Category: Visual Arts

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

• Childhood memories: Nashua Theatre Guild presents the New Hampshire premiere of Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a play by Katie Forgette, on Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua). The story is a “bittersweet memory play about a Catholic childhood in the 1970s … a gently funny, often hilarious and touching production directed by Vicky Sandin,” according to nashuatheatreguild.org. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 65+, students and military.

• Our Town: Tickets are on sale now for the Community Players of Concord’s Thornton Wilder’s Our Town on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 4, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 17 and under and 65+. See communityplayersofconcord.org

• Basket making: Ruth Boland will hold a series of basket-making classes (three eight-week sessions) for all levels, beginners included, starting Tuesday, April 29, in Nashua. The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For a fee of $200, attend any 10 classes during the session including multiple classes during a week, with additional classes available for $10 per class or for $32 per class attend individual classes, according to an email. Email [email protected] to register or for additional information.

• Playreading: Theatre Kapow’s ARTiculate series returns with a live reading of the play Bauer by playwright Luren Gunderson on Sunday, May 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org). The play “tells the visceral and true story of forgotten modern artist Rudolf Bauer, struggling with his fading place in the history of art,” according to the Currier’s website. After the reading, there will be an “expert-led conversation in the galleries inspired by the themes of the play and the Currier’s latest exhibition, ‘Nicolas Party and Surrealism: An Artist’s Take on the Movement,’” the website said. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for 65+ and students and $15 for ages 13 to 17. See currier.org.

Jack of Diamonds
Majestic Productions will present Jack of Diamonds, a comedy about four residents of a retirement home trying to regain their savings stolen by a crooked financial adviser, on Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 26, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net). Tickets cost $15 to $20.

• Play fest: The Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org) will present Dionysia: A Festival of Short Plays Friday, April 25, through Sunday, April 27, with shows on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and shows on Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

• Summer show: Disney’s Freaky Friday will be the summer musical appearing on the Wilcox Main Stage of the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth Friday, June 20, through Sunday, Aug. 10. Show will be most Thursdays through Sundays at 7 p.m. Matinees will be announced later this season. Reservations opening in May. See prescottpark.org.

• Craft classes: The Meredith League of NH Craftsmen has several upcoming classes, according to a press release. On Sunday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. it’s an Advanced Stained Glass Class with artist Sue Ries; tuition is $55 plus a $45 materials fee. On Wednesday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. it’s a Mini Textile House Workshop with artist Cheryl Miller; tuition is $50 plus a $25 materials fee. On Saturday, May 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., it’s a Nuno Felted Scarf Workshop with artist Melinda LaBarge held at the Meredith Community Center; tuition costs $68 plus a $25 materials fee. Also May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., it’s a Fun with Felt class; tuition costs $45 plus a $20 materials fee, the release said. The Meredith League of NH Craftsmen Fine Craft Gallery is at 279 DW Highway in Meredith and call 279-7920 to register; see meredith.nhcrafts.org/classes.

• Mother’s Day concert: St. Peter’s Church (Mammoth Road at 3 Peabody Row in Londonderry) will hold a “Contemporary Baroque” chamber music concert with the Brandenburg and Beyond ensemble on Sunday, May 11, at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public (donations accepted), according to a church email. “You will hear classic baroque works including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, themes from Masterpiece Theatre … and many others,” the email said. See stpeterslondonderry.org and brandenburgandbeyond.com.

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

• Art Off the Walls: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is kicking off a new “Art off the Walls” evening event series on the third Thursday of each month, starting with Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. when admission is free, the band Pickleback Jack will perform and gallerist Bill Stelling will discuss the 1980s New York City art world, inspired by the Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ouattara Watts exhibit, which will close Feb. 23, according to the website. The Winter Garden Cafe will be open during the event.

• Free jazz: The Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) will present “Sittin’ In & Groovin’ Out: An Evening of Jazz with Metta Quintet featuring the Concord High School Jazz Ensemble” on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. The event, part of the Gile Concert Series, is free; reserve tickets online.

