thrillers to thought-provoking memoirs and everything in between. To help you find the perfect read, we asked local library staff and indie booksellers to recommend some of their favorite titles of 2020 and 2021.

See the world

These recommended recent releases highlight different places and cultures throughout the world during both the past and the present.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, published June 2021.

After moving to New York City to finish her college degree, August finds family, romance and herself in an unexpected place: the subway.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “August grows into her own throughout this story with the help of so many wonderful people, with a true representation of New York City serving as the backdrop.”

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, published February 2021.

An intersection of two stories about two women from different places and times: in 1939, Odile is living her dream of working as a librarian at the American Library in Paris, until the Nazis march into town and threaten everything she holds dear; in 1983, Lily, a lonely teenager living in rural Montana, develops a unique bond with the reclusive elderly woman next door.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Interesting history — the 1939 storyline is based on true events — and themes of friendship, love and betrayal are a winning combination.”

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, published February 2021.

A 105-year-old man recounts his incredible tale, based on real events, of driving two giraffes that survived the New England hurricane of 1938 across the country to California, where they were given a new life as the first giraffes at the San Diego Zoo.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is a beautifully written book with characters that come alive.”

A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South, edited by Cinelle Barnes, published October 2020.

Writers living and working in the South reflect on the contemporary South and the complex challenges of race in southern culture in this collection of essays.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is an important work in understanding the experiences of others in a place far removed from New Hampshire.”

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper, published February 2021. 

After graduating high school, Marty leaves his small home town in Kentucky to pursue a career playing oboe in London, England.

Recommended by: Emily Fortin, Teen and Information Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “This is a sweet coming of age story, and you’ll be rooting for Marty as he finds his way in a new country.”

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, published October 2020.

Young Tien and his first-generation immigrant mother bond over a shared love of fairy tales as Tien seeks the right language to come out to his family as gay, and his mother looks back on memories of fleeing Vietnam and the connections she left behind.

Recommended by: Aidan Sonia-Bolduc, librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautiful comic about overcoming differences in culture and language for the sake of a mother and child’s love.”

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, published June 2021.

No one knew why the diplomatic Digby family defected to Russia in 1948. Four years later, Ruth, the twin sister of Iris Digby, is sent undercover by the CIA to retrieve them.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “High stakes, high adventure and moral quandary — it’s a true page-turner. Yes, Beatriz is my niece-in-law, but there’s no bias on this one.”

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy, published March 2020.

Eleven-year-old Maybelle sets out on a RV road trip to Nashville with her neighbor and the local bully, where she plans to compete in a singing contest being judged by the father she never met.

Recommended by: Patty Falconer, Children’s Librarianat Dover Public Library. “This summer adventure brings Maybelle lots of discoveries about herself and others.”

* The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott, published April 2021.

Synnott, a Jackson, New Hampshire, resident, tells the story of his 2019 expedition to try to find out whether explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine ever reached the summit of Mount Everest before they disappeared in 1924.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A great book for a hot day; you’ll appreciate reading about the freezing temperature the climbers endure.”

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey, published June 2021.

Perveen Mistry, India’s first female solicitor, battles conflicting religious and gender roles in 20th-century India as she investigates the death of a young Parsi student who had come to her for legal advice not long before.

Recommended by: Barbara Tosiano, Library Director at Hampton Falls Free Library. “While the series is entertaining, it is also insight into cultures and customs about which the reader might not be familiar.”

The Searcher by Tana French, published October 2020.

Ex-cop Cal Hooper looks forward to a quiet retirement when he moves from Chicago to a small town in the West of Ireland, but instead finds himself trying to find a missing person and discover the mystery behind a series of mutilations of local sheep.

Recommended by: Caitlin Loving, Assistant Director at Bedford Public Library. “I drop everything else I’m reading the minute French has a new book out. I read an advance copy of the book last summer, and I was completely transported.”

From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad War That Made the West by John Sedgwick, published June 2021.

The true story of William Palmer of the Rio Grande railroad and William Strong of the Santa Fe railroad, who were both determined to expand their rail lines into the American southwest in the 1870s.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “Well-told. It was a history unknown to me.”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, publishedOctober 2020

In 18th-century France, Addie, a young girl destined for an arranged marriage that she doesn’t want, makes a deal with the devil that spares her from the marriage but costs more than she bargained for.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “A great read for people who are romantic at heart and enjoy a book with a bit of magical realism, historical fiction and an unexpected but satisfying ending.”

