NEW HAMPSHIRE
DESTINATION NEW HAMPSHIRE
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ew Hampshire embraces its Live Free or Die motto with a passion one expects from such a declaration. As soon as you cross into the state, you feel a sense of ease and freedom. Here, arts and culture seekers will discover thriving arts communities of all shapes and sizes in the state’s larger cities and tiny hamlets. Yet don’t let the casual atmosphere fool you—there is serious art happening here amidst the breathtaking White Mountains and serene lakes. The following pages offer a glimpse into the season’s cultural happenings, now laced with the promise of the holidays and the first snowfall. From major museum and gallery exhibitions, to nature walks, lectures, and performances, ’tis the season to explore New Hampshire’s artistic side. Pair these events with the state’s burgeoning culinary scene and famous inns and B & Bs and you have the makings for a family weekend adventure or a romantic getaway. Planning your holiday shopping? Arts festivals and fairs abound. Looking forward to winter weather? Bring your skis, skates, and snowboards and experience that incredible sensation of living free while breathing the freshest air under a sunny New Hampshire sky. You’ll never feel more alive.
CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART— Manchester
Located in New Hampshire’s most populous city, the Currier Museum of Art is an exciting, expansive contemporary art museum in Manchester. If you plan to visit during the weekend, stop by the Winter Garden for brunch, every Sunday starting at 10 a.m., for live music and food and drink specials. Call ahead to reserve a tour of the only two Frank Lloyd Wright houses in New England available for public viewing, the Kalil House and the Zimmerman House, or, for a more casual visit, drop in on Art After Work: Free Thursday Nights weekly from 5 to 8 p.m. for free admission, live music, and refreshments. If you have been to this museum before, now is the time to revisit! The Currier has recently reinstalled its collection across the galleries. This reimagining of the Currier’s collection presents new acquisitions alongside old favorites and contemporary art alongside historic works, creating and revealing new contexts for the Museum’s col-
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Welcome to Bethlehem, exterior mural painted by Zach Johnsen. Photo: P Sullivan. Courtesy of WREN Gallery, Bethlehem, NH.
lection. Whenever and however you choose to visit, whether you are returning or coming for the first time, you’ll experience a full day of art and beauty at the Currier. currier.org
CHAPEL ART CENTER AT SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE—Manchester The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center is housed in what was once the college’s chapel, which retains its vaulted ceilings and allegorical lunettes painted by Father Raphael Pfisterer, O.S.B. (1877–1942). This year, the Chapel Art Center presents a special three-phase exhibition, Dilecta, Reflections on a Permanent Collection. The exhibition reexamines the origins and growth of the collection and the Center as the director looks back on 25 years. A focus on core groupings such as women modernists, religious works, New England landscapes, and international art creates new genres and provides a new lens through which to view the collection. In addition to exhibitions, the Chapel Art Center features lectures, concerts, and tours, all of which are free and open to the public. Experience art in a unique setting in this reimagined chapel while enjoying the natural beauty of the landscape that surrounds this campus on the edge of the city. anselm.edu/arts/chapel-art-center
LAMONT GALLERY AT PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY—Exeter The Lamont Gallery is housed in the Frederick R. Mayer Art Center at Phillips Exeter
November/December 2022
Academy. This historic school’s campus is a beautiful green space with Georgian-style scholastic buildings and is in walking distance to downtown Exeter. The Lamont Gallery is a contemplative exhibition and teaching space showcasing regional, national, and international art in innovative thematic exhibitions. Currently showing is Tradition Interrupted (through December 10), featuring eleven artists from around the globe whose work blends the traditional with the modern. The gallery is open to the public by appointment only, which can be made online at the Phillips Exeter Academy website. The Lamont Gallery operates with an emphasis on inquiry, active engagement, and dialogue. A visit here is an opportunity to enjoy a space for people of all ages to see and engage with art in an academic and welcoming environment. exeter.edu/ academics/lamont-gallery
THE MUSEUM OF ART AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE— Durham
The Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire’s mission is to serve as a visual arts resource and educational catalyst for the academic and wider community. The Museum presents dynamic exhibitions and programs during the academic year, featuring nationally recognized artists and emerging talent who work in new and traditional media addressing socially and culturally relevant topics. The interdisciplinary nature of the Museum of Art’s
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