7 minute read
ART ON MAIN
By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com
Downtown Concord becomes an open-air art gallery through Art on Main, an initiative by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Concord committee to commission public outdoor sculptures by professional sculptors from around New England for installation along Main Street.
Now in its fourth year, Art on Main is bringing in two new sculptures to be installed this month.
Both were created by Chris Plaisted, a Connecticut-based artist who was born and raised in Alstead, New Hampshire.
“This will sort of be a homecoming for me,” Plaisted said. “I still have many friends and family in the area, so part of the intent in participating was the hope that they will get to see my work.”
Plaisted’s large-scale, welded steel sculptures have appeared in dozens of outdoor art exhibits across the country. He described his work as being “primarily abstract, but often with figurative elements.”
His Concord-bound piece “Into the Wind” is a 12-foot-tall, 5-foot-wide and 5-foot-deep red steel sculpture that was prompted, Plaisted said, by a conversation he had with his friend about their shared sailing hobby and summer plans.
“I got to thinking about making a piece inspired by our boats, so this piece is an abstract of a sail cutting the wind,” he said.
At 9 feet tall, 32 inches wide and 32 inches deep, “Sunflower from Mars” is also red steel and was born out of Plaisted’s interest in the 1938 radio broadcast The War of the Worlds.
“The piece was then inspired by the idea that, what if Martians had actually landed in the U.S. and planted a seed? What would they have left behind?” he said.
The sculptures installed through Art on Main remain in Concord for one to two years, at the discretion of the Creative Concord committee. Plaisted’s piece will join several pieces that have been renewed for a second year. All are available to purchase, with 30 percent of the proceeds to be placed in a dedicated fund for Concord to acquire more permanent public art.
“The idea is that we’re bringing in new pieces on a fairly regular basis to keep sort of a fresh appearance of new art coming into the downtown,” Concord Chamber President Tim Sink said.
Sculptors are found through a call for art put out by Creative Concord in the winter. By the end of April, the committee makes its decision.
“We’re not looking for statues of George Washington,” Sink said. “We’re looking for [pieces] that are more non-traditional; that are large and capture your eye as you’re walking or driving down Main Street; and that are rugged and durable — something that kids could climb on.”
The best way to experience the art, Sink said, is to park on South Main Street and walk, starting in the area of the Capitol Center for the Arts, up to the New Hampshire Statehouse on North Main Street.
“It’s a very pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with lots of outdoor dining and shops, and you’ll pass these pieces along the way,” he said.
You can engage more with the pieces on Creative Concord’s website, which features professionally shot videos of the artists introducing themselves and discussing their sculptures. Sink said Creative Concord is looking to expand the Art on Main initiative to have a new mural created in downtown every year. They’re on track to have one completed by the end of the summer, though they haven’t chosen a location yet.
“We have plenty of canvases,” Sink said. “If you walk through downtown, you’ll see there are probably 14 or so sides of buildings that are highly visible and would be great for a mural.”
“Into the Wind” by Chris Plaisted. Courtesy photo. “Sunflower from Mars” by Chris Plaisted. Courtesy photo.
Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord and visitconcord-nh.com/art-in-concord, or call the Chamber at 224-2508.
Art
• “RETABLOS RECONSID-
ERED” Exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). On view now through June 6. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
• “GEOMETRIC ABSTRACTION THROUGH CUT AND
PASTE” City Arts Nashua and The Nashua Telegraph present an exhibition featuring the works of Meri Goyette, including statement collages and collectible greetings cards that she crafted from paper, fabric and glue during the pandemic. On display in the windows and lobby of the Telegraph offices (110 Main St., Suite 1, Nashua). Now through June 11. Visit cityartsnashua.org. • “TRANSFORMATIONS: NATURE AND BEYOND” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by digital artist William Townsend. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through June 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL
TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI - I
BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “CRITICAL CARTOGRA-
PHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org. • GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE
CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org. • ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. Opens in June. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email tsink@concordnhchamber.com.
Fairs and markets
• CONCORD ARTS MARKET
Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
Special events • 14TH ANNUAL NASHUA
INTERNATIONAL SCULP-
TURE SYMPOSIUM Three renowned sculptors will spend three weeks in Nashua creating three outdoor sculptures for permanent installation in the city. The public will be able to watch the sculptors work and interact with them during their breaks (masks and social distancing required). Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., now through Fri., June 4, outside The Picker Artists studios (3 Pine St., Nashua), and Sat., June 5 through Sat., June 12, at installation site. A closing ceremony and sculpture reveal will take place on Saturday, June 12 and will be recorded for the public to watch online. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org. • “FIRED UP!” OUTDOOR
CERAMICS SHOW AND
KILN OPENING Hosted by Kelley Stelling Contemporary at the studio of NH Potters Guild artist Al Jaeger (12 Perry Road, Deerfield). Sat., June 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit kelleystellingcontemporary.com.
Theater • JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH JR. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) June 4 through June 12, with showtimes on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m., except for Sunday, June 12, which is at noon. Tickets cost $12 for children and $15 for adults. Visit palacetheatre.org. • QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Fri., June 4, and Thurs., June 17, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com. • CONCORD DANCE ACAD-
EMY ANNUAL RECITAL
Livestream presented by The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. Sat., June 5, 1 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Visit ccanh. com. • COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Sat., June 5, and Thurs., June 24, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com. • THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents. Virtual. Thurs., June 10, through Sat., June 12, 8 p.m., and Sun., June 13, 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.