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley, published May 2021.

A man steps off a train into a 19th-century French colony in England, with a mysterious postcard in his possession and no memory of who he is.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book manages to include time travel, alternative reality and historical events. … It was fascinating and unpredictable.”

* I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake: Sleepwalking, Insanity, and the Trial of Abraham Prescott by Leslie Lambert Rounds, published October 2020.

The story of a brutal murder that took place in rural Pembroke, New Hampshire, in 1833.

Recommended by: Tim Sheehan, Library Director at Pembroke Town Library. “Readers who enjoy true crime and local history will enjoy this book.”

Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued by Peter Sis, published January 2021.

Picture book tells the little-known story of Nicholas Winton, a man who saved the lives of nearly 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A great way to learn more of those troubling times … [and of] another hero.”

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts, published June 2021.

In 1954, after losing her farm in Maine, Annie Wilkins, with no money and no family, set out on a two-year-long pilgrimage across America to achieve her lifelong dream of seeing the Pacific Ocean.

Recommended by: Holly Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “The world was different then, but Annie Wilkins’ journey is still an inspiring one today.”

* Spirit of Place: The Making of a New England Garden by Bill Noble, published May 2020.

Noble, a self-taught garden designer, offers a guide to creating a garden in the New England landscape.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is full of inspirational photos and great ideas from his own garden in Vermont.”

Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods by Amelia Pang, published February 2021. 

The true story of an Oregon mom who is compelled to act after she finds a letter inside a package of Halloween decorations, written by a sweatshop worker in China pleading for help.

Recommended by: Amy Hanmer, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “This true life mystery/adventure inspires us to speak out and to stop supporting products from authoritarian countries that don’t value human life.”

Color your world

Mythographic Color and Discover: Frozen Fantasies: An Artist’s Coloring Book of Winter Wonderlands by Fabiana Attanasio, published January 2021. 

Adult coloring book filled with magical ice castles, snowy landscapes and wintery fantastical beings, and challenges to find secret items hidden in the pictures.

Recommended by: Yvonne R. Loomis, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “Yes, folks thought that the adult coloring phase was over, that is, until we were all in lockdown with time and stress on our hands. So consider this unusual and fun coloring book as a tool for self-care and relaxation.”

Fiction

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult, published September 2020.

As the plane Dawn is on is about to go down, the thoughts that come rushing to her mind are not of her husband, but of a man whom she hasn’t seen for 15 years.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Picoult explores the choices that alter the course of your life, [with] fascinating side information about death and dying and ancient Egypt. This is Picoult’s most complex book and, in my opinion, one of her best.”

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson, published March 2021.

Abigail is on her honeymoon on a secluded island with her new millionaire husband when a secret from her past upends her marriage and puts her life in danger.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “Rip-roaring thrillers/mysteries are my summer go-to … and Peter Swanson is my new favorite thriller writer. You won’t soon forget this story.”

Exit by Belinda Bauer, published January 2021.

Felix, a British man in the second half of his life and a member of an inconspicuous group that helps terminally ill people die with dignity, makes a horrible mistake with a ripple of consequences.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A delightfully quirky story that will keep your heart pumping throughout.”

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, published March 2020.

The story of the family William Shakespeare left behind when he went to London to write, produce and perform plays.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautifully written and fascinating novel about possibly the greatest author of all time.”

* The Languid Belly of the Beast by J.S. Carter Gilson, published September 2020.

In the second installment of the Deep Space Cargoist series by Nashua’s own Carter Gilson, old flames are rekindled and new dangers abound as cargoist Inez Stanton sets out to deliver a revolutionary-for-hire deep into the heart of the Free Earth’s capital.

Recommended by: Mary Ellen Carter Gilson, Reference Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “The writing is snappy, the characters are engaging, and the story just pulls you right in. … Yep, [the author] is my husband, but the books really are great!”

* Margreete’s Harbor by Eleanor Morse, published April 2021.

Set in the 1960s, the story follows a family that moves from Michigan to a rural coastal town in Maine to care for an aging mother.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “This wonderful Maine author beautifully intertwines dealing with Alzheimer’s, the pressures of marriage and work and the struggles unique to families during the Vietnam era.”

The Newcomerby Mary Kay Andrews, published May 2021.

