Category: Visual Arts

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

Multi-artist show:Positive Street Art and Opportunity Network will be hosting their “United Through Color” exhibition on Thursday, May 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Positive Street Art (48 Bridge St., Nashua), showcasing the solo and collaborative work of 14 artists whose breadth of mark-making and material manipulation is sure to astound and inspire, according to a press release. Fifty-five percent of sales will directly go to the artist, 35 percent back into this program and 10 percent to benefit Positive Street Art, according to the same release. The organizations hosting the exhibit thank New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the artists featured in this exhibition will be Liz Morin, Darren Roberts, Sue Long, Teddy Theos, Ed Davis, Duncan MacLennan, Sara Coffill, Amanda Pare, Hannah Gould, Alyssa Sawicki, Meghan Costello, Lisa Beauchamp, Yasamin Safarzadeh, Amara Phelps, Roger Balcom and Randall Neilson, according to the release. Visit positivestreetart.org

• Choral festival: Be the Change is a collaborative choral festival that will be held Saturday, June 1, at 4 p.m. at Concord’s South Congregational Church (27 Pleasant St., Concord) and will feature these Concord Community Music School ensembles: Canterbury Singers, Northern Lights Women’s Vocal Ensemble, Purple Finches Youth Chorus, Songweavers Women’s Chorus, Songweaver Drummers and Sunset Singers, according to their website, which suggests ordering tickets in advance. Prices range from $10 to $30. Visit ccmusicschool.org/events.

NEW HAMPSHIRE ART
Two Villages Art Society in the Hopkinton village of Contoocook (846 Main St.) will showcase more than 30 New Hampshire artists and sell their work in the annual summer member show, “Communities Gather,” which runs until Saturday, June 22, according to a press release. Admission to the gallery is free, as well as the opening reception, and the gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. All exhibitors in the show are members of Two Villages Art Society (TVAS), a nonprofit organization that offers exhibits, workshops and other events. Work in this exhibit will include paintings and drawings, fiber arts, jewelry, pottery, and prints from painter Pamela R. Tarbell, ceramic artist Karen Sobin-Jonash, photographer Jeff Schapira, knitter Martha Johnson, fiber artist Jules Robinson, and other artists from Hopkinton, Concord, Warner, Meredith and nearby towns. The summer members exhibit is juried by a prominent member of the New Hampshire art community with a “Best in Show” and “Artist Merit” award to be presented during the opening reception.

• Spring concert: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will perform its spring concert at The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) Sunday, June 2, at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $23.50.

• Handbells: The Granite State Ringers, New Hampshire’s only elite handbell choir, will perform at the Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) on Sunday, June 2, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $50.

• On stage: Manchester Community Theatre Players (MCTP) will present the musical comedy The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the MCTP Theatre at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester) on Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m. as well as on Sunday, June 2, at 2 p.m. The show focuses on six misfit kids in a spelling bee and the three adults in charge, resulting in hilarious and touching stories from the tweens’ home lives, according to a press release. The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is appropriate for ages 14 and older due to adult themes. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for those 65 or older, and $10 for students and those 18 and under. Visitmcpt.info.

• Book art: “Building Books 2” is a traveling exhibition at Twiggs Gallery ( 254 King St., Boscawen) of unique artist books organized by members of the New England Book Artists (NEBA). It starts with a free zine-making workshop from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, followed by an artists’ reception from 1 to 3 p.m. The exhibit at Twiggs runs through July 14, according to a press release. “Building Books 2” presents a range of interpretations on the themes of structure, architecture, public and private spaces, reality and fantasy, libraries, engineering, drafting, bookbinding, the handmade, the maker, connections, conceptualizations, personal narratives, home and much more, according to the same release. Visit twiggsgallery.org.

THE SHOW GOES ON
Into the Breeches! by George Brant, produced by Lend Me a Theater (lendmeatheater.org), runs Friday, May 31, through Sunday, June 9, at the Rochester Performing Arts Center (32 N. Main St., Rochester) with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for students, seniors and members, $19 for senior members. Into The Breeches! is a 2018 warm-hearted comedy set in 1942: Concord’s Oberon Play House’s director and leading men are off in World War II, so the director’s wife becomes determined to produce an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henriad (Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and 2, and Henry V) to deliver a celebration of collaboration and persistence when the show must go on, according to the website.

