Category: Visual Arts

• Children’s theater is happening: The 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series is going on now through mid-August at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester), with kid-friendly theater performances every Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The lineup includes Beauty and the Beast on July 9; The Wizard of Oz July 14 through July 16; The Little Mermaid July 21 through July 23; Aladdin July 28 through July 30; Alice in Wonderland Aug. 4 through Aug. 6; Peter Pan Aug. 11 through Aug. 13; and Cinderella Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• Get your free comics: Free Comic Book Day has been reworked as Free Comic Book Summer, which starts on Wednesday, July 15, and continues through Wednesday, Sept. 9. Participating local comic book shops will put out five or six different free comics every week. The comics include superhero stories, television and move spinoffs, sci-fi adventures and more. Visit freecomicbookday.com for the full list of this year’s free comics and to find participating comic book shops in your area.

• In-person workshops: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (30 Ash St., Hollis) has two upcoming in-person art workshops — one for adults and one for kids. In “Simple Books for Adults” on Wednesday, July 15, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, participants will learn how to make a simple book for journaling and art making, using watercolor and ink to decorate the cover. The cost is $27. Then, on Friday, July 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon., kids in grades 4 through 7 can create a felted strawberry keychain. The cost is $29. Call 465-9453 or visit wildsalamander.com.

• New Hampshire artist becomes a national leader in the arts: Laura Morrison of Concord, longtime member of the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter, has been named the national president of the WCA, according to a press release from WCA/NH. Morrison has served as the WCA/NH newsletter editor, exhibitions chair, vice president and president and served nationally as the WCA vice president of Chapter Relations. She is also currently the gallery director at Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen. “Moving forward with Laura Morrison as president makes our local chapter very proud,” WCA/NH board member Kimberly J.B. Smith said in the press release. “We look forward to her intellectual vision on how the organization will proceed into the future.” WCA seeks to create community through art, education and social activism. Its members include artists, art historians, students, educators and museum professionals. Every year, the WCA presents lifetime achievement awards to women who have made outstanding contributions in the arts. Visit wcanh.org.

• Duo display: Work by two artists and members of the New Hampshire Art Association will be featured in a display, “2020 Double Vision,” on view in the lobby at 2 Pillsbury St. in Concord now through Sept. 17. Both artists create paintings inspired by scenes in New England and beyond. Debbie Mueller’s style uses bold, simple designs with a focus on light and how light affects the shapes and colors within a scene. Marianne Stillwagon’s paintings depict picturesque villages and changing seasons in a contemporary primitive Americana style. “It’s extraordinary how two artists can look at the same scene and create vastly different paintings,” Mueller said in a press release. “We each have our unique vision and way of interpreting our world … [and] our unique viewpoint to our scenes.” All artwork is for sale. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Featured photo: Debbie Mueller art. Courtesy photo.

Meet Youth Poet Laureate Elliot DelSignore

New Hampshire Youth Poet Laureate is an honorary position held by a New Hampshire high school student who has demonstrated dedication to and excellence in writing and an enthusiasm to share poetry with the public, particularly other young people. During their tenure, Youth Poet Laureates participate in at least four events in the state that are focused on supporting and increasing opportunities for young people to read and write poetry, and are given the opportunity to publish their own poems in an NHYPL anthology. Elliot DelSignore, a senior at Souhegan High School in Amherst, is one of four Youth Poet Laureates, chosen by The Poetry Society of New Hampshire, to serve during the 2020-2021 academic year.

How did you get into poetry?

It was kind of recently that I discovered my passion for it. In sixth grade, I was in a poetry club at my middle school, but at that time I wasn’t really into poetry that much. I’ve been writing my whole life, but it wasn’t until maybe a year ago that I really started getting into poetry, specifically. At first, I just thought it was something cool I could do. I had a lot of friends who were into it, and I thought it would be a fun way to relate to them and do collaborative stuff like that. Then I started looking into the publication scene and taking it more seriously.

What type of poetry do you write?

I prefer writing free-verse as opposed to any specific format or style of poetry. The biggest thing I like to write about is emotions and memories. I like to focus on specific memories, and on the emotion that I felt from them, and then I take that emotion and make it into a sort of narrative and include fictional elements in it.

What do you enjoy most about writing poetry?

