The Art Roundup 21/02/04

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

Watercolor by Barbara London, featured in “Let Me Show You What I Love” exhibit. Courtesy photo.

• Quick bits of fiction: The Monadnock Writers’ Group is having a virtual Three Minute Fiction Slam on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m. on Zoom. According to a press release, the Slam is a fast-paced competition in which writers read an original work of fiction in three minutes or less for an audience and panel of judges. Prizes will be awarded to the top three writers, and the winner will have the opportunity to compete in the statewide finals competition hosted by the New Hampshire Writers’ Project (date TBA). The event is free to access, and all are welcome to participate or just watch. Email monadnockwriters@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Visit monadnockwriters.org.

• Call for artist members: The New Hampshire Art Association’s spring jurying for new members will take place on Monday, March 22. The oldest statewide artist association in the state, NHAA provides many opportunities for New England artists to exhibit and sell their artwork throughout the year. Prospective members must submit original works of art in the same medium that “reflect the artist’s voice and are representative of their body of work,” according to the NHAA website. A jury of established NHAA artist members with backgrounds in a variety of media will review and judge the work. The jury looks for “maturity of artistic concept, mastery of the medium, composition, consistency of artistic concept and presentation,” the website said. For a prospectus and application form, visit nhartassociation.org and click on “Become a Member.” Applications and application fee payment are due by Thursday, March 18, and can be submitted online or in person at the NHAA headquarters (136 State St., Portsmouth). Instructions for dropping off and picking up artwork will be emailed after an application and payment are received. Call 431-4230.

• Virtual look at The System: Nashua Public Library, in partnership with Newton Free Library, presents a virtual author event with Robert B. Reich on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, will discuss his latest book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, which is described as a look at how wealth and power have contributed to the rise of an elite oligarchy, devastated the middle class and threatened democracy in the U.S. Christopher Lydon, host of the original podcast Open Source broadcast by WBUR in Boston, will moderate the discussion. Space is limited, and registration is required at tinyurl.com/npllectures by 5 p.m. the day of the event. Information on how to access the event will be sent to registered participants the day of the event. Visit nashualibrary.org or call 589-4610.

• For the love of art: The Seacoast Artist Association has a new art exhibit on view now through the end of February in the windows at the gallery (130 Water St., Exeter) and inside by appointment and open to the public on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Valentine’s Day gift-buying. The Valentine’s Day themed exhibit, titled “Let Me Show You What I Love,” features a variety of art by gallery members depicting “what they love — what seizes their hearts, minds and souls,” according to a press release from the Association. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.

No quiet for the choir

Nashua Choral Society sings together from a distance

The Nashua Choral Society is inviting new singers to join its 2021 spring season, which is just getting underway. The non-auditioned community choir has found some creative ways to rehearse while maintaining social distance, including weekly virtual rehearsals over Zoom and monthly “driveway rehearsals” where members can gather in person and sing together from their cars.

When Covid hit last spring, the choir was just polishing up an upcoming performance with Symphony NH, featuring a full program of Haydn music, and a performance with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, which was to include the premiere of a new song written for the choir.

Those performances were postponed, but instead of losing momentum the choir has gotten stronger — active members have stayed, less-active members have become more involved and new singers have joined, artistic director Dan Roihl said.

“Obviously, performance is a big part of [being in a choir], but I think there is some intrinsic reward in the communal aspect of just singing together, hearing your voice with other voices and creating works of beauty,” Roihl said. “That’s been enough for people right now.”

Still, moving from in-person rehearsals to virtual rehearsals was a bit more complicated than expected, Roihl said.

“As most choirs quickly figured out, singing together live over Zoom just isn’t practical because of the lag time,” he said. “It’s just not possible to synchronize.”

To get around this, Roihl has been encouraging members to record themselves singing the pieces on their own and send him the recordings, which he mixes together and plays at the rehearsals so that members can hear how their voices sound in unison. He also plays the instrumental musical tracks and has members sing along with their microphones muted.

“That way, they can at least have the simulated experience of singing together in real time,” he said.

In addition to the weekly Zoom rehearsals, the choir meets once a month in person for a “driveway rehearsal” in the parking lot of the church where they used to have their regular rehearsals. While remaining in their cars, members sing together using wireless microphones. The sound is run through a mixing board and played back through an FM radio station that members can tune into and hear each other. The choir had its first driveway rehearsal on World Choral Day on Dec. 13 with around 30 members in attendance.