—Zachary Lewis

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

• Art of the cupcake: Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia, prescottfarm.org) will host a cupcake decorating class on Saturday, May 25, at 10 a.m. Participants will learn the basics of buttercream flower piping, how to use a petal tip, and tips and tricks to make your flowers the prettiest bouquet, according to the event website. Students will receive eight cupcakes to decorate and a box to take their creations home. Participants will be standing, baking and working for most of the class and so should wear comfortable closed-toe shoes and have long hair tied back, the website said. The cost is $40 for non-members and $25 for members.

• Clay creation: At Manchester Craft Market (Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St.) ages 13 and older can take a workshop on polymer clay creation on Friday, May 24, from 6 to 8 p.m., according to the website. Participants will learn basic techniques to make figurines, jewelry and more and will walk away from the workshop with a polymer clay creation. Materials are provided. The workshop is $50 per person.

• Day of tap: The Aaron Tolson Institute of Dance will hold its inaugural National Tap Dance Day celebration at the Dana Center for the Humanities (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) on Saturday, May 25, at 7 p.m. featuring Aaron Tolson, Speaking in Taps, Fourth Dimension tap company and more, with dancers from all over New England. Tickets are $25. Visit tickets.anselm.edu.

Two Exhibits
The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford) is hosting two exhibits through Sunday, June 30. “Along the Shore: Paintings from Cape Ann to Provincetown” features iconic Rockport coastal scenes, rugged Gloucester harbor boats, quaint Cape Cod cottages and picturesque Nantucket lanes adorned with classic wisteria arbors, celebrating the iconic scenes immortalized by influential artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Emile Albert Gruppe, Harry Aiken Vincent, Anthony Thieme, Pauline Lennards Palmer and others, according to their website. “Selections 24: Notable Works” showcases a curated collection of 24 paintings and sculptures spanning the 19th to 21st centuries; the artists included are Theodore Earl Butler, Bruce Crane, Frederick Mulhaupt, Augustus B. Koopman, Charles Herbert Woodbury, Humbert Howard, Felice Waldo Howell and others, according to the website. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhantiquecoop.com.

—Zachary Lewis

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

• Murder! The Hillsborough Community Center is raising funds to build a brick-and-mortar center. As part of the fundraising efforts, they will present Murder at the Banquet, a play by Robert LaVaughn, at venues around the Hillsborough area. The play, described as a lighthearted and humorous send-up of famous detectives, will be showing at the Ice Cream Bar at the Emporium in Hillsboro on Friday, May 17, and Sunday, May 26, both at 6 p.m.; at the Deering Town Hall on Saturday, May 18, at 6 p.m.; at the American Legion (Young and Richardson Post 59) in Hillsboro on Sunday, May 19, at 1 p.m.; at the Washington Town Hall on Saturday, May 25, at 1 p.m.; at the Antrim Town Hall on Saturday, June 1, at 6 p.m., and at the Hillsboro-Deering Middle School on Sunday, June 2, at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for those 60 or older and children 15 or younger. Visit hccnh.org/play.

• More murder! Help solve the murder of Mr. Boddy, which has now become a cold case with items from his iconic mansion — with the Library, Billiard Room, etc. — sold and now in spots around Concord for Clue: A Walking Mystery, which will run Thursdays through Sundays, starting Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, June 16, according to ccanh.com where you can purchase tickets for $34 at the various start times. The interactive family friendly (for ages 8 and up) game features about a one mile walking distance and takes about 90 minutes to complete the website said. Five players in six teams per start time will be greeted by a butler and sent to gather clues around the downtown, the website said. Dressing up as Clue characters in encouraged.

IMAGINE ART
Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen) invites New Hampshire artists to enter artwork inspired by the impossible, the surreal and the fantastical for its summer juried exhibition “When Pigs Fly,” which is inspired by the idiom suggesting that something is utterly improbable. Twiggs encourages participants to explore the limits of imagination and break free from the constraints of reality whether the result is silly, serious, mystical or magical, truth, fiction, political, personal, or even pigs since Twiggs Gallery invites broad interpretations based on the theme, according to a press release. The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 19, and local artist Donna Catanzaro will serve as the exhibit’s juror, according to the same release. Catanzaro, who has exhibited her work nationally, is an interdisciplinary artist with an MFA from Goddard College who through mixed media sculpts from household items and delves into memory and body image, infusing each creation with her distinctive wit, according to the same release. Learn more about Donna at donnacat.com or visit twiggsgallery.org.