I just think that it is such an unrestrained form of writing, and that’s the appeal that poetry has to me versus other kinds of creative writing. With short stories or with novels, there’s more of a set structure. There are grammar conventions, and there are certain rules that you have to follow, no matter what you’re writing about in that kind of writing, whereas poetry is just very free. I feel like I can just do so much more. It gives you a lot of free rein to express yourself and a lot of range to do what you want with the words and use the language in ways that you might not be able to do in regular creative writing. It’s just a more versatile form of art.

How did you find out about the Youth Poet Laureate program, and why did you decide to apply?

It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. I’m a staff writer for the Souhegan [High School] digital magazine — it’s called The Claw — and the advisor [for the magazine] originally contacted me about it. He told me he thought it might be something that I would be interested in, because he knows that I do poetry on the side. It was only a few days before the deadline for applications, so I had to work fast, but I applied. … I always thought that my opportunities were kind of limited, since New Hampshire is such a small state, so all I’ve really done up to this point is some publishing online and stuff on more of a national level. I thought this would be a cool way to involve myself more in the writing scene in the state in person.

How did you feel when you found out that you had been chosen?

When I got the call, and they told me they thought that my application was good and that I had been accepted, I was definitely really surprised. I never considered that it would be something that I would be seriously considered for, since I kind of applied on a whim. Also, I had applied to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and I know from that that there are so many talented writers in this state and that so many other people would probably apply for it.

What are you looking forward to most?

I think what I’m most excited for is the readings and workshops, and I’m excited to meet other people who are like-minded. When I applied, I didn’t know that there would be other Youth Poet Laureates, so it was definitely great to find out that there would be a few of us. It’ll be cool to work with other people who have mutual interests and passions.

What would you like to accomplish during your tenure?

Our school system doesn’t really foster an appreciation for poetry beyond what they teach in class. I hope to show students in New Hampshire that poetry isn’t just restricted to the things that you read in English class. It doesn’t only have to be about nature or fall into a certain genre. Your poetry can be whatever you want it to be. … Also, I know that when I first started writing poetry and was looking for areas to publish my work, it was hard for me to find [print publications] that would accept high school writers. Since I have experience with the digital publishing side of things and with online literary magazines and journals, I want to work to draw more attention toward those kinds of online opportunities, which can be difficult to find.

What advice do you have for other young poets?

The best thing you can do — and this goes for any form of art — is practice and work at it. Even if you think that your work is not good or you’re discouraged because it’s not at the level that you want it to be, just keep doing it and eventually you’ll improve.

• From trash to art: The New Hampshire Art Association presents an exhibition, “Reconsidering Trash,” now through Sept. 17, at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery (49 S. Main St., Concord). It features the works of NHAA member artist Marylou Ashooh Lazos of Derry, including assemblages created using pieces of her past and found objects like broken pieces of jewelry, hardware, toys and tech bits. She does the assemblages on circuit boards that she found in the trash at an old mill, following the circuit boards’ natural patterns, then attaching the boards to fabric-covered wood bases. “There is so much beauty in the everyday things around us, and I find that putting them in a frame tasks the viewer to look at common objects in new ways,” Lazos said in a press release. “So much of our society is disposable — I wanted to present a vehicle that challenges us to think twice about what we consider ‘trash.’” Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• Shakespeare auditions: Manchester-based theater company Cue Zero announced in a recent press release that it is accepting online auditions for its “Shakespeare in the (Ball) Park” production of Romeo and Juliet, happening Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Auditioning actors should send a video featuring one comedic and one dramatic monologue from a Shakespeare play, totaling no more than five minutes in length, to [email protected] by July 20. The rehearsal process will be mostly virtual, with some in-person rehearsals closer to the opening date. The tentative rehearsal schedule is Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Visit cztheatre.com.

• Palace Theatre president honored: The Palace Theatre’s President and CEO Peter Ramsey was named Manchester’s 2020 Citizen of the Year by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, according to a press release from the Manchester theater. Mark LaPrade, principal at BerryDunn accounting and management consulting firm in Manchester, nominated Ramsey, commending Ramsey’s “love of theatre, his passion for New Hampshire and his desire to improve Manchester,” according to the press release. “His commitment to increasing access to the arts and working to ensure young people have opportunities to experience and participate in theatre is exceptional,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said of Ramsey in the press release, adding that the Rex Theatre, the Palace Theatre’s new 300-seat venue on Amherst Street in Manchester, is “already beginning to establish itself as a performance destination in New Hampshire.” Visit palacetheatre.org.