“It was almost magical, because at that point we hadn’t been able to actually hear what we sound like together in real time for about nine months,” Roihl said. “It’s just really amazing to experience singing together again, even if it is just through our car windows.”

The driveway rehearsals are not only more personal than the Zoom rehearsals, Roihl said, but also more productive.

“It’s a lot more like a real rehearsal because [singers] can respond to my gesture, and I can get feedback on how they are responding to my gesture in real time, which is something that had been sorely lacking in the Zoom context,” he said. “It allows us to really assess how we are doing so I can still do some music teaching and we can work on our techniques.”

While the Nashua Choral Society has performed primarily classical music, Roihl is working on developing a more versatile repertoire to include pop song arrangements, familiar hymns and “everyday-use songs” that he believes will appeal to a wider audience and expand the choir’s performance opportunities.

“We always hope to keep one foot firmly planted in our classical wheelhouse, but I think having some easier songs that we can do a cappella or on short notice or if we don’t have the full [choir] there … will give us more flexibility,” he said.

While the choir has no public performances scheduled at the moment, Roihl said they’ve been “kicking around the idea” of doing some community-based drive-in performances in the parking lots of hospitals, nursing homes and such, using the same mechanics as their driveway rehearsals.

“We know it’s not quite the same as a [normal] live performance, but at least [audiences] could see me out there waving my arms and hear us singing in real time,” he said. “It’s more about letting people know that we’re thinking of them and that we’re looking to share the joy of the art we bring.”

Nashua Choral Society
Singers of all abilities are welcome to join. No auditions necessary. Spring season runs now through mid-May, with virtual rehearsals via Zoom every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m., and monthly “driveway rehearsals” in Nashua. Visit nashuachoralsociety.org or facebook.com/nashuachoralsociety or email info@nashuachoralsociety.org.

Featured photo: Artistic director Dan Roihl leads a Nashua Choral Society “driveway rehearsal.” Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/02/04

Lots of student loans

A recent study that looked at student loan debt nationwide ranked New Hampshire ninth for the most people with student loans. The study was done by AdvisorSmith, a small business research website, which analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education to find the states with the highest student loan balances and states with the most student loans outstanding. According to the study, in New Hampshire 14 percent of the population has an outstanding federal student loan.

Score: -1

Comment: On the bright side, the average loan balance in New Hampshire is $33,459 — which is slightly lower than the national average. At the end of 2020 the average student loan debt held in the federal student loan portfolio was $36,510 per borrower, according to the study.

Granite State for the golden years

Retirees are faring better than students in the Granite State, it seems; New Hampshire ranked 10th in a recent study that looked at the best states for retirees in 2021. Last week, the personal finance website WalletHub released the report, which looked at factors like affordability, health and overall quality of life. While the state didn’t exactly score high marks for affordability — ranking 30th — it came in at No. 1 for quality of life and ninth for health care.

Score: +1

Comment: Quality of life is key (that’s why we weigh in on it on this very page every week!), but bringing that affordability ranking down a bit would make the state’s QOL even better, no?

Tough loss for gift store owners

Countryberries, a gift store in Deerfield, was destroyed by a fire on the morning of Jan. 29, according to a report from WMUR. The shop is a total loss, and there is no word yet on the cause. The owners, Bruce and Kathy Graham, who live in the house adjacent to the shop, were asleep when the fire started but awoke in time to get out safely, according to a message that the couple’s daughter, Kelly, posted on the store’s Facebook page. “We built the shop in 1997 with the help of family and friends, but as so many of you know, Countryberries was more than just a building on the Graham property (or a room in their house many many years ago),” the post reads. “It has been a dream, a passion, and part of the Graham family since May 1991.”

Score: -2

Comment: The post on Facebook said that although the family is devastated, they are grateful that no one was hurt and that the Graham’s family home of 36 years was not destroyed in the fire.

