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By awall ( April 19, 2012 at 8:15 am) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
Wallace Shawn’s Obie-winning play “The Fever” will be Sharon Arts Center’s next Good Neighbor Series presentation Saturday, April 28 from 7 to 9 pm. 
Actor Jerry Levy, who will perform the piece, describes this 1991 play as a comedy which explores the failure of the humanistic middle class to relieve the suffering of the poor they sympathize with. Playwright Shawn asks whether the arts inspire us to act on our sympathy for the poor and whether we have the right to enjoy the “good life” when so many others cannot.
Levy and Thomas Griffin, who directed “The Fever” and is artistic director of Brattleboro-based Acting On Impulse Theatre Company, collaborated for three years to prepare Shawn’s play for performance. This production of “The Fever” opened in Brattleboro in December of 2010 and has since toured California, France, the Netherlands, and Scotland. Levy and Griffin have both grappled with “The Fever” in a very personal way and hope the audience will consider its important message.
Tickets for the play are $12 general admission and $10 for students and seniors. 
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By awall ( April 13, 2012 at 12:08 pm) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
Three ConVal High School students–Allie Umstadt, Emeric Szep, and Emily Tyler–will read selections of their poetry on Saturday, April 21 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm as part of the Sharon Arts Center Good Neighbor Series. To be held at the Downtown Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough, the event is free and open to the public, although donations are encouraged. Light refreshments and beverages will be provided and doors open at 7 pm.
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Prior to the reading, the three students were engaged in a four-week writing workshop with Zachary Green, Gallery Assistant and Poetry Coordinator for the Good Neighbor Series, as well as Jason Lambert, English Department Leader at ConVal. The workshop gave emphasis to exploring new forms, poets from a variety of schools and lineages, critical engagement and discussion of writing poetry, and how to read aloud.
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“Working with these students has been an absolute pleasure,” Green says. “They all have been strongly dedicated to each other and poetry, providing great insights. I think it’s safe to say they are happy to have this opportunity to present their work.”
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Allie Umstadt, from Dublin, NH, is a sophomore at ConVal. She enjoys writing and reading poetry–”particularly talking about it,” she says–and aspires to be a novelist. Allie believes there are lots of different ways to look at any one poem, and that it’s interesting to see what others have to say.
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Emeric Szep is 18 years old and currently resides in Peterborough, NH. He will be graduating from ConVal High School this June and is planning to attend UNH next fall. Emeric enjoys spending time playing doubles tennis, even though he says he has no clue how to play. He adds that he is wasting away his final days of school in the newspaper office.
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Emily Tyler is 17 years old, lives in Bennington, and is a junior at Conval High School. When she isn’t writing poems she says she is daydreaming or dancing. She thinks dance is her first love, but adds that “sometimes that just doesn’t cut it,” sometimes she needs “solid concrete words to express herself. Solid but abstract”–just the way she likes it.
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A special invited guest for the evening is another ConVal student, Bria Frehner, who recently won New Hampshire’s seventh Poetry Out Loud championship for her reading of “Onions” by William Matthews. Next month she will represent the state for the national competition in Washington, D.C.
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For more information call (603) 924-7676
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By awall ( April 12, 2012 at 7:46 am) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
An Open House will be held at the Sharon Arts Center School of Art and Craft, 457 Rt. 123, Sharon, from 10am to 3pm for visitors to meet staff and faculty, learn about upcoming Sharon Arts classes, programs, and events, and tour the facility. The event is free and open to the public.
Throughout the day there will be ongoing demonstrations in a variety of media such as collage and watercolor as well as hands-on mini workshops in clay, glass lampworking, painting, fiber, polymer, encaustic, drawing, and more. These workshops will allow visitors to try their hand at a new medium in a casual environment without a commitment, and all can leave with completed creations. Hands-on classes for ages as young as 2 1/2 will also be available.
Workshops will run during two separate sessions–10 am to noon and 1 to 3 pm. Participants can pick one workshop per session to meet the teacher, learn about materials, and work on an individual project. Those attending can also support the Sharon Arts Center clay program through its Pottery Potluck Fundraiser, which will be held from noon to 1 pm. Buy a handmade bowl or mug, and fill it with a free lunch!
For those interested, information will be available about the Sharon Arts volunteer Earn and Learn program. There will also be a student exhibition on display featuring original artwork created by Sharon Arts students of all ages and abilities in a variety of media.