On the run from her sister’s murderer, Letty tries to build a new life for herself and her niece and questions whether her new love interest, a local police detective named Joe, can be trusted.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is a perfect beach read — a well-written mystery with just a splash of romance and a happy ending.”

The People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, published April 2021. 

The dynamic between best friends Poppy and Alex starts shifting toward romance when they meet up for their 10th traditional summer trip.

Recommended by: Joanna Meighan, Library Assistant at Hampton Falls Free Library. “Summer is the perfect time for romance, and this book does not disappoint. Emily Henry’s characters are relatable, and the story is light and breezy.”

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, published October 2020.

In 1902, a series of mysterious deaths at The Brookhants School for Girls leads to a curse on the school that no one can seem to unravel.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This creepy and intriguing story kept me turning the pages … and the horror elements will keep you looking over your shoulder. This book will stick with you.”

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, published March 2021.

The second book in a fantasy duology following a young king as he battles a dark power growing inside him.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Ms. Bardugo is fun and easy to read. She takes the reader into her universe quickly, like J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series.”

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan, published June 2020.

A modern take on E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel A Room with a View that follows Lucie, a 19-year-old biracial woman who finds herself torn between two men and two cultures in a land of decadence and privilege.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Mr. Kwan also wrote the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I consider his books a classic beach read —humorous and quickly read.”

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver, published June 2021.

After seeing the long and taxing decline of their own parents’ physical and mental capacities toward the end of their lives, a healthy couple in their 50s make a pact to die with dignity and leave the world together once they turn 80. Fast-forward three decades, and the time has come, but they’re having second thoughts.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “This is the most difficult book to describe, but the most mesmerizing. Each chapter depicts a different outcome … and every outcome seems meant to be.”

The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin, publishedFebruary 2021.

This modern take on Edith Wharton’s 1911 novel Ethan Frome is based on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the rage it causes Zo and her group of fellow activists All Them Witches and the toll it takes on her marriage to husband Ethan.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “I read Ethan Frome in high school and found this story to be a great complement to that excellent book.”

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, published August 2020.

With a suicidal mother and a brother who died of a heroin overdose, Gifty, a Ghanaian immigrant working on a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Stanford, struggles to make sense of the suffering in the world and begins to question the evangelical faith in which she was raised.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “A moving account of a young woman’s attempt to achieve her own goals amid family strife.”

Nonfiction

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, published April 2021.

A memoir centered on the author’s relationship with her mother and her journey of self-discovery following her mother’s death.

Recommended by: Danielle Arpin, Library Assistant at Pelham Public Library. “Zauner does not hold back her complicated feelings about her family and her own identity.”

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard, published May 2021.

Simard, a forest ecologist, explores the lives of trees and their critical role in the circle of life and reflects on the connection between trees and her personal journey of self-discovery.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Simard tells her own story and the research that has forever changed how we view forests and their preservation. A very important book and a must-read for us all.”

Olive, Mabel and Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogsby Andrew Cotter, published October 2020.

Sports commentator Andrew Cotter tells the story of how his two dogs, Olive and Mabel, became part of his family and captured the hearts of people around the world with viral videos of their antics.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “As a dog-lover and owner of a few Labradors over the years, I found it really hilarious and touching. It’s a rare dog book where the dogs don’t die in the end.”

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee, published February 2021.

The author explores issues of income inequality, the Great Recession, environmental degradation and more to refute the idea that economic and social progress for one group is only possible at the expense of another.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “While the book exposes shameful racist practices that have, in fact, affected people of all colors, the final chapter presents hopeful suggestions for creating a more equitable society.”

Food

The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables – With Recipes by Lee Jones, published April 2021.

A recipe book featuring a wide variety of vegetable-based dishes, with chapters divided by different plant families.

Recommended by: Hillary Nelson, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The real glory of this book, to me, is the gorgeous photography. Who knew beet marshmallows could look so delicious? Or that there is a super-cute tuber called oka that looks kind of like a Pokemon and grows like potatoes?”

The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyoneby Joseph Tychonievich, published February 2021.

An easy-to-navigate guide for newbie vegetable growers that includes tips on how to find the best planting location, which vegetables are the easiest to grow, how to water, how to protect the plants from pests and more.

Recommended by: Bre’Anna Beard, Adult Services Assistant at Merrimack Public Library. “This book is both beautifully illustrated and very informative, and it’s an excellent reference for anyone looking to start their own vegetable garden.”