The Plunge is on

The Special Olympics of New Hampshire’s Penguin Plunge will go on this year, giving brave plungers a chance to raise funds for the program, which is still supporting its athletes by offering fun activities even while they’re at home. There’s still time to sign up and meet fundraising minimums before taking the plunge, which can be done anytime in any non-frozen body of water (the event normally takes place at Hampton Beach) between now and Feb. 7. According to a press release, signing up at sonh.com will get you a link to the fundraising platform, which can be used on any social media.

Score: +1

Comment: If you run into the ocean in the middle of winter and no one is around to see it, did you really run into the ocean?

QOL score: 56

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 55

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Super Bowl questions

The 55th Super Bowl comes your way on Sunday to conclude a season marked by disruptions, limited fans in the stands, and other craziness of the pandemic season. I’m among the dwindling group who’s seen all 55 and given the QB match-up it’s one of my more highly anticipated when I haven’t got a dog in the hunt. Yeah, I know, you-know-who is back for his incredible 10th SB, this time with Tampa Bay. But that’s an “I want him to do well, I don’t want him to win” rooting toss-up. Plus I love watching how the KC Chiefs play.

Starting with “Will KC’s 27-24 win over TB in Week 12 matter?” here are some of the questions I’ll be looking to have answered as the opening kickoff goes airborne at 6:35 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Is KC As Good As They Seem? I know Pat Mahomes is. Ditto for Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, and their defense is better than most think. But with Sammy Watkins and their two top running backs sidelined they’ve relied on Hill and Kelce an awful lot. Though it didn’t hurt in the 38-14 win over Buffalo to get here. To win, Bill Belichick always looks to shut down the No. 1 option. But who’s the number option? The more dangerous Hill, or first-down machine Kelce? Watkins is questionable, but it looks like Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play and that should help. Not unbeatable, but really dangerous.

How Good Is TB’s Defense? Their linebackers are fast to the ball. Especially Devin White, who’s had a great playoffs so far. And while they don’t have a huge sack guy, in Jason Pierre Paul (9.5), White (9.0), Shaquil Barrett (8.5) and Ndamukong Suh (6.0) they have an array of guys who create pressure from different directions. So it can create problems.

Will Having Home Field Matter for TB? No team has ever played a Super Bowl in their own stadium as Tampa Bay will Sunday, though the Rams basically were home at the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena when they lost 31-19 to Pittsburgh in SB14, and five years later the 49ers walloped Miami 38-16 in nearby Palo Alto at Stanford. But with that a split they’re no help. It also won’t be a “hometown crowd” as the majority are out-of-town neutrals, made an even smaller factor with the pandemic-induced 25 percent max capacity. So the biggest difference could be without the usual who-ha festival environment factor seeming more like just a “regular game.” Normally home field gives home teams a three-point edge. I’ll give it just a one-point bump and only because having it can’t hurt.

At What Point is Tom Brady’s Overall SB Record a Consideration? It irritates me that evaluating quarterbacks comes down to just counting their rings. Like they’re the only ones who had anything to do with the wins. Pardon me for thinking Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Julian Edelman and Malcolm Butler and many othershad something to do with Brady’s six. The point is you need a team to get there. Then there’s Joe Montana, never lost in four tries. Ditto for Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman was 3-0 in the ’90s. And while Brady was 3-0 before (gulp) losing the undefeated season to the G-Men in SB42, if Tampa loses Sunday Brady will tie Jim Kelly for most losses with four. If he gets credit for the wins, shouldn’t his record losses be taken into account in the “greatest ever” discussion? As should the team you played for? Because if Kelly had Adam V instead of Scott Norwood, he’d be 1-3 at least, not 0-4. So which number is most significant for TB, 6, 4, 6-4 or 10?

Friends, Romans, Countrymen: Using Roman numerals was quaint through the first 10 years. But now at 55 it’s nuts, because no one younger than, say 1,982 years old has a clue what L, V or X means. For instance, I look at the list of all the games on Wikipedia and see the aforementioned 2007 game is SBXLII and go, “What? Does X = 30 and L = 10 to make it 42? Or does it mean X = 50 and L is -10?” Confusing it even further is that the game for the 2007 title was played in 2008. And if Roman numerals are so great, why is the 50th game called Super Bowl 50? That’s stupidest of all, when you see it in a list with all the others with X’s, L’s and V’s. For the love of god just give us real numbers and leave chariot races, Julius Caesar and those dang numerals to the Romans.

