The first weekend of the New Year brings new art, music, and theater to the Seacoast. Here are some of the highlights.
Christopher Volpe’s ‘Turning Point’
As always, the first Friday of the month brings the Dover Art Walk and Art ’Round Town. Among the highlights of the latter is “Turning Point,” a two-month show of oil paintings by local artist Christopher Volpe at the Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth. According to Volpe, the work celebrates transitional moments in nature. The opening reception is on Friday, Jan. 4, from 5-8 p.m.; the exhibit will be on display through February. For more information, click here.
Wildlife Fashion Art Safari at 3S
This collaboration between ceramicist Peter Morgan and new media artist Adam Hinterlang features large tile panels with bright colors applied to silhouetted images of animals. “Wildlife Fashion Art Safari” opens with a reception at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth on Friday, Jan. 4, from 5-8 p.m. Also opening at 3S at the same time is “Yoga Photogravures,” featuring intaglio prints of local yogis by Jay Goldsmith. Both shows run through Jan. 27. For more information, click here.
Eastern Sleds Record Release at WSCA
The Eastern Sleds are the Seacoast’s newest super group, featuring local musicians Justin Carloni on strings, Chris Reeves on fiddle, James Sophinos on bass, and Eric Ott on drums. The indie-folk-rock outfit will unveil its debut LP, “There’s No Place Left to Go,” with a performance on the Button Factory Stage at WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio on Friday, Jan. 4, from 8-10 p.m. Also performing are Tiger Saw and Huck Notari. Tickets are $5; for more information, click here.
Theophilus North at the Ring
The first show of the year at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth is “Theophilus North,” an uplifting play based on the final work of Thornton Wilder, adapted by Matthew Burnett. The story follows a young Yale graduate as he travels to Newport, R.I., in the summer of 1926. Presented by Square Peg Productions, the show runs Jan. 4-20; show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $14-$18; learn more here.
Barnstormers XXII at The Stone Church
After more than 20 installments, the Barnstormers Music and Arts Festival is still going strong at The Stone Church in Newmarket. Barnstormers XXII features live music by area acts Tim James & Incognito, The Woolly Mammoths, 25 Cent Habit, Oziem, Circus Trees, Strange Language, Louse, Tie Dye, Spillers, Wired for Sound, The Rhythm Upstairs, Mistaken for Strangers Band, Broken Amps, and GypsyOwls, plus at least a half-dozen local arts and crafts vendors. Tickets are $10; learn more here.
For a complete calendar of local events, click here.