Kiddie Pool 25/03/06

Family fun for whenever

Sweet fun

• NH Maple Weekend is next weekend (March 15-16) but Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) begins its maple fun this weekend with its Maple Express. Admission costs $29 per person and the event runs Saturdays and Sundays March 8, through March 23 (see the website for available admission times). Visitors can visit a sugar shack, see the maple process from tree to syrup, visit farm animals and more, according to the website.

• Ben’s Sugar Shack (8 Webster Highway in Temple; bensmaplesyrup.com) has also started the sweet fun early giving free maple tours every Saturday and Sunday in March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New tours of the maple process start every 20 minutes, rain or shine, according to a post on Ben’s Facebook page, which recommends dressing warm and wearing boots. The happenings also include maple and maple product samples.

Free day

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will offer free admission to New Hampshire residents on Saturday, March 8, when the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of its Second Saturday offer. For more on the museum’s new exhibit “Ann Agee: Madonna of the Girl Child,” see the story on page 16.

A little science

• Head to the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org) on Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the inventions in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The machines, built by local students, solve the problem “Feed a Pet,” according to the website. Seeing the show is part of regular admission to the Center, which costs $14 per person (ages 3 and up). The center is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com) will hold its next Little Learners session on Wednesday, March 12, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The events are geared at ages 5 and under and include a story and a hands-on activity, according to the website. The event is included with regular admission, which costs $13 for adults, $12 for 62+ and 13 through college and $10 for ages 3 to 12 years old. During the school year, the Discovery Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On screen

• While you wait for Zendaya’s voice in Shrek 5, catch Shrek (PG, 2001) at Chunky’s in Manchester, chunkys.com, as part of the Little Lunch Date series on Wednesday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m.

• See the original Space Jam (PG, 1996) starring Michael Jordan and a whole lot of Looney Tunes on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at Flying Monkey in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the venue offers a special family-friendly menu on family movie nights.

On stage

• Palace Youth Theatre will present an hour-longDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musicalon Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org).

Welcome, campers

• If the Feb. 27 issue of the Hippo has you thinking about your summer day camp needs, put the NH Audubon Nature Camp Open House and Reunion on your calendar. The event on Thursday, March 13, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn) offers those new to camp a chance to ask questions about the programs. The evening will feature games, crafts, song, a pizza party, an animal presentation and more, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can RSVP. For more summer day camps, check out our listings, which start on page 10 of the Feb. 27 issue, which you can find at hippopress.com.

Treasure Hunt 25/03/06

Hi, Donna,

I enjoy your column in the Hippo and am wondering if you would have any insight into a piece of artwork I own. It is an artist’s proof by Irving Amen (see pictures with signature) called ‘Rythms’ (first “h” is missing?) but I cannot find a similar picture anywhere online. I am wondering if it ever went beyond an artist’s proof.

If you have an idea of what it might be worth, or who I could talk to if this isn’t your department, I’d appreciate it.

Much thanks!

Adele

Dear Adele,

Art being a really specific field, I did some research and educated myself.

Artists’ proofs were done of the original just as limited editions. Unlike limited editions there were not many made, and this makes them more valuable. Some proofs can have color changes and items just a bit off from an original, which can also give them a higher value.

It’s tough to determine values on proofs without comparing them to other proofs from the artist. Even then there can be a difference in values from one proof to another, depending on subject and exactly how many proofs were made.

I found lots done by Irving Amen in the range of $100 to $300. Not many duplicates out there either. This could be why you didn’t find an original.

Adele, I think that to be certain, I would contact a large auction house that sells artwork. Possibly Bonhams Skinner in Massachusetts — they have specific departments just for artwork. This way you will know for sure.

I wish you luck, Adele, and hope I gave you insight. Thank you so much for sharing and giving me some education too.

Donna

Maternal expression

New twist on religious iconography at Currier

The mother-and-child theme has been part of Ann Agee’s art going back to a 1999 porcelain figure recently revived for the Rena Bransten Gallery’s RBG at 50-Focus on Ceramics exhibition in San Francisco. She’s frequently returned to the form, but recently Agee has taken a different approach, making Madonnas with a feminist touch.

“Madonna of the Girl Child” has grown into a significant body of work, and on March 7 the Currier Museum will begin showing five of the largest figures from it. Also on display at the exhibition, running through June 5, are two relief works done in porcelain, welded steel and epoxy resin, “Offering Madonna” and “Donatello Riff Madonna.”

In a recent phone interview Agee said she made the first piece out of curiosity in 2019, then a few more to fight a bout of altitude sickness. Occasionally she’d ask herself why she was focusing on religious icons. It was, she decided, a good way to look at and comment on their inherent oppression.

As she walked through churches on a trip to Italy, the clash between depictions of violence like the crucifixion and the gentle nature of the Madonna got her thinking.