Key to KC Win: We all know how to beat Brady: with pressure up the middle. It prevents him from stepping up into the pocket, makes him hurry throws and is tough to throw over. If I’m KC my defensive game plan is built around that.

Key to TB Win: They have to put Mahomes on the ground, which should be a little easier with left tackle Eric Fisher now lost to a torn Achilles tendon. The problem is you can’t miss him, because he’s deadly outside the pocket where he’s great throwing on the run and has a knack for getting to the sticks for first downs on third and long.

Will There Be An X-Factor? For TB it was Scott Miller somehow getting behind the Green Bay defense for a game-altering TD with one second left in the first half of the NFC Conference game. This week I’ll go KC’s Mecole Hardman, whose dazzling speed produces a special teams TD or big plays from scrimmage like that 50-yard run off a Jets sweep vs. Buffalo.

Who Wins: Take the (gulp) under (57.5) in a 31-24 KC win.

If you build it…

Performing Arts Center moves into construction phase

After four years of planning, construction on the Nashua Performing Arts Center is set to begin this month. The 750-seat venue, located on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Alec’s Shoes, is scheduled to open in late spring 2022. Richard Lannan, president of Nashua Community Arts, which is overseeing the project, talked about how the venue is coming along.

What progress has been made on the Nashua Performing Arts Center so far?

The history goes back a few years ago when a committee was formed to find a consultant to do a study to determine if Nashua could support a performing arts center and, if so, how big could it be and where could it be located and so forth. The study came back [and revealed] that, yes, Nashua can, in fact, support it, so we started talking about size and possible locations. … We had determined that a size in the 750-seat range was the sweet spot for what Nashua could support and still be profitable, and that the Alec’s Shoes building was by far the best location; it could handle the size, has an abundance of parking available [nearby] and is in the heart of downtown, walking distance to restaurants and bars and shops. … Then, the mayor appointed a steering committee of 12 people. It included four … aldermen and individuals from the arts community and from downtown, so it was a pretty diverse group. … The [first] of the steering committee’s goals was to hire a team … for the architecture, construction and operation. … There was a bond approved by the City of Nashua to fund the performing arts center [with the condition that] an additional $4 million be raised privately in order to get it off the ground. … We did end up raising the $4 million that was necessary and were able to close out the transactions [with the contractors] in the middle of December.

How did Covid affect the progress?

Nashua Community Arts had already started [raising private funds] and was pretty successful in late 2019 and early 2020, but when Covid hit, we weren’t sure what was going to happen, so we pulled back and were kind of on a hiatus for four or five months. … But even with the pandemic, there was still a lot of interest and desire in the Performing Arts Center, and people were still donating, so we decided to start back up again and be more aggressive to raise the money. … So, [Covid] probably did hurt us a little bit — we might have been able to get to our [fundraising] goal a few months earlier — but we still made it in time.

What are you working on now?

We’ve been planning with the subcontractors to get everything in line, and everything is pretty much lined up to start construction as early as [this month]. … Nashua Community Arts is continuing to fundraise. We’ve kicked off a name-a-seat campaign where people are able to donate and get a plaque on the arm of the chair that could be their name or a name in memory of someone or a company name. We’ll continue to do that program until all of the seats are taken. … Spectacle Management, which will be in complete management of the property, from the maintenance to the concession stands to booking performances, is already gearing up to take over when it opens. They’re [setting up] their social media and already have a Facebook page, and they’re even having some conversations about future performances to book.

What kinds of events will the Performing Arts Center host?

We’re striving to make it very versatile. The whole bottom level’s seats are designed to roll back into a wall, so we could have a flat floor and set up tables for a corporate banquet or a wedding or whatever kind of event. Then, we could roll the seats back out and have a concert or comedy show or book signing. … If we were having a rock concert or something like that, we could also roll the seats back to make it a standing room. We can actually fit up to 1,000 people if we do that.

What is this going to do for Nashua?

Theater events end up bringing a lot of people into the city and create vibrancy downtown. People may come a little early or stay after the event and walk around downtown, grab a bite to eat or a couple of drinks or do some shopping. … It’s also going to employ a lot of people, not only out of the performing arts center itself, but also in downtown, because if [downtown businesses] are doing well, that may create more jobs around the city. It’s all a domino effect.