• Play preview: The New Hampshire Dance Collaborative will host “Excerpts and Investigations: Paradise Now!” on Wednesday, May 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St. in Concord). The event will be free to the public and will offer an inside look at Theatre Kapow’s upcoming June production, Paradise Now!, with select excerpts and the opportunity to engage with the actors, designers and director, according to the press release. The play follows a group of women in a multi-level marketing company promoting essential oils. It will premiere in June at the Bank of NH Stage at Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. Visit nhdancecollaborative.org.

• New works: Sullivan Framing and Art Gallery (15 N. Amherst Road in Bedford) will hold an opening reception for new works by Rosemary Conroy on Thursday, May 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. with the exhibit running until the end of June, according to a press release. In a statement, Sullivan Framing said, “Rosemary’s latest collection of paintings is a breathtaking tribute to the wild and untamed world around us. Each piece is a vibrant, soulful portrait of some of nature’s most awe-inspiring creatures, from majestic moose to fierce and formidable bears, and even the mysterious and elusive whale. And who knows, there may even be a shark lurking among the collection!” Visit sullivanframing.com.

• On canvas: The Lakes Region Artist Association (120 Laconia Road, Tanger Outlets, Suite 300, Tilton) will host a Watercolor on Canvas class on Tuesday, May 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will be able to explore the unique combination of watercolors and canvas as a medium. Registration is $50 in advance. Visit https://form.jotform.com/240044827770153 to register. For details email Stephanie McQuade at [email protected]

ADDAMS FAMILY
St. Paul’s School Theater Company will present The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy on Friday, May 17, and Saturday. May 18, at 7 p,m. both nights in Memorial Hall at St. Paul’s School (325 Pleasant St., Concord). Admission is free. The school’s theater department website states, “Through our student-centered curriculum, our experienced faculty will guide students to become artists who think independently, empathize, and explore the world around them while developing a deeper understanding of self and others.” Visit www.sps.edu/arts/theater.

—Zachary Lewis

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

• In French: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra performs French Fantasies, including Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture” and Saint Saëns’ Organ Symphony, at Ste. Marie Roman Catholic Church (378 Notre Dame Ave. in Manchester, 622-4615, enterthenarrowgate.org) Saturday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35, $30 for seniors and $10 for students, and can be purchased through the Phil’s website, nhphil.org.

• Going outdoors: The Londonderry Arts Council, in collaboration with the New Hampshire Art Association, has announced a plein air painting event to take place in Londonderry on Wednesday, May 15, from 8 a.m. to noon, according to a press release. Plein air painting is a practice of painting landscapes outdoors to capture the natural world’s beauty directly. Artists of all skill levels, from established to aspiring, are invited to participate, according to the release. The painting session will be followed by a communal potluck picnic on the town common. To register for this free event, visit the New Hampshire Art Association Special Interest Groups website at nhartassociation.org/special-interest-groups-copy, scroll down to the Plein Air section and select “Click Here” to access the sign-up form, according to the release. Visit londonderryartscouncil.org.

CATCH THIS
Catch Me If You Can: The Musical will be presented by the Actorsingers on Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St. in Nashua). Based on the hit film and the incredible true story, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. Tickets cost $20, $18 for seniors and students. See actorsingers.org.

• Art & flowers: Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester) holds an opening night on May 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. for their upcoming exhibition “Resurgence: Art of the Botanical,” which is on display now and will run through Friday, May 31. At the opening night guests can meet the artists, explore their creative processes, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts, according to a press release. Additionally, Mosaic’s high school open studio program has prepared a special installation; three local florists will be creating unique arrangements for auction to benefit Planned Parenthood of New Hampshire, and the exhibition offers a perfect setting to engage with the community and experience the connection between art and nature, according to the same release.

• Call for art: Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen) invites New Hampshire artists to enter artwork inspired by the impossible, the surreal and the fantastical for its summer juried exhibition “When Pigs Fly,” which is inspired by the idiom suggesting that something is utterly improbable. Twiggs encourages participants to explore the limits of imagination and break free from the constraints of reality whether the result is silly, serious, mystical or magical, truth, fiction, political, personal, or even pigs since Twiggs Gallery invites broad interpretations based on the theme, according to a press release. The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 19, and local artist Donna Catanzaro will serve as the exhibit’s juror, according to the same release. Catanzaro, who has exhibited her work nationally, is an interdisciplinary artist with an MFA from Goddard College who through mixed media sculpts from household items and delves into memory and body image, infusing each creation with her distinctive wit, according to the same release. Learn more about Donna at donnacat.com or visit twiggsgallery.org.