• Film fest canceled: The 20th annual New Hampshire Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Portsmouth in October, has been canceled, according to a recent statement on the festival’s website. Film submissions are being accepted now for the next festival, which is scheduled for Oct. 14 through Oct. 17, 2021. Visit nhfilmfestival.com.

• Antique shop update: The New Hampshire Antique Co-op in Milford announced in a newsletter that it is preparing to reopen for walk-in shopping in July, with an exact date soon TBA. In the meantime, antiquers can shop thousands of items online and utilize the Co-op’s curbside pickup, shipping, delivery and free storage services. NHAC also launched its first-ever online art exhibition on June 13, which is viewable now on the website. “Summer Palettes: Impressionist & Modernist Works from the 19th century to Present” features more than 50 paintings by 19th- and 20th-century artists, as well as contemporary and local artists, that evoke the essence of summer, “whether it be a country landscape, a day at the beach or a vista of a waterfall in the White Mountains,” the newsletter said. All paintings are for sale. Visit nhantiquecoop.com.

• Juneteenth celebrations: The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will celebrate Juneteenth, the nationally-celebrated event that marks the end of slavery in the United States, with live-stream events planned this weekend, according to a press release. On Thursday, June 18, a live stream cooking demonstration called “Cooking with Selina: A Soul Food Cooking Show” starts at 3 p.m. with Selina Choate demonstrating the preparation of baked mac and cheese, fried chicken and collard greens with smoked turkey wings (recipes and pre-show prep instructions online on blackheritagetrailnh.org so you can follow along). On Friday, June 19, at 1 p.m., “members of the African drumming and dance group Akwaaba Ensemble and Rev. Robert Thompson will honor the ancestors who survived the Middle Passage with traditional songs and dance” at the Portsmouth African Burying Ground, the release said.

Also on Friday, the concert “Songs that Feed the Soul” will start at 7 p.m. On Saturday, June 20, at 10 a.m., a panel will present the program “The Diet of Our Ancestors: What History & Science Reveals” featuring presenters food writer Adrian Miller and biological anthropologist Amy Michael and moderator Shari Robinson, director of Psychological and Counseling Services at UNH, the website said. These events will be free and live-streamed; register at blackheritagetrailnh.org.

• Virtual author events: Gibson’s Bookstore has two virtual author events coming up. On Tuesday, June 23, at 8 p.m., Erin Bowman, joined by fellow author Julie C. Dao, will launch her first middle-grade novel, The Girl and the Witch’s Garden. The book follows 12-year-old Piper as she begrudgingly spends the summer with her wealthy grandmother, who is rumored to be a witch. When Piper’s father falls ill, Piper sets out to unlock the secrets of her grandmother’s enchanted garden, which may be able to save her father. On Wednesday, June 24, at 6 p.m., historian Colin Woodard will present Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood. The book explores how a myth of national unity in America was created and fought over during the 19th century and what that myth looks like today. The events are free and will be streamed live via Zoom. Registration is required on the events’ respective pages at gibsonsbookstore.com.

• Remote classes at the Currier: The Currier Museum of Art’s Art Center in Manchester announced in a recent newsletter that it will move all of its summer programs to an online platform. The decision was made based on a survey of the public asking if people would feel comfortable attending in-person classes and workshops this summer. There will be a wide variety of online programs for kids, teens and adults, including ones focused on illustration, comics, drawing, painting, mixed media, calligraphy, sculpture, collage and more. Three-day camps for kids ages 6 through 14 and five-day intensives for teens and adults age 15 and up will run weekly from the week of June 29 through the week of Aug. 24. Classes for kids, teens and adults, held one day a week, will begin the week of July 13 and run through the week of Aug. 24. When the Art Center does resume in-person workshops and classes, it will limit the number of students in each class, enforce social distancing, take added measures to sanitize the facility, provide face masks for participants and manage art materials on a per-student basis, the newsletter said. Register for online programs at currier.org/art-center/currier-art-center-2020-summer-schedule.