“So many horrific things that were the guides to how to live your life … don’t do that, watch out for this,” she said. “Then you see the Madonna, and it’s … have a child, and everything is peaceful.”

Amidst this warmth and maternal comfort, however, something stark stood out to Agee.

“It’s always a boy child,” she said. “I wanted for myself a Madonna that held a girl child and publicly showed the interest that a mother could have in her. That this child, this girl, could deserve your hopes and dreams in the same way that your boy child could. Slowly, it became a little bit of a campaign.”

The upcoming Currier display is a departure for Agee, who usually displays her Madonnas in groups of mixed sizes. It will be held in the Manchester museum’s Welcome Gallery, which is a space between other spaces.

“There’s a sprawling staircase, it spreads out to both sides, and there are banisters of a different material,” she said. “I decided to keep it really simple, and have the work stand up to all that’s architecturally going on in that room, and the movement of people coming and going.”

The five pieces are the largest ones she’s done, Agee said.

“I’ve enjoyed slowly learning how to make things bigger,” she said. “Last summer I was sitting on someone’s deck and looking out into this grass and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to just have a big red figure in the grass there?’ So I made one in red, and then I made one in pink.”

She was further inspired by a trip to Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy. “I was looking at all the white marble sculptures that are in the garden there. They’re not really that big, but they’re one color. There’s all this stuff around them, and they hold their form. That’s basically the shift in these Madonnas, they’re big and they’re a solid color.”

The works, however, further Agee’s “campaign” for a feminist reinterpretation of religious iconography. More than a simple exploration of motherhood, “Madonna of the Girl Child” is a critical commentary on the way these traditional symbols have reinforced gender roles. Agee’s art usurps an image steeped in patriarchal culture.

This shift is a deliberate act of reclaiming this symbol for women. Agee wanted to present a vision where a mother could hold and nurture a girl child with the same devotion and aspirations traditionally reserved for sons. In this new context, the Madonna figure becomes a symbol not just of motherhood but of equality.

Ann Agee: Madonna of the Girl Child
When: Friday, March 7, through Thursday, June 5
Where: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester
More: annageestudio.com

Featured photo: “Offering Madonna” by Ann Agee. Courtesy photo.

This Week 25/03/06

Thursday, March 6

LOCASH will perform at the The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Named “country music’s iconic feel-good duo” by People magazine, LOCASH — Preston Brust and Chris Lucas — serve upbeat, crowd-pleasing music. Tickets start at $65.

Thursday, March 6

The Grand Kyiv Ballet will perform Swan Lake tonight at 7 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com). Tickets start at $37.

Thursday, March 6

Comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalo will take the stage at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

Friday, March 7

The Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) will host the 3rd Annual Tiny Film Festival tonight at 6 p.m. All films are 60 seconds or less and made by members of the community. The screenings will be followed by an awards ceremony. Doors will be open at 5:30 p.m. for a red carpet walk, photos and popcorn and drinks. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, March 7

Catch the final weekend of Steel Magnolias presented by the Milford Area Players tonight through Sunday, March 9, at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford. Shows are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday. See milfordarea.booktix.com for tickets, which cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students (plus fees).

Saturday, March 8

The Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) will host the 2025 David Surette Mandolin Festival today and tomorrow, Sunday, March 9. There will be performances, workshops and classes for all levels on topics like specific styles and skills, waltzes, playing back-up and more. Visit ccmusicschool.org.

Saturday, March 8

Go to the Henniker Brewing Co. (129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com) this afternoon to watch or race in a Pinecar Derby Race. Pinecar derby kits are available for purchase in the taproom. Purchase a kit and register for the race for $20. Build your own pinecar (standard pinecar rules apply) and register for the event with your own car for $10. Visit hennikerbrewing.com/taproom-events.

Wednesday, March 12

March’s Walker Lecture at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord, 228-2793, theaudi.org) tonight at 7:30 p.m. will be “A Walk for Sunshine: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail” with Jeff Alt. This event is free and open to the public. Visit walkerlecture.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, April 5

Register for the Derry Author Fest taking place at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org) on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be sessions for new and aspiring authors, book signings, and a keynote address from broadcaster and writer Laura Knoy. Visit derryauthorfest.wordpress.com.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 25/03/06

Not returning

In a Feb. 26 online article, WMUR reported that Spirit Airlines will not be returning to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport a year after announcing they would suspend service from the airport. For three years, beginning in 2021, Spirit offered flights from Manchester to four cities in Florida.

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the airport’s website (flymanchester.com), Manchester is currently served by Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country, American Airlines and United.

Visitors we’re happy not to see

According to a Feb. 22 report by New Hampshire Public Radio, while invasive browntail moths were technically seen in New Hampshire last summer for the first time in 75 years, they had been blown to an isolated New Hampshire island from Maine, but it is unlikely that they will spread to the mainland. Once described as “poison ivy with wings,” the browntail’s caterpillars are armed with tiny barbed hairs that can sting and irritate people, even after detaching from the caterpillars. NHPR quoted Angela Mech, a forest entomologist with the University of Maine:“It is one of the absolute worst insects to have to work with…” The good news is that Maine experienced a massive die-off of the species in 2024.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the NHPR story, insect scientists 100 years ago identified a fungus that infects this species and spread sick caterpillars across Maine. The population has not recovered significantly since.

