This Friday, June 5, there are two opportunities to get overwhelmed by just how much local galleries have to offer. This preview will help you make the most of it.
Art ’Round Town
Portsmouth art galleries host receptions on the first Friday of every month, from about 5 to 8 p.m. That gives you just 20 minutes at each stop to take in a lot of culture and cheap wine. Plan a route using the map on Artroundtown.org.
A popular place to start, Nahcotta is presenting oil paintings and works on paper by MJ Blanchette and Rose Umerlik. In this new work, Blanchette’s romantic renderings of storm clouds are intensified with deeper color and more obvious palette knife work. This moodiness pairs well with Umerlik’s abstract paintings, visual representations of emotion.
Looming by MJ Blanchette
A seasonal participant in Art ’Round Town, the historic Governor John Langdon House opens with “Sculpted Spaces, Historic Places.” Since this reception runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., it would be best in the middle of your route. A mix of contemporary New England sculpture will be on display throughout the grounds and in several rooms. If it inspires you, return the next day to sculpt from aluminum foil with William Bloomfield on Saturday, June 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. Additional sculptures are on display at the Sarah Orne Jewett House in South Berwick, Maine.
Kathleen Brenann’s “Reclining Figure III, part of the “Sculpted Spaces, Historic Places” exhibit
The New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery hosts an exhibit of photography by David Hiley, titled “Regarding Haiti,” which documents the mission of local volunteers working in the poverty-stricken, yet vibrant country. His images capture natural beauty and the resilient spirit in contrast with devastating conditions. In addition, painter and mixed-media artist Shea Brook is showing recent work in the Small Works Gallery.
photo by David Hiley, part of the Regarding Haiti exhibit
The association will also continue to celebrate a milestone with its 75th Anniversary Show, and visitors can toast with champagne. Dessert will be served at Discover Portsmouth, where there’s a retrospective highlighting the roles of the art association and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. Discover Portsmouth’s other exhibit features pottery by prolific and popular mid-century modern artists Edwin and Mary Scheier.
This Friday is the last chance to see “Cosmopolitan Consumption: New England Shoe Stories” at the Portsmouth Athenaeum’s Randall Gallery. With both remarkable examples of footwear and historical anecdotes, this exhibit details the significance of the way shoes were made, sold, and worn from 1750 to 1850.
Though the Kennedy Gallery won’t have a new exhibit this month, it will be unveiling its renovated storefront, a work of art in itself. Owner Wendy Clement said the new look is historically accurate for the building. The brick that is so common downtown was removed, exposing the elegant, original columns, and the windows were greatly expanded, opening up the entire space. If that’s not enough to lure you inside, there’s always free cheese.
Other participants include The Banks Gallery, 32 Daniel St., the studio and gallery of photographer Jay Schadler, 82 Fleet St., and printmaker Don Gorvett’s Piscataqua Fine Arts, 123 Market St.
Extown Walks
The downtown Exeter version, First Fridays: Extown Walks, features art gallery receptions, live music, shopping, and children’s activities, organized by TEAM (Town Exeter Arts Music). The next event is June 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Exeter Arts Committee is hosting an opening reception for their “Seacoast Open Studio” exhibit in the gallery on the second floor of Town Hall. And the Seacoast Artist Association opens its themed show, “The Eye of the Beholder,” which combines original art with the photography that inspired it.
Two pop-up art shows are planned in vacant spaces. Arts collaborative Wrong Brain will take over 143 Water St., and Jones Art Studio and East Colony Fine Art will be at 163 Water St.
Kids between the ages 6 and 13 are invited to an art class, “Cartooning with Katie,” at Stairway to Heaven Comics, 121 Water St., starting at 4 p.m. And Trends Gift Gallery, 85 Water St., will be celebrating an expansion.
The American Independence Museum is hosting an event at The Folsom Tavern, 164 Water St., where there will be music by Dave Talmage, historical tours and games, and, of course, beer. This is a $10 ticketed event. There will also be music right downtown as part of the Bandstand Live series. See Teamexeter.com for more.
Top: photo by Roger H. Goun, on display at the Seacoast Artist Association’s gallery in Exeter.