• Hatbox carries on: The Hatbox Theatre (hatboxnh.com) doesn’t have a physical location but it is presenting monthly shows “Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard” on select Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Kimball Jenkins carriage house, 266 N. Main St. in Concord. The next show is Wednesday, March 19. The Hatbox is also looking for singers for an upcoming production of An Evening Wasted (… with Tom Lehrer) in April; contact [email protected], according to a Facebook post.

• Art and nature: The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org) will open the exhibit “Simply Nature” on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to run through Saturday, May 3. The exhibit features a small portion of photographer Pierre Garand’s catalog of nature photography. An artist reception will be held on Thursday, March 6, 4 to 6 p.m.

At the Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn), the Manchester Artists Association is partnering on “Nature’s Gallery,” an art exhibit to “celebrate creativity and nature’s beauty” via pieces in a variety of media from 15 local artists, according to the website. This exhibit will run from Thursday, March 6, through Friday, April 25. Both McLane and Massabesic centers are open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Jury duty: Bedford Off Broadway is holding auditions for 12 Angry Jurors, the company’s spring show, which will be performed June 6-8 and June 13-15, according to a press release. Rehearsals are Sunday afternoons and Monday and Wednesday nights. Auditions will be Monday, March 10, and Tuesday, March 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bedford Town Hall (70 Bedford Center Road, across the street from the public library) and will consist of cold readings, “monologues are appreciated,” the release said. Contact [email protected] with questions.

• Paint! The Center for the Arts, 428 Main St. in New London, has several painting classes on the schedule. “Beginner Paint with Zoey Parys” will run Monday, Feb. 24, from noon to 4 p.m at 428 Main St. in New London. Paint on a 5-inch by 5-inch canvas with oil paints (materials provided); cost is $35 per person. “Perfecting Birches with Kim Schusler” will be Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, 428 Main St. in New London, and feature instruction in painting birches using watercolor; BYO supplies. Cost is $35. A four-week “Oil/Acrylics Fundamental Painting Approaches with Tatiana Yanovskaya-Sink” class will run Tuesdays, March 1-25, from 9 a.m. to noon; the cost is $300. Also in March, “Painting Spectacular Flowers in Watercolor with Robert O’Brien” will run Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; cost is $120 plus materials. See centerfortheartsnh.org/classes.

• On stage: Described as a “darkly comic, atypical love story,” Gruesome Playground Injuries will run at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; 436-8123, playersring.org) Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 16 — 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $29, $26 for students, 65+, military and first responders.

• Fairest of them all: Southern NY Youth Ballet will present Snow White at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) on Sunday, March 30, at 1 and 4 p.m. The show is “appropriate for children and young ballerines of all ages” with an approximately 90-minute runtime and a brief intermission, according to a Palace email. Tickets cost $24 to $29. Tickets to a pre-show tea with Snow White cost an additional $20. The tea starts 45 minutes before showtime.

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

• Look within: The Women’s Caucus for Art/New Hampshire and Kimball Jenkins present “The Invincible Within” Saturday, Jan. 18, through Thursday, Feb. 27, at Kimball Jenkins Carriage House and Mansion (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com). The exhibition will feature nearly 75 pieces including paintings, printmaking, photography, fiber art, sculpture and other media, according to a press release. The exhibition is on view on Wednesdays (Jan. 22, through Feb. 26, except for Feb. 5) from 2 to 6 p.m.; Thursdays (Jan. 30 through Feb. 27, except for Feb. 6) from 4 to 6 p.m.; Friday, Feb., 7, from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Jan. 18, Feb. 1 and Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and as part of the reception on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., the release said. The exhibition will also be on display during the Concord Garden Club’s “Art and Bloom” show on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 2 to 7 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• MLK Celebration: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will hold its “Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day” on Monday, Jan. 20. The museum will be open, free admission, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The day will “celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., the vision of Black American artists, and the power of self-expression,” and is hosted in partnership with volunteers from the Racial Unity Team with the support of Citizens, according to the museum’s website. The day will feature an educator-designed art activity; tours of Black American artists in the museum’s collection; a presentation from Dr. Kenneth Nivison, history professor at Southern New Hampshire University, on “The Promissory Note: Selma, Voting Rights, and the Work of Equality,” and spoken-word poetry performed by Manchester West High School students, the website said.