• New exhibit: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester), as part of a series of exhibitions and commissions looking at the relationship between fine art and crafts conceived for the museum’s Welcome Gallery, has announced a new collaboration with New York-based artist Elisabeth Kley titled “Cymodocea” starting on Thursday, May 16, which will run until Sunday, Aug. 25, according to the press release. Cymodocea is the scientific name of a sea grass that lives in warm water. Kley’s new installation will combine her signature ceramic sculptures with wall paintings, effectively creating an environment rich with references that span from classical times to the history of modernism. The exhibit is supported by Outer Space Arts in Concord. Visit currier.org.

CELEBRATE POETRY
All are invited to the State Poet Laureate Celebration at the State Library (20 Park St. in Concord) on Saturday, May 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event will show gratitude to outgoing New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary and welcome Jennifer Militello of Goffstown as the next New Hampshire Poet Laureate, according to a press release. Militello will serve a five-year term that began in April. The state’s Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for all poets in New Hampshire and works to heighten the visibility and value of poetry in the state, according to the same release.

• Learn watercolors: The Currier is also offering a five-week in-person watercolors class that will run Thursday, May 16, through June 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. In Watercolors for Beginners and Beyond students can explore the possibilities of watercolor with instructor Peter Clive, according to a press release. Participants will use landscape and still life as subject matter and have fun experimenting with various painting techniques, creating washes and using color layering to create dynamic works each week, according to the same release. All materials are provided for use during class time. There will be no class on Thursday, May 30. Enrollment costs $247.50 for members and $275 for non-members with tuition discounts available while registering. Visit currier.org.

• On Frost: The Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St. in Derry) will host a performance of Robert Frost: This Verse Business on Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. The poet and former Pinkerton Academy teacher charmed audiences with his celebrated verse and rascally sense of humor, according to a press release. Frost will be played by Emmy-winning actor Gordon Clapp, known for his role on NYPD Blue as Det. Medavoy, among other roles. In Clapp’s performance the poet shares his verse from memory along with his “wild surmises” on art, religion, science, “radicals” and “conservatives,” as the material is gathered from recordings and writings of Robert Frost, according to the same release. A.M. Dolan’s Robert Frost: This Verse Business won Best New Play (the Kaplan Award) at the Eventide Arts Festival in 2010, and Best Production at the United Solo Play Festival in New York City in 2013. Tickets cost $25 to $30 and are available at stockbridgetheatre.showare.com or by calling the box office at 437-5210. Read an interview with Gordon Clapp on page 16 of the April 4 issue of the Hippo; find the e-edition at hippopress.com.

—Zachary Lewis

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

• Spring fair: The Craftworkers’ Guild in Bedford will open their spring fair on Thursday, May 2, at the Oliver Kendall House (3 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford, at the bottom of the library parking lot). The guild’s fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Saturday, May 11. See thecraftworkersguild.org.

• Tribute, with laughs, to Broadway: Forbidden Broadway, a musical spoof of Broadway shows and stars, will come to Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St., Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com) on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. A theatrical institution since 1982 when Gerard Alessandrini created the first edition, lampooning the Broadway shows and stars of the day, Forbidden Broadway in its newest edition includes good-natured shots at Moulin Rouge, the all-Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof, Hadestown, and this season’s dark Oklahoma! revival, along with Dear Evan Hansen, Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Frozen and a whole new generation of Broadway stars, plus some classic laughs from The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miz and others, according to a press release. Tickets cost between $35 and $45. Call 437-5210 for tickets.

• Tale as old as time: Windham Actors Guild brings Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to the stage for audiences at Windham High School Auditorium (64 London Bridge Road in Windham) on Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. This classic musical is brought to life by a talented cast of adults and youth, a live orchestra, beautiful settings, and costumes, according to a press release. Ticket prices are $22 for those 18 and older, $18 for students and seniors, and $15 for children under 12, according to the same release. Visit windhamactorsguild.com or call 247-8634.

• Fiddles! The New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble begins a series of performances this Friday, May 3, in Rochester. This community orchestra made up of approximately 100 musicians of all ages and abilities plays a variety of acoustic instruments, according to their website. Performance dates include Friday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St. in Rochester); Saturday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Interlakes High School Auditorium (1 Laker Lane in Meredith); Saturday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Exeter Town Hall (9 Front St.) and Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. at the Derryfield School (2108 River Road in Manchester). The ensemble features fiddles, guitars, banjos, mandolins, basses, harps, cellos and more, according to a press release. See nhfiddleensemble.org for tickets.