“Our April Open House fosters a sense of community as we gather together to support our ceramics classes through sharing handmade pieces for purchase with our guests,” said School Director Alexandra Wall. “Through approachable events and a flexible scholarship program we hope to introduce more people to the benefits of having creative exploration in their lives. We want to be a convenient outlet for everyone to learn more about their own creative potential.”
Pre-registration for the event is encouraged by calling (603) 924-7256, but walk-ins are welcome. A full schedule is available here.
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By awall ( April 10, 2012 at 10:02 am) · Filed under Uncategorized
Shared artistic initiatives
Sharon Arts announces new partnership with NH Institute
Leaders of the Sharon Arts Center and the New Hampshire Institute of Art, a Manchester-based school that offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as well as certificate and continuing
 Sharon Arts Center Executive Director Keri Wiederspahn, left, talks with New Hampshire Institute of Art illustration chairperson Jim Burke, center, and N.H. Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod, at a March 29 reception announcing a partnership between the Sharon Arts Center and the New Hampshire Institute of Art. education programs, recently announced a partnership intended to cross-promote exhibitions and continuing education classes, and eventually develop original programming and new courses together.
“We have deep roots in the community and we know that through various collaborations with the New Hampshire Institute of Art we have found a meaningful creative partnership,” Sharon Arts Center Executive Director Keri Wiederspahn told a group of board members and guests from each organization at an event at the center’s exhibition gallery in Peterborough on March 29.
“This is a partnership that will continue to evolve and grow both our individual and collective missions to the art community and the arts in the state of New Hampshire.”
On Tuesday, Wiederspahn said in a phone interview that while details of the partnership are still being developed, the arrangement should benefit both institutions.
“The NHIA has great interest in our school,” Wiederspahn said. “We have a state-of-the-art facility. Our ceramics studio is on the cutting edge. We expect some of their continuing education students would definitely be coming here.”
She said the two institutions should be able to find ways to support each other’s programs.
“We’ve just started cross-marketing our exhibitions and we hope for fall to have a cross-sharing of faculty, “ Wiederspahn said.
One example of collaboration, she said, will be the Sharon Arts Center’s upcoming Clayfest 2012 event in June, a weekend event focusing on pottery and ceramics that Wiederspahn said will “amplify the whole beauty of clay.”
NHIA will be a partner in the project, and Wiederspahn said the two organizations will be pointing toward breaking ground in 2013 to build a Japanese Anagama kiln in Sharon, which would allow people in NHIA programs who currently have to travel to Connecticut to do wood firing in the Anagama tradition more locally.
Three NHIA students will also work as interns when cardboard artist James Grashow — the subject of the Sharon Art’s Center’s “Bring Jimmy Back” marketing campaign — returns in mid-May for an artist-in-residence program.
Wiederspahn said the partnership will enable Sharon Arts Center to expand its programming.
“We’re looking to broaden our photography offerings,” she said. “Our area has a wonderful community of veteran photographers and the NHIA will be helping bring the Sharon photography facilities up to speed. We’re looking forward to seeing what will come to fruition.”
The Sharon Arts Center’s current exhibit in Peterborough, titled “Coming of Age: New England Artists Under 30,” features several works created by alumni of the NHIA. A press release about the partnership cited the exhibit as an example of the symbiotic relationship between the two organizations.
“This creative partnership is an extension of things our organizations have been doing and confirms our shared interest and commitment to arts education, training, and exhibitions,” NHIA President Roger Williams is quoted as saying in the press release. “By combining our resources and creative talent and ideas we can strengthen both institutions and elevate interest in arts and culture in the community.”
In a phone interview Wednesday, Williams said, “I live in Greenfield. I spend a lot of time at the Sharon Arts Center and have always been impressed with their programs and exhibitions. It’s just a jewel in the region. … As soon as the idea emerged, all kinds of opportunities for collaboration presented themselves. I’m very excited.”
Dave Anderson can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 233 or danderson@ledgertranscript.com. He’s on Twitter at @DaveAndersonMLT. This article appeared in the April 10, 2012, edition of the Ledger-Transcript.
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By awall ( April 6, 2012 at 9:11 am) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
During April school vacation, two week-long workshops in ceramics and puppet-making for ages 6 through 12 are being offered at the Sharon Arts Center School of Art and Craft, 457 Rt.123.