• Winter exhibit: Four new artists have their works on display at the Sandy Cleary Community Art Gallery in the lobby of the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com). The winter artists are Kathy Bouchard, Rebecca Fredrickson, Carolyn Maul and Denise Thompson-Coutu, according to a Facebook post from the Center.

• Author visit: Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, author of 2015’s The Sunlit Night (which was made into a movie starring Jenny Slate) as well as 2020’s Hex and a 2012 collection of poems called Lofoten, will speak at the Monadnock Writers’ Group’s monthly speaker series on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 9:45 a.m. at Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St. in Peterborough, according to a press release. See more about the author at rebeccadinersteinknight.com. The event is free and open to the public; see monadnockwriters.org.

• Movement: Truepenny Arts will hold a workshop on “Power and Presence Through Bone Awareness” on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The workshop will be facilitated by Truepenny’s Michael Cobb, according to an email notice that describes it this way: “Our bones provide a physical foundation to draw upon for acting, performance, presentation and life. Come explore and revitalize your relationship with your skeletal structure!” The workshop is designed for ages 16 and up and will be held at Diamond Rolfing & Movement Studio (210 N. State St. in Concord); the cost is a suggested $30. Email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

• Camera photography: “More Exploring Photography,” a six-week series led by local photographer Alan MacRae, will take place at The Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. East in Laconia; 524-8813, belknapmill.org). The series starts Thursday, Jan. 30, and runs Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The class “will be an adventure looking at different areas of photography, structured around the interests of the group members,” according to a press release. Bring a camera (not a cell phone camera) that allows you to adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings, the release said. Register at belknapmill.org/classes. The cost is $200, according to the website.

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

• Baroque Beatles: The Concord Community Music School hosts Bach’s Lunch: “A Baroque Beatles Renaissance,” a lecture, on Thursday, Jan. 2, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. “Travel through time” as Cody Switzer and Emily Adams discuss similarities between the music of the English Renaissance (which includes John Dowland, William Byrd and Thomas Morley) and that of The Beatles. They will discuss how lute songs, as well as the music of Lennon and McCartney, translate well to solo voice and guitar, with plenty of musical examples and stories, according to the press release. This event is free and open to the public, “thanks in part to the generosity of the Walker Fund.” Visit ccmusicschool.org.

• History of the American poor house: Stephen Taylor presents “Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers”on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Charlie’s Barn Loudon Community Building (29 Village Road, Loudon). Early Northeastern colonies followed the lead of England’s 1601 Poor Law, which led to the establishment of alms houses and poor farms and, later, county institutions. Taylor will examine how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down. Call 783-0307 or visit nhhumanities.org.

• New on staff: TheBarnstormers Board of Directors announced the appointment of Jordan Ahnquist as the new Artistic Director of The Barnstormers Theatre heading into their 2025 season. In addition to working as a director and actor over the past 13 years, he worked closely with the board and artistic staff, finding new grant opportunities, enhancing patron engagement, and contributing to the theater’s growth in the role of Development Associate, according to the press release. Visit barnstormerstheatre.org or call 323-8500.

