It’s a ’gram jam

Hampton haven for tacos, tunes and selfies

Walking into Instabar, one is greeted by a riot of color, light and kitsch: wild graphics, a wall of speakers offered for art, not sound, a hollowed out Winnebago remade as a conversation pit, and positive vibes like “Make today Magic” drawn in funky fonts on the floor. Every night, live music flows from a corner stage.

The festival of senses is about more than a fun night out, though Tex-Mex tacos, local craft beer and margaritas do provide that. Instabar is a place that exists in equal measure for pleasure and posting, dedicated to the Instagram generation. Each tableau — there are more than 20, and they change regularly — is a potential scene for selfies, a nod to the notion that an experience is more awesome when shared online.

It’s the brainchild of Scott Millette, a former competitive snowboarder and fight promoter turned filmmaker. His work in branding and marketing led Millette to Austin, Texas, last year, where he discovered Rainey Street, an old neighborhood turned nightlife hub brimming with food trailers, bars made of freight containers and other oddities. He found the scene ideal for iPhone snapping and uploading.

Dawn Kingston, a photographer who works extensively with influencers and artists like Shawn Mendes, Machine Gun Kelly and Cameron Dallas, told him about an emerging business model focused on the selfie crowd.

“Pop-up museums like Happy Place and Ice Cream Museum, the one made famous on the Kardashians,” Millette said by phone recently. “They all had individual rooms that were basically built just to take Instagram photos of yourself. I was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole other market.’ These places had tickets that were selling out in minutes.”

Millette hatched a plan to combine it with a focus on his favorite food and bring it home to New Hampshire.

“I thought those two things coming together would be a really cool experience,” he said.

His old friend Shane Pine liked the idea of using the back of his Hampton restaurant, Shane’s Texas Pit, and he liked the food focus, which Millette hoped would draw the surfer crowd and be true to the Lone Star State.

“One thing you can get that’s amazing all the time in Texas is a taco, whether you go to a big restaurant or get it out of a truck at 3 in the morning,” Millette said.

Losing 87 pounds on an all-Mexican food diet a couple of years ago gave Millette the experience to build a menu. He then recruited artists to create the space.

“Carmen Fernandez, a friend of mine from Portsmouth, Christian Hardy, a filmmaker, musician and an artist I’ve worked on other projects, Kendall Vocca and Alyssa Pine,” he said. “We all worked together; I just essentially would curate it, but sometimes I would just guide them in a certain area.”

Kingston helmed the crucial Instagram rollout. To her surprise, Millette insisted the location would be a mystery right up to opening night.

“Social media is all about engagement,” he said. “The first question is, where is it? We tell them it’s a secret and they can’t know without an invite. That made our Instagram quite explode, to like 700 views per story.”

Live entertainment is integral to Instabar’s mission.

“What is art without music?” Millette asked. “Nothing without a good soundtrack. It’s so important to me … and this restaurant is based on being authentically Austin, which claims to be the live music capital of the world.”

April Renzella, David Corson, Rob Pagnano, Brad Bosse, Sam Robbins and Amanda McCarthy have all appeared there since Instabar opened in late May. Comedy happens June 24 at 6:30 p.m., when Manchester standup Mike Koutrobis performs ($10/ticket).

Millette has other ideas brewing as well, like help sessions with professional photographers for people looking to take more flattering shots.

“We have this whole environment of great backdrops,” he said. “We could do an Eight Steps to Up Your Bumble Game type of night that includes live music after, where people come out and take awesome selfies, and get to meet other singles.”

Instabar @ Shane’s Authentically Austin
Where
: 61 High St., Hampton
Reserve: instabarnh2020.eventbrite.com
Thursday, June 18 – TBA
Friday, June 19 – Dave Corson
Saturday, June 20 – Rob Pagnano
Sunday, June 21 – Alex Potenza
Monday, June 22 – TBA
Tuesday, June 23 – Dave Corson
Wednesday, June 24 – Amanda McCarthy
Thursday, June 25 – Dave Corson
Friday, June 26 – King Kyote
Saturday, June 27 – Dave Corson
Sunday, June 28 – Brad Bosse

The Art Roundup 20/6/18

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 info@cityartsnashua.org.

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.

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