The Ceramics workshop, staff taught, will be held Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm, during the week of April 16 to 20. Tuition is $325 or $270 for Sharon Arts Center members. All materials and a snack are included, with a BYO lunch. Students will throw, build, sculpt, pinch, coil, and transform smple clay into a variety of projects. They’ll also try their hand at wheelthrowing and handbuilding to create cups, bowls, and sculpture of their own design. They’ll experience using traditional tools and techniques as they explore the versatility of clay and watch as their imagination translates into 3-D creations while they play with glazes, textures and shapes. All taking the class are encouraged to dress to get muddy!
 After School Clay Club for Ages 6+
Creating Giant Puppets is a special workshop that will be taught by master puppeteer Lorraine Gilman. The class will meet Monday through Friday, April 23 to 27 from 9 am to 4 pm. Tuition is $375 or $315 for Sharon Arts members. All materials and a snack will be included and participants should bring their own lunch. Students will be taken through the design and construction of a giant puppet, plus performance. They’ll learn basic techniques used by Bread and Puppet, Taymor, and puppeteers throughout history to entertain, tell stories, and share this unique art form that mixes sculpture with movement. As a group, students will create several large scale puppets, problem solve, and learn a variety of building techniques using a myriad of materials.
Gilman received a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the State University of New York at Fredonia, a Masters Degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Connecticut, and a B.F.A. from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College. What began as an interest in clowning transitioned to a life-long fascination with masks and puppetry and their connection with performance art. She has worked in a variety of puppet and prop shops and has taught people of all ages about puppet design and construction, performance movement, costume and mask design, movie editing, camera operations, and scriptwriting. Her creations have been used by organizations such as the Jim Henson Company on an international level.
“Our April vacation camps provide a great opportunity for young artists to immerse themselves in a specific medium for an entire week,” says School Director Alexandra Wall. “Students can meet other local young artists and collaborate on various projects as they develop new skills and share their enthusiasm for creative activities. Our camp leaders provide a safe environment for students to engage in new artistic processes with encouragement and support. We’re particularly pleased that Lorraine Gilman will be joining us this year to teach puppetry.”
Wall also noted that a day at camp allows time for a morning snack (provided) and a lunch break (BYO) and that campers will spend some time outside to stretch their legs and even create outdoors if weather allows. Camp leaders use creative games and activities to provide variety and stimulation for all types of learners.
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By awall ( April 6, 2012 at 9:05 am) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
Kate Lenahan, organizer of Sharon Arts Center’s current exhibit “Coming of Age: New England Artists Under 30,” will give a talk and gallery walk Thursday, April 19 from 5 to 7 pm at the Exhibition
 Photo by Ashley Saari. “Black Tape Portrait: Female/Male,” two photos by Nyiko Beguin Gallery, 30 Grove St. Joining her will be juror Tim Donovan, artist and director of Launch Art Galleries. The event is free and open to the public.
Lenahan is Assistant Manager of Sharon Arts Downtown. In addition to curating “Coming of Age,” she is an artist whose work is held in private collections throughout New England. She is a graduate of New Hampshire Institute of Art with a concentration in painting.
“This exhibition was designed to introduce young artists under the age of 30 to a new audience,” says Lenahan, “and to also provide the community with an opportunity to experience art in a contemporary context. The show offers a wide variety of mediums utilizing both traditional and innovative methods and techniques including video installations, performance art, paintings, photography, glass, ceramics, mixed media, drawings and sculpture.”
The exhibit, which runs through April 28, is co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Other jurors for the exhibit were Cathy Sununu, director of the Portsmouth Museum of Art, and Craig Stockwell, artist and professor at Keene State College. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.
 Ruby by Paul Hackett
For more information call (603) 924-7676
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By awall ( April 5, 2012 at 7:41 am) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
David Kontak and his incredible hand-crafted musical machines will be featured on Saturday, April 7 when the Sharon Arts Center Good Neighbor Series is presented from 7 to 9 pm at the Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St., Peterborough.
“This show will appeal to lovers of playful experimentation,” said Good Neighbor series organizer Laina Barakat. “David’s music is not music in the normal sense, but is highly organized sound and movement that seems to appeal to children as much as to adults.”
Kontak’s musical machines include strange guitars, metal rods, the “String Thing,” stereo amplified springs, a glass picture frame, whirlies, magnets, the “Alien Language Generator,” plastic tube drums, electric motors, music boxes, recording devices, and electric toys.