• Landscape show: Starting on Friday, Jan. 3, The New Hampshire Audubon at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) will be hosting the exhibit “Painting the Natural Landscape Exhibit” from artist Diane Crespo. It will run until Saturday, Feb. 22, according to the NH Audubon calendar. Crespo is a landscape painter living in southeast New Hampshire and she earned her BFA from New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2011, according to the event’s website. Prior to pursuing a fine art degree she painted only with pastels, and now she paints primarily in oils and pastels and commonly paints over acrylic under-paintings or tonal under-paintings with oil paint, according to the website. Her paintings can be viewed at Diane Crespo Fine Art (27 Front St., Exeter; dianecrespofineart.com). Visit nhaudubon.org or call 224-9909 for more information on the exhibit.

• On stage: The Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) will start the new year with Whispering to Dostoevsky Friday, Jan. 3, through Sunday, Jan. 19. The play was written and directed by Richard McElvain, who said in a statement, “The Players’ Ring feels like a good place to give my wacky play a first full production. … It’s a ‘big play.’ At the readings audiences gave it standing ovations with tears in their eyes. I’m very curious to see if that will be the case with a full production.” Find out for yourself on Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; as well as Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $26 to $29 and the show is included in subscription packages. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

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

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

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

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

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

• Still some Nutcracker: The Nutcracker season is not over yet. Ballet Misha will present The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 and 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Ballet Misha’s production is performed by professional dancers in the company, as well as apprentice company members and students at its affiliate school, Dimensions in Dance, according to a press release. The cast consists of more than 130 dancers who have rehearsed for months for this production involving hundreds of vibrant costumes, five beautiful sets and the music of Tchaikovsky, according to the press release. Tickets cost $30 to $35. Visit tickets.anselm.edu to purchase tickets online or call 641-7700.

The New Hampshire School of Ballet presents a full-length version of The Nutcracker on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (14 Canterbury Road, Concord). Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $25. There will be an additional performance on Sunday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St.,Manchester). Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased at the box office or online at palacetheatre.org or by calling 668-5588.

• Choir and strings: The First Church (1 Concord St. in Nashua; first-music.org) will present the 4th Advent worship services “Christmas at First” with Cantata 61 with the Chancel Choir and First Music Chamber Strings on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 9 and 11 a.m.

• Seasonal music: The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202, thewordbarn.com) wraps up its 12 Nights of Christmas series of shows at the Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls). The last installments include A Celtic Christmas with Lunasa on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 5 and 8 p.m.; The Orchard Chapel Candlelight Carol Sing on Friday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 5:30 p.m., plus a family matinee version on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 3 p.m.; A Winter Solstice Celebration with Low Lily on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m., and A Holiday Family Story Hour on Monday, Dec. 23, from 6 to 7 p.m.

• New exhibit: The exhibit Searching for Natural Moments: Scenes from African Safaris and Costa Rican Rainforests will be at the New Hampshire Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) on Dec. 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will showcase photographs by Howard Muscott, according to their website. Muscott will be sharing images from two of Kenya’s most prolific wildlife locations and various habitats in Costa Rica and will take those who attend “on Safari … in the Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park looking for iconic mammals like lions and cubs, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and zebras and other wildlife and on trails in the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of monkeys and birds,” according to the website. The exhibition will be on display until Saturday, Dec. 28. Visit nhaudubon.org or call 224-9909.

• Calling artists: The Seacoast Artist Association in downtown Exeter has announced its 2025 Theme Show calendar and all Seacoast artists are invited to enter, in person at the gallery or online at seacoastartist.org., according to a press release.The first show of the year is “Winter Wonderment” and artists can submit up to two pieces of framed work with wire hanger up to the 16” by 20”; pieces over 16” by 20” count as two pieces. It costs $10 per piece up to two pieces but participants may enter one large under 22” by 26” and one small. Artists are instructed to email their submissions by Friday, Jan. 3, with name and phone number as well as the label information of title, medium and price, along with a good jpeg for publicity, to [email protected]. The dropoff is scheduled for Saturday, Jan 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A committee chooses Best in Show and the winner will receive free entry in a future Theme Show. Visit seacoastartist.org for more information and the drop-off form.