How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire by Steven Raichlen, published April 2021.

A recipe book with 115 creative dishes centered around grilled veggies.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “If you are trying to limit your intake of meat, this is the book for you. Vegetables are the stars of these dishes and always taste better when kissed by fire and smoke.”

Graphic novel

* The Great Gatsby: A Graphic Novel Adaptationby F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated and adapted by K. Woodman Maynard, published January 2021.

Woodman-Maynard, originally from Concord, gives new life to the 1925 classic.

Recommended by: Ryan Clark, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The illustrations are lovely, with a soft and warm color palette that is aesthetically pleasing to look at while still capturing the roaring-twenties-jazz-age tale of obsession and wealth and class.”

Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith, published in September 2020.

The first book in the children’s graphic novel series Pea, Bee & Jay, which follows the adventures of a pea, a bee and a blue jay.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Very colorful, unique, simple, funny books for kids to enjoy.”

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh, published February 2021.

Three mermaids turn themselves into humans so that they can go out drinking at the beach bars, only to realize the next morning that they don’t know how to return to their mermaid form.

Recommended by: Angela Sylvia, Library Technician at Bedford Public Library. “Kat Leyh’s vibrant art fills the mermaid trio and the human friends they make with distinct, lively personalities.”

Children’s

* Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, with contributions by Rebecca Green, publishedSeptember 2020.

Picture book adaptation of Montgomery and Green’s 2018 book How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals looks to animals for lessons about friendship, compassion and sharing the Earth.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A fascinating story [for] kids to learn about our world … and [how] to be a good citizen of the world.”

The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove, published June 2021.

Collection of poetry explores the ecosystem of dirt and the animals that inhabit it.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love it because it’s written as a ‘vertical’ book, giving the sense of going down, [and] includes lots of fun facts and thought-provoking poems.”

* Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden, published May 2021.

The Vermont-based author’s second middle-grade novel follows four seventh-graders struggling to affirm their identity as their families’ expectations of them are in direct conflict with who they are and who they want to become.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Such an important book for our times and one that every school should take up.”

The Lights and Types of Ships at Night by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Annie Dills, publishedOctober 2020.

Educational picture book explores different types of ships.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Simple yet factual and beautiful.”

* On the Farm by David Elliott, illustrated by Holly Meade, originally published March 2008, re-released as a picture book in April 2021.

Picture book adaptation of Elliott’s 2008 book of the same name evokes the sights and sounds of a traditional country farm through poetry and illustrations.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Awesome, feel-good poems that bring you to the farm.”

* Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna & Matt Forrest Esenwine, illustrated by Andres F. Landazabal, published March 2021.

Picture book, written in poetry, explores the natural world of the past and present.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner at MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Co-authored by Warner’s own Matt Forrest Esenwine, here is a wonderful picture book about the world before humans, inviting children to marvel in the magic that once was and to preserve and protect our only Earth.”

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler, published March 2021.

A look at how things are made and the work it takes to build a civilization.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A very creative way to show children how things are done from the bottom up [and that] things don’t magically appear. I like that it gets them to think about what they might want to do.”

Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, illustrated by Paul Barr, published March 2021.

A wilderness survival guide for kids, with practical skills and activities to try at home.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love the idea of getting kids more involved outside and learning how to survive without being plugged in.”

Young adult

City Spies by James Ponti, published March 2020.

The first book in Ponti’s middle-grade series of the same name, which follows a group of five delinquent kids recruited by a spy agency.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “It was so well-written. I didn’t want to stop reading, and it kept me wondering how it would turn out.”

Legendborn by Tracy Deon, published September 2020.

Arthurian legends and Southern Black Girl Magic converge in this contemporary fantasy, which follows Bree, a student at a residential program for high schoolers, as she grieves the death of her mother.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book has a little bit of a slow start, but once I began to learn about Bree, her family, and her power, I was hooked.”

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published September 2020.

Avery Grambs receives a mysterious inheritance from Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire she never knew, but can only keep it under the condition that she reside at the Hawthorne estate. There, she and the Hawthorne brothers work to solve a series of riddles to discover why she was named heiress.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book was impossible to put down and kept me guessing until the very end.”