• Classical meets folk: The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St in Manchester; palacetheatre.or) will feature The Kruger Brothers on Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. Their remarkable discipline, creativity and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music, according to the event’s website. Tickets range from $35 to $49. Gold Circle tickets include a meet-and-greet with the band after the show. Visit palacetheatre.org.

Art Stroll
This year’s May Gallery Stroll in New London includes two new locations, Whipple Hall and Grounds Coffee, making six locations during this First Friday Gallery Stroll’s artist’s reception scheduled for Friday, May 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at each gallery location, according to a press release. This event is free and allows guests to meet local artists, enjoy art, and connect with the community, according to the release. Starting at Whipple Hall there will be an exhibit of Ruth Wynn’s work as a ‘memoriam’ of her talent; Grounds Coffee will host emerging artists such as Emily Philbrick of Artsy Em Designs, who strives to provoke emotion and transform spaces with her abstract work, landscape scenes and linework; teen artist Grace Scarlet will be featured at the Bar Harbor Bank; Blue Moon Bakery will showcase artists Debbie Campbell and Sherie Dowsett; The Tatewell Gallery will feature works by New York City native Tom Barber; the New London Inn will host artwork from Alison Vernon, who has been painting for over 40 years, and The Fleming Center Connolly Gallery at the New London Barn will host art by Timothy Sievers. Visit centerfortheartsnh.org/microgalleries.

• On stage, part 1: The Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) presents The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew López, directed by Joe Juknievich, from Friday, May 3, to Sunday, May 19, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., according to their website. The show follows Casey, an Elvis impersonator who has everything until in a flash he loses his gig, his rent is overdue and his wife announces a baby on the way. So when Elvis leaves the building and a drag show moves in, “The King” transforms into an all-out queen with the help of some new friends who become the second family Casey never saw coming. Tickets are $31, $28 for students and seniors. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

• On stage, part 2: Spring Awakening opens at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) on Thursday, May 2, and runs through Sunday, May 26. Shows this weekend are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday, May 3, and 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. Tickets cost $37 to 68, according to the website. The Rep is also continuing its run of Willy Wonka, which is on stage through Sunday, May 19. This weekend catch it on Sunday, May 5, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

A truth Universally Acknowledged
The Community Players of Concord will presents Pride and Prejudice at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord, 228-2793, theaudi.org) Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. Adapted by Kate Hamill from the novel by Jane Austen, the Players describe the adaption as “fresh and funny, hip and hilarious” on their Facebook page, where you can see photos of the cast in costume. “This is not your usual Pride and Prejudice. There are a couple of balls, lovely costumes, but there’s also disco, modern music and Mr. Darcy’s shirt stays absolutely dry, ” according to the director’s notes as quoted in a Players’ Facebook post. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for age 17 and under and seniors 65+. See communityplayersofconcord.org. At left, Travis Laughlin is Mr. Darcy, Julia Kehr is Elizabeth Bennet. Photo by Michael von Redlich.

• Makers market: Shop the Squam Lake Vintage & Makers Market at Cottage Place at Squam Lake (1132 Route 3 in Holderness; cottageplaceonsquam.com) on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Admission is $5. The market will feature vendors, live music, food and a mobile bar, according to an email.

•ARTalk: Registration is open for an ARTalk with London-based artist Hew Locke on Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144). The cost is $30 for adults, $25 for 65+ or students with ID, $15 for ages 13 to 17, $10 for museum members and free for children (the cost includes museum admission). Locke’s sculptural installation “Gravesend” is on display at the Currier and he has an exhibition, “The Procession” at the Institute of Contemporary Art Watershed in Boston on May 23, the website said.

Whose Town?
Take in a classic when the Nashua Theatre Guild presents Thornton Wilder’s Our Town on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. at the Court Street Theater (14 Court St. in Nashua). Our Town shares the idea that we live life without really appreciating what it has to offer, according to a press release. The Nashua Theatre Guild asks that if you dine in at the Margaritas in Nashua on Saturday, May 4, between noon and 11 p.m., you mention the Nashua Theatre Guild — if you do, 20 percent of your bill will be donated to NTG, according to the release. Tickets to the show are $20 for adults (18 and older), $18 for students and seniors. Visit nashuatheatreguild.org.