We’re wicked smaht

According to a recent study by online finance company WalletHub.com, New Hampshire is the 8th most highly educated state in the country. The state has the fourth highest percentage of high school graduates, the eighth highest percentage of residents holding bachelor’s degrees, the ninth greatest percentage of graduate degrees, and arguably the smallest gender gap in educational attainment, the press release said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the study, Massachusetts is the most highly educated state and West Virginia is the lowest. Visit wallethub.com/latest-studies.

QOL score last week: 56

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 57

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

Who’s on first now?

The Big Story – Spring Training: Baseball games are back as the spring training exhibition season is under way.

Sports 101: Name the two players who won the most World Series and how many they won.

News Item – Red Sox Update: Notables from spring training.

In his first appearance, major off-season acquisition Garrett Crochet got tagged for four hits in 3.1 innings. But he gave up no earned runs and struck out an impressive seven batters.

Overhyped prospect Marcelo Mayer lived up to it for one day anyway, by going 3-3 with a homer and a triple in a win over Minnesota.

Wilyer Abreu might be warming up to win the Wally Pipp Award because with him likely out for opening day that could open up right field for baseball’s top prospect Roman Anthony, who knocked in four runs with four hits in his first 13 at-bats.

InjuryUpdate: In addition to Abreu, it’s looking like starters Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford will be on the DL when the season starts, bringing on a pitching crisis from Day 1.

That might be good for one-time Pirates top pitching prospect Quinn Priester, who they got in a swap of former first-round picks that sent Nick Yorke south last summer. Priester was a disappointment in Pittsburgh, but he’s got a live arm that gave up just one run in his first two starts.

News Item – Unsigned Free Agents: JD Martinez leads the list of the five biggest unsigned free agents as camps opened. The only one who might help Boston is former Yankees reliever Dave Robertson. He’s 40, but the ERA was 3.00 last year over 69 appearances. The others are starters Kyle Gibson and Jose Quintana along with Sox alum Jose Iglesias.

And according to Pete Abraham’s Baseball Notes column in Sunday’s Boston Globe JD and Iglesias are joined by fellow unemployed Sox alums Daniel Bard, Matt Barnes, Adam Duvall, Joe Kelly, Craig Kimbrel and unlikable Alex Verdugo.

The Numbers:

4 – under .500 teams — Orlando, Atlanta, Miami and Chicago — headed for the NBA’s Eastern Conference 7-10 play-in tournament.

5 – hits in Alex Bregman’s first 10 Red Sox at-bats.

268,000 – dollar amount solid citizen Jimmy Butler’s Miami landlord is suing him for in unpaid back rent and damages to his apartment.

Of the Week:

Thumbs Up – Team Owner Quote of the Week: From lifelong Long Island Mets fan and now owner Steve Cohen on why heblew through their planned payroll budget to sign Juan Soto and re-sign Pete Alonzo: “Because I want a winning team.” When’s the last time John Henry said something like that?

Thumbs Down – Mindy Kaling: The Dartmouth alum gets it for admitting/announcing on Jimmy Kimmel Live she’s switched from being a lifelong Celtics fan to a Lakers fan since moving to L.A.

Embarrassingly Clueless Comment of the Week – Brian Scalabrine: For the Cheerleader saying the current NBA has gone to a “new level of physicality” during Friday’s Celtics-Cavs game. Would somebody please show him videos from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s when guys routinely took people’s heads off on drives to the basket? Or what the Laimbeer-led Pistons did night in and night out to teams in the ’80s and ’90s. Scal’s the latest from a younger generation thinking life started with them.

Random Thought:

A headline (from ESPN.com) I thought I’d never see: Watson drops 30 on UCLA as USC Wins the BIG TEN.

Sports 101 Answer: Not hard to guess the team they came from, as Yankees Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra each won a record 10 World Series.

A Little Baseball History – Yogi Berra: Much is made (often by me) of the fact that Bill Russell played 13 years with the Celtics and won 11 NBA titles. But you don’t often hear that baseball’s greatest winner, Yogi, played for 17 years and missed the World Series only three times. Which would have bettered even Russell’s mark if the NBA didn’t have a multi-team playoff system, because title 11 came when the C’s finished fourth in the East in 1968-69. Otherwise it would have been 10 in 13.

Final Thought – Joe Mazzulla: Does anyone out there think it will ever occur to Joe he needs to find a way to get his team to stop blowing the gigantic leads they regularly blow? Which they once again did in Friday’s loss to Cleveland.That’s a coach’s job isn’t it?

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

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