Featured photo: Richard Lannan. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/02/04

Covid-19 updateAs of January 25As of February 1
Total cases statewide62,76866,058
Total current infections statewide5,6274,662
Total deaths statewide9901,059
New cases4,904 (Jan. 19 to Jan. 25)3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1)
Current infections: Hillsborough County1,9941,587
Current infections: Merrimack County420389
Current infections: Rockingham County1,2781,096
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 26, the first vaccine doses to Granite Staters in Phase 1B of the state’s distribution plan began. “New Hampshire’s rollout of Phase 1B has been very successful with over 300,000 individuals registering to receive their vaccine in just one week,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a Jan. 29 press release. According to that release, the state sent out emails to people in Phase 1B who have received their first dose of the vaccine but had not yet scheduled a second dose, or scheduled an appointment that is several weeks away. “We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to speeding up the process, including opening up additional appointments for individuals to receive their second dose,” Sununu said in the release.

As of Feb. 2, additional second dose appointments were made available at vams.cdc.gov. “In order to accommodate the entire statewide vaccination campaign, we’ve added additional locations in partnership with our hospitals,” Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during a Jan. 26 press conference, “so we currently have 22 sites that are open to the public.” During the same press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, while the test-positivity rates and hospitalization numbers due to Covid-19 continue to be on the decline over the last several weeks, the overall level of community transmission remains very high statewide. The following day, Jan. 27, New Hampshire surpassed 1,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last March, according to the daily public health update.

On Jan. 29, Sununu and the governors of each of the five other New England states and New Jersey issued a joint statement extending the suspension of all interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools through at least March 31. A regional suspension had previously been in place through Dec. 31 before it was then extended to Jan. 31. The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate, professional or national hockey team activities, according to the statement.

Details on Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Support local

The state has launched a marketing campaign called “Support Local: Go the Extra Mile” to help boost the local businesses as they struggle through the economic fallout of the pandemic, according to a press release. Economic development and tourism officials will run the campaign through March via ads on billboards, television spots and social media. The ads encourage residents to eat, shop and stay local, and there’s a new website with listings of New Hampshire businesses: supportlocal603.com. “While the resiliency, resourcefulness, and fierce determination of our industry has been on full display during these challenging times, we need the support of everyone in the state right now,” Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, said in the release.

Housing assistance

On Jan. 26, the City of Manchester launched the Manchester Emergency Housing Assistance Program, which will allow residents with low or moderate incomes who have lost income due to the pandemic to receive grants of up to $4,500 to cover rent, mortgage payments or utilities, according to a press release. “Preventing and ending homelessness starts with making sure that those who are struggling to make ends meet remain housed,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. Eligible applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the release, the program is being funded with a Community Development Block Grant and federal funds provided to the city through the CARES Act.

Interim supers

The Nashua Board of Education voted last week to hire Garth McKinney as Superintendent of Schools and Mario Andrade as Assistant Superintendent for Elementary, according to a press release. They are both serving in an interim capacity until June 30. McKinney is taking the place of Jahmal Mosley, who has taken a job as a superintendent in Massachusetts; he will continue in an advisory capacity to the Office of Superintendent until the end of the school year. McKinney is the current Assistant Superintendent for Elementary for the Nashua School District, and Andrade started the school year as Principal of Elm Street Middle School in an interim capacity, according to the release.

The Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon announced last week that registration is now open for the 40th annual Prouty, a fundraising event that combines cycling, walking, rowing, golfing and more. According to a press release, this year’s event will be virtual, with potential in-person options depending on safety and health guidelines. In honor of its 40th year, the Prouty will take place over the course of 40 days — June 1 through July 10 — and virtual participants can do whatever activity they want anywhere at any time. Visit theprouty.org.

The Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin became available for pre-order on Jan. 28, the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, at catalog.usmint.gov. According to a press release, the coin honors Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, and proceeds will promote STEM education.

The SEE Science Center in Manchester is hosting its adult science discussion series, Science on Tap, virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The informal discussion this month is Covid-19: Lessons Learned. According to a press release, local science and health care professionals will talk about the virus and the vaccines, and how the response to this virus will impact the medical field in the future. Admission is free, but sign-up is required at see-sciencecenter.org.

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