Creature Feature

New Art Fest celebrates pets and farm animals

Art and animals are brought together at the first-ever Art Fest at Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, happening Saturday, June 26. The outdoor event will feature booths with local artists and animal organizations, live animals, a make-and-take craft and more.

“Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws” exhibit. Courtesy photo.

“We’ve always had small things at the gallery, like an artisan who comes and sets up a little booth, or some sort of make-and-take craft for people to do,” gallery director Laura Morrison said, “but this is the first time we’ve really expanded everything into one big full-day event.”

Six New Hampshire artists and craftspeople will show and sell their work at the Art Fest: Melanie Deshaies, who creates watercolor paintings focused on nature; leatherworker Diane Louise, whose work includes belts, dog collars, leashes, bracelets and more; Cheryl Miller, a textile artist who crafts machine-stitched fiber collages with hand-dyed fabrics and paper; jewelry maker Jo Shields, who specializes in organic sculptural jewelry inspired by nature; Keira Chin, a glass artist who makes glass whimsical beach scenes; and Ty Meier, a pen-and-ink artist.

Meier, of Hopkinton, will be selling his greeting cards, which feature unique animal designs like a squirrel playing the violin, two crows in love and a snail with a fairy house on its back, and he’ll be taking orders for custom pet portraits, a service he started offering during the pandemic that has received a lot of demand, he said.

“I’ve developed a style with pen-and-ink and watercolor, doing almost tattoo-y kind of designs, so it’s a little bit different than your typical pet painting,” he said. “I especially love to do ones where the pet is doing something cute or is flopped over or in some weird pose.”

Two local animal nonprofits will have information booths and pets for people to meet: Pope Memorial SPCA will be there from 10 a.m. to noon and will have a donation bin set up on site collecting canned dog food, dry cat food, soft dog treats, cat toys, small animal toys and durable dog toys; and For the Love of Dog Rottweiler & Pitbull Rescue of New Hampshire will be there from 1 to 3 p.m.

Additionally there will be free draft horse cart rides on the field by the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m., as well as a demonstration by the 4-H Steer Club.

Inside the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. visitors can do a free paper pet make-and-take craft. Using one of the pet portraits provided or a small picture of their own pet’s head (about 1.5 inches wide) that they bring, they can create a paper doll version of their pet.

“We have pictures of different dogs, cats and birds that we cut out … and old paper doll patterns to match them up with, so people can dress up their pet in a fashionable wardrobe,” Morrison said. “It’s a fun little craft.”

Attendees can also take part in “Route 3 Art Trail – Rocks!” a community art project organized by Twiggs and Concord arts organizations Making Matters and Kimball Jenkins. The project invites people to paint “kindness rocks” that will be placed randomly throughout the community. Rocks painted at Twiggs will be put on display in an installation circle outside the gallery until they get distributed this fall.

The Art Fest coincides with the gallery’s new animal-themed art exhibit that’s on view now through July 18.

“We tied it all together,” Morrison said, “and I think that will give a good boost to the exhibit.”

“Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws” showcases paintings, drawings, prints, photography, jewelry and artist books by nine local artists reflecting on the world of domesticated pets and work and farm animals.

“For about a year now, I’ve been thinking it would be fun to do a pet art show, and to expand it to also [include] other domesticated animals people have at home, like farm animals and work animals,” Morrison said.

Meier has two of his works in the exhibit: one depicting a chicken under a sunrise, and the other a goat against a backdrop of a sun-and-moon symbol.

“I love drawing goats because there’s a lot of crazy mythology … and history behind them,” he said. “I put a lot of that ancient mythology-type symbolism and stuff like that in my art.”

“[The exhibit] is definitely quite an eclectic mix of styles and mediums,” Morrison said.

In addition to the exhibit, the gallery has on display “Our Village Square … a Celebration,” an accordion-style sculptural artist book created collaboratively by members of Artists’ Meeting Point, an artists group that normally meets at Twiggs, over virtual Zoom meetings during the pandemic.

“They did it all together; each artist took one panel in the book,” Morrison said. “When you fold it all out, it looks like a little village.”

Morrison said she’s looking forward to having Twiggs engage with the community on a larger scale.

“We just love connecting and sharing local art and artists with people,” she said. “If all goes well, we hope to continue to do the Art Fest every year.”

Art Fest at Twiggs Gallery

Where: 254 King St., Boscawen
When: Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Cost: Free
More info: Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

“Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws” exhibit
On view at Twiggs now through July 18. Regular gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Featured photo: Art by Ty Meier, on display in the exhibit. Courtesy Photo.