• Nashua celebrates art: City Arts Nashua announced in a recent press release the launch of two new projects created to help the community engage with local art during the coronavirus pandemic. The first is the Art for Art’s Sake online art auction, going on now, featuring the work of Nashua artists Meri Goyette and Herb Mosher. Visit biddingowl.com/cityartsnashua. The other project is #CITYheARTSNASHUA, which invites people to share their expressive artwork on social media. “We [are] asking people to show us how they’re feeling in the moment in various ways … whether with a scribble, a doodle, a painting, a work in progress, a song, a sonnet or poem, whatever it may be — a scene, a flower, a bird, a detail of nature, a sunset, something right in front of them,” the press release said. “We also encourage people who do not usually make art, play an instrument, dance, sing, or act to try something new.” Artwork must be posted with one or more hashtags, including #CITYheARTSNASHUA, #ArtsConnectNH, #NHArts, #cityartsnashua, #nashuaart, #artwalknashua, #LoveNashua, #NashuaStrong, #NashuaResponds, #TogetherNashua and #NashuaStaysHome. Anyone who wants to share their artwork but doesn’t use social media can email their artwork to [email protected].

• Manchester gallery reopens: Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester) announced in a recent press release that it has reopened with new hours: Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday by appointment. Small art classes, framing services and art commissions are also being offered. The gallery is cleaned frequently, the press release said, and wearing a face mask is appreciated, but not required. Opened in the spring of 2019 by Manchester artist Diane Crespo, the gallery features Crespo’s own artwork, which consists mostly of oil and pastel realism landscapes, for sale as prints, framed and unframed originals and notecards. The gallery also has various home accents, including hand-painted slates, hand-painted glassware and small, refurbished vintage furniture. Visit dianecrespofineartgallery.com.

• New BFA program: The Institute of Art and Design at New England College in Manchester announced in a recent press release a new Bachelor of Fine Arts program in 3D Studies, which will launch in the fall. Students majoring in 3D Studies will focus on ceramics and sculpture, installations and time-based art. The curriculum will include three-dimensional studio practices such as mold making, casting and construction, and how to incorporate video, sound and new media. “Our 3D Studies program is very exciting,” Lars Jerlach, Associate Professor of Art at IAD, said in the press release. “By making ceramics a component of this new program, we’re building upon our ceramics curriculum to offer students a broader study of contemporary sculptural practices that will strengthen the individual areas of study and enhance our students’ experiences as they continue to develop into artists.” Visit nec.edu.

• Chorale’s season canceled: The Suncook Valley Chorale announced in a recent press release that it has canceled its entire fall 2020 season and all January 2021 concerts due to ongoing concerns about the coronavirus. “This decision is not taken lightly and is based on the highest priority of safety for our membership and our audiences,” board president Candie Garvin said in the press release. “The Chorale’s motto is ‘Sing for Joy!’ For now, we are compelled to sing at a distance from one another, but we are eagerly looking forward to the day when we can gather again in both safety and song.” The Concord-based non-auditioned community chorus, directed by Scott Lounsbury, includes members in their teens through their 80s and performs mostly classical, pop, Broadway and folk music. Visit svcnh.org.

• Virtual author events: Gibson’s Bookstore has two virtual author events coming up. On Thursday, June 11, at 6 p.m., Juliet Grames, author of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, will join Erika Swyler, author of Light from Other Stars and The Book of Speculation. On Friday, June 12, authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows will present their new book My Calamity Jane. In this historical reimagining of 1876 America, characters from Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, including Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley and Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler, hunt werewolves. The events are free and will be streamed live via Zoom. Registration is required on the events’ respective pages at gibsonsbookstore.com.

• Livestreamed classical music: The Manchester Community Music School’s Live Stream Concert series presents its final concert, “Sounds of the Oboe,” on Friday, June 12, at 7 p.m. The series features free online concerts performed by MCMS faculty members. “Sounds of the Oboe” will include oboe music performed by Kyoko Hida-Battaglia. Visit mcmusicschool.org.

• Celebrate Juneteeth online: Humanities to Go Online presents “Juneteenth: A Historical Celebration of Black Liberation,” on Friday, June 12, at 5 p.m. The free live Zoom event will explore how Juneteenth has been celebrated in New Hampshire and why it is important now, more than ever, to continue to acknowledge and honor the holiday. Executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire JerriAnne Boggis will lead the program. Visit nhhumanities.org.

• Players’ opening night online: In April, the Peterborough Players announced the cancellation of their 2020 summer season. On Wednesday, June 17 (what would have been the opening night of their 87th season) the Players will post “The Players Backstage (from Home) Party,” a pre-recorded cocktail party and talkback during which Players actors, designers and others will gather on Zoom and answer pre-submitted questions from the public. The video will be posted at and accessible any time after 7:30 p.m. on the Players’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.