Manchester artist creates dream-like synthesis of photos

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

Self-taught photographer Karen Jerzyk invites families of all shapes and sizes to head over to her studio space at Morgan Self Storage (400 Bedford St. in Manchester) to partake in an alternative to the generic family portrait. Jerzyk is a true artist and her work has appeared on the Tonight show with Jimmy Fallon, but this is just icing on the surreal and fantastical cake that is her style.

“People come, they have fun, they get their pictures,” Jerzyk said.

She mentioned that one family in particular told her, “We’ve been looking for something like this to do … family photos are strange, we feel uncomfortable having a picture of us on the wall not portraying our personalities. We feel better putting this kind of stuff on the wall.”

One family consisting of a mother, father, son and daughter are taking part. “The son, he did green, the girl did pink” and the parents are going to do different colors, Jerzyk said.

People can dress up and even bring their pets.

“I have a lot of accordions over there … people can use props…. I have like 10 tons of wardrobe,” she said.

Jerzyk had “wanted to do another monochromatic color series,” so she thought, “I’ll do it again and invite the public to come and get their portrait taken. Which is a kind of win-win because it also helps me pay for the materials to actually do this stuff for my portfolio.”

Jerzyk just did the color green, is now focusing on pink and will move into blue later in May. Those who sign up can expect to spend a half hour of their time and $40 plus a small eventbrite fee to receive a movie-quality portrait that captures their essence.

“I get a lot of inspiration from movies,” Jerzyk said. “I grew up in the ’80s. … I like the sci-fi, like, that vaporwave, neon-y, just the vibe of the ’80s I’ve always loved.” One aspect of that time period was the practical and analog effects needed to create a realistic version of unreality.

“It’s always important to me that when I do this … that it’s real, that I don’t Photoshop anything.” With the growth of artificial intelligence in image creation and the charlatans who wield it for profit, Jerzyk wants to assure clients of her authenticity. “They’re getting what I say is going to happen.”

She does use Lightroom software for some color-correcting and shoots with a Canon R5C, usually with some type of wide-angle lens. “I’ve always loved using Canon.”

Jerzyk buys tons of paint for her monochromatic color series too, as the saturation of color is crucial to the design. “It’s very strange when things are painted all the same color. It’s very surreal,” she said.

“For pink, I kind of wanted to not go the typical what people would think pink would be, so I had two skeletons in here — and it killed me to paint those ’cause they’re kinda expensive, they’re poseable skeletons. I just like building stuff that is just surreal, that people wouldn’t necessarily get a chance to insert themselves into or experience or get their photo taken in.”

Apart from the color series, her studio has a collection of permanent sets that range from a prototypical grandparents’ home from the early ’80s to a retro-futuristic diner complete with a bar and barstools, a jukebox, and a neon breakfast sign.

Before getting into portraiture, Jerzyk did around 10 years of music photography. She enjoyed album covers and art, and started by sneaking disposable cameras into concerts, so when she graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2003 her parents gifted her a digital camera. But the music scene was not where Jerzyk was destined to stay.

“I started getting bored with it because I think deep down I was just missing a creative outlet … it was definitely awesome getting a photo pass, especially for bands I really like,” Jerzyk said, but she was looking for something more. “If I can’t say or show people what’s in my head, it’s not something I can keep doing.”

“I expressed [this] to a friend around 2008 and he was like, ‘How come you never shoot portraits of people?’ I was like, I don’t know, I’m kind of awkward and introverted … meeting up with a stranger and directing them, back then it seemed like a nightmare to me.”

It was a long but necessary road to take to get where she is today. “I think it’s important for people to know that when I started doing this stuff it was not good. I think that self-realization is good, though, because then you know you can be better…. It took a while to get, I guess I’d call it an aesthetic voice or just an aesthetic in general,” Jerzyk said.

Jerzyk’s vision is solid and at the same time fluid, abstract yet concrete, and a pleasure to experience. “Now when people see my work they know it’s mine,” she said, “but it took a couple years to get that.”

Karen Jerzyk photography
karenjerzykphoto.zenfolio.com
$40 for a 30-minute portrait session.
Tickets are available at Eventbrite:
eventbrite.com/e/karen-jerzyk-presents-tickets-870680748557.

Featured Photo: Photo by Karen Jerzyk