Luca (PG) | The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (R)

Luca (PG)

A young sea creature explores land and makes friends in Luca, an animated Pixar movie about a lot of things that I would lump in the “growing up” category.

I think Luca might be part of a good double feature with Inside Out, another Pixar movie about moving from little kid to an older and more aware phase of life. Where that movie was focused on the internal mechanics of that process — what does it feel like to grow and change and accept sadness and bittersweetness as part of life — Luca feels more like the external mechanics of growing up, learning to take chances but also take care of yourself, be a part of your family but still separate from your family, find friends who share your values, stand up for what you know is right and make things right when you make a mistake. How to approach and operate in the world feels like the broad ground covered in Luca.

Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) is a young sea creature (picture a water dragon crossed with a sea monkey but in bold tropical colors) who lives with his family in the bright sapphire-blue waters off the Italian coast. He spends his days herding the family’s flock of sheep-like fish — at least that’s what his mother (voice of Maya Rudolph) and father (voice of Jim Gaffigan) think he’s doing. His grandmother (voice of Sandy Martin) sees the gleam of curiosity in his eyes when she tells stories of visiting the human town on land where sea creatures, when dry, transform to look like people.

When Luca finds a few human items that have fallen off a fishing boat, he is intrigued. He meets Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), a fellow kid sea creature and collector of all manner of human stuff. Hesitantly, Luca follows Alberto to the surface. After Luca gets the hang of walking with legs, he and Alberto spend time hanging out on a small island where Alberto lives, building rickety but (briefly) ride-able Vespa-like contraptions and dreaming of the day when they can get a cherry-red scooter and ride off together to see the world.

Soon, however, Luca’s parents find out what he’s been doing and they’re terrified and angry — humans have a long history of killing sea creatures, and land is no place for someone like Luca, who turns blue and green anytime water splashes on him. To keep him safe, they say, they’re sending him to the deep with weird, see-through uncle Ugo (voice of Sacha Baron Cohen).

Luca is definitely not interested in a life eating passing bits of whale carcass and listening to Ugo’s stories in the dark, so he takes off. He and Alberto decide to go where they’re certain Luca’s parents will never look — the human town.

The human town, which is called Portorosso (on, as the Disney Wiki explains, the Italian Riviera; circa, based on music and television snippets, maybe 1950s-early 1960s?), is a bright and sunny place with a disturbing amount of fish-spearing imagery. The boys get a glimpse of a real Vespa, a thing of beauty owned by the boasting, bullying teen Ercole (voiced by Saverio Raimondo). Ercole turns his viciousness on Luca and Alberto when a ball Luca kicks accidentally hits Ercole’s scooter. Before Ercole can dunk them in the town fountain (which would make their sea creature secret visible to all), they are rescued by Guilia (voice of Emma Berman), a plucky red-haired girl who is Ercole’s fiercest competitor in an annual triathlon. Guilia has never won, in part because she has always competed alone in the swimming/pasta-eating/biking competition and tends to spend the bike ride puking, but she is determined to end Ercole’s reign of kid-terror.

The race comes with prize money — money, as Alberto and Luca figure out, that can be spent on a not entirely decrepit used Vespa — and the three kids decide to team up and work together to try to beat Ercole.

Luca is a truly beautiful movie with lots of bright sunny colors, both in the rendering of the sea creatures and in the richly illustrated vacation poster settings. It’s fun — with a sense of adventure and a kind of boisterousness that isn’t Peter Rabbit 2-style jokey but does keep the energy up. Luca’s thoughtfulness doesn’t weigh down its funness.

And there is a lot of deeper thinking going on here. As much as the blowhard Ercole is the movie’s main antagonist, the movie’s true villain is probably something like fear — fear of people who are different, fear of the unknown, fear that keeps you from standing up for someone. Learning how to deal with different types of fear and how to respond is the real quest that Luca goes on. He easily faces the parent-instilled fears of going to the surface, but other kinds of fears prove harder to navigate. There is also a bit about learning to be yourself and make decisions for yourself, not just following what parents or friends want but also figuring out how to make your own way while still keeping your parents and friends close. It’s a lot of stuff, some of it rather subtle, to be happening in one cartoon that’s not quite two hours long, but I feel like Luca does a good job of setting the scene for the things it’s putting out there for moviegoers to consider (moviegoers of all ages; as much as Luca and Inside Out are about kids, I always feel like there’s a good bit to consider for parents as well). The movie leaves you with good feelings and plenty to talk about without presenting pat answers to big “how to live life” questions.