Although his concert is completely musical, Kontak grew up drawing and making prints and eventually obtaining a BA and MA in Fine Art. His professional career began when he became a teacher of visual art at Kent State University, where he taught drawing and printmaking. During this time his artwork was featured in numerous exhibitions at local galleries and museums. While he had always enjoyed music, he didn’t become proficient until he took up bass guitar as a young adult. Since then he’s played bass in numerous jazz, rock, and blues bands. He’s also participated in experimental music projects using combinations of spoken word and avant-garde music, free/improvised jazz and sound effects. These solo and small group performances featured many of his non-traditional instruments.
Describing the sound of his musical creations, Ben Conant of the Concord Monitor writes “There might not be enough onomatopoeias in the world to describe the sounds that emanate from Kontak’s creations. They stretch the limits of auditory imaginations, expanding and contracting like coils of his amplified Slinky as they whoosh-bang, shoosh-bang, crrreak or ziggada ziggada ziggada. A rosin bow might draw across a tightening spring just…so! The right amount of water in an amplified metal bowl, given the right tap…there! Or a child’s toy keyboard, with a modified humbucker hovering above, tweaked…now!”
Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door. For more information call (603) 924-7676
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By awall ( April 3, 2012 at 1:48 pm) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
“Cherry Blossom Festival” will be the theme of Sharon Arts Center’s next ArtBar Studio Night, to be held Saturday, April 14 from 7 to 9 pm at their Exhibition Gallery, 30 Grove St.
“ArtBars are popping up all over the country,” says Gallery Director Camellia Sousa, “and our February and March ArtBars were a big success. We’re pleased to host this unique monthly event at Sharon Arts, where in our relaxed and casual setting in the main Exhibition Gallery you can complete your own acrylic painting to take home, based on the ArtBar themes of the month, with creative and timely ideas that anyone can do.”
Led by instructor Holly Alderman, ArtBar participants will be supplied acrylic paints, brushes, small sponges for painting, stencils and pencils, blue tape for hard edges, and 8 by 10 inch canvas boards. Hearty cheese and crackers along with seltzer water will also be provided, with wine and beer available for a suggested donation.
An artist and photographer whose decorative arts are inspired by digital innovations and the beauty of local landscapes and weather, Alderman was a mural fellow at the National Academy Museum in New York and a teaching assistant in Design Science at Harvard College. Her art and décor are installed in residences and restaurants from San Francisco to DC to London and have appeared at Sunflowers Café in Jaffrey as well as at the White House, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, the Chelsea Flower Show and the Boston Design Center and on TOH, Dream House, Today, and Art.com. She will have an art show of Chanel paintings in March at Aesop’s Table in Peterborough inside the Toadstool Bookshop.
ArtBar studio nights, to be held every second Saturday of the month, are limited to 12 participants. Tickets are $25 and pre-registration is required. Call Camellia at (603) 924-2787 to reserve a spot.
Upcoming ArtBar themes will be “Words as Art” May 12; “Stars and Stripes” June 9; “French Kitchen Still Life” July 14; “Pink and Green Lily Fest” Aug. 11; “Pop Art/Op Art” Sept. 15; “Monadnock Landscapes” Oct. 13; “Duck Decoys” Nov. 10; and “Star Bright, Starry Night” Dec. 8.
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By awall ( April 3, 2012 at 1:45 pm) · Filed under Press Releases, Uncategorized
An exhibit titled “Social Works on Paper” will open Friday, April 6 at the Sharon Arts Center Gallery, 30 Grove St., and run through April 26. An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held Friday, April 6 from 5-7 pm. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.
“The artworks selected seek to engage the community and provide political commentary on world issues that motivate both locally and personally,” said Gallery Assistant and Curator Brittany Kelly, who added that the exhibit will include a variety of monotypes, etchings, lithographs, linocuts, silk screening, stencils, and collage.
Artists whose work is being shown include Paige Simpson (Dublin, NH), Sam Baker Salmon (Antrim, NH), Sean Bowes (Gales Ferry, CT), Barbara Morse (Amherst, NH), Marcia Weisbrot (San Francisco, CA), and Dan Enright (Weare, NH). Juror for the exhibit was Rosemarie Bernardi, Artist and Professor of Drawing and Printmaking at Keene State College.
For more information call the Gallery at (603) 924-7676
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By awall ( April 3, 2012 at 10:06 am) · Filed under Uncategorized
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