Luca feels like a more subdued kind of Pixar movie than, say, the big extravaganza-like franchises of Toy Story or Cars. But it has that quality of a really good storybook, with lots of elements that will stick with you long after the movie is over. A

Rated PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Enrico Casarosa with a screenplay by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, Luca is an hour and 36 minutes long and distributed by Walt Disney Studios on Disney+.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (R)

Remember that Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L. Jackson/Salma Hayek movie from 2017? It was an action comedy that used shooting and swear words in a way that felt like they were placeholders for dialogue nobody got around to writing? Vaguely? Well that movie was called The Hitman’s Bodyguard and now it has a clunkily named sequel: The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

And now I know I’m really back at the movies. For other films I’ve seen at theaters since March 2020 I was often at least as aware of my surroundings as I was of the movie itself. Or the movie I was watching was loaded with some kind of “the movie that will save cinema” importance. But with this movie, with this gloriously not-quite-good-enough-to-be-mediocre movie, I was just in a theater, frequently bored and regularly checking my watch. What, it’s only been five minutes? Sigh. And, just like that, a bit of normality returns.

That the 2017 first film (in what I really hope isn’t a franchise) was sorta half-baked and leaned too much on general loudness is something I only remember because I recently reread my review. I don’t think this movie expects you to remember all that much about plot or character. Generally: Michael Bryce (Reynolds) is a Type A bodyguard who lost his license and top shelf status due to the assassination of a client by Darius Kincaid (Jackson), a top-flight hitman. For convoluted reasons, Bryce (in the first movie) had to protect Kincaid so he could testify in a war crimes trial. Sonia (Hayek), Darius’s wife, is a con woman and just sort of loud and big in a way the movie clearly finds hilarious.

Here, a despondent Michael, still unable to regain his bodyguard license, is advised to take a violence-free sabbatical and therefore goes to Italy to relax by the ocean and think self-affirming thoughts. It’s there, with his eyes closed and noise-canceling headphones keeping out the sound of bullets flying and people screaming, that Michael is found by Sonia. As she’s chased by, er, I forget who exactly, she grabs Michael and drags him along with her. Darius has been kidnapped and she wants Michael’s help finding him. Micheal doesn’t want to help and is determined not to handle any guns or perpetrate any violence but he eventually goes along.

Meanwhile, discount Bond villain Aristotle Papdopolous (Antonio Banderas) is trying to steal the information that will allow him to plunge all of Europe — except for Greece — into chaos by destroying its power grid. Interpol, in the form of a Boston detective (or something? He mentions Boston a lot, it’s weird) named Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo), is trying to chase down the group behind an attack on the power grid in Croatia, which was a sort of demonstration for Aristotle. When Darius gets mixed up with (and then kills) someone O’Neill was using as an informant, O’Neill uses the threat of arrest to force Sonia, Darius and Michael to be part of a sting to capture a MacGuffin that will lead them to Aristotle.

This movie doesn’t take itself all that seriously and occasionally leans in to the absurdity of its characters and story just enough to have a moment of cleverness or genuine (stupid but enjoyable) humor. A lot of other times, though, it just hangs a whole scene on, like, Samuel L. Jackson’s laugh or Salma Hayek spinning off in high-energy anger. This movie’s three leads are very much reduced to their one or two character actions — Hayek is basically a violent tornado or weirdly trying to be motherly, Jackson is being “a Samuel L. Jackson character” and Reynolds is doing a flatter, more anxious turn of his Deadpool patter. You get the sense that somebody wanted to shoot a movie in Italy and then this sequel was sort of reverse engineered from there. This movie has car chases and characters shooting at people in helicopters and yet it frequently feels slow; it’s only an hour and 39 minutes long but it often feels like it is just grinding through those minutes like a weak blender through large chunks of ice and frozen strawberries, never quite making it to smoothie territory. C-

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexual content, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Patrick Hughes with a screenplay by Tom O’Connor, Brandon Murphy and Phillip Murphy, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is an hour and 39 minutes extremely long and distributed by Lionsgate.

Featured photo: Luca

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