Welcome to Arts Alive’s member updates! This blog is part of our monthly newsletter, which you can access here. Read on for highlights on ongoing projects, recent successes or inspired ideas, shifts in direction, achievements, and other pursuits that swell the hearts of our our member community with curiosity, inspiration, and pride. The Monadnock region is home to so many interesting and creative people and initiatives…find out what’s happening around the corner or under your nose!
Alexandria Peary
I have a Fulbright for 2024-2025 to conduct research in Pforzheim, Germany (my mother's birth city). I will be conducting archival research and interview to look at the February 23, 1945 bombing of Pforzheim by the British Royal Air Force, an air raid which lasted approximately 20 minutes and decimated the city and its population. (Per capita, Pforzheim, though lesser known, was more destructive than Dresden.) I'll be looking at what I call “the language of city hall bureaucracy”—town hall documents. How city officials between approximately 1935-1955 conducted ordinary city business (electricity, road management, taxes, etc) and at the same time used that language to perpetuate human rights atrocities (prior to February 23, 1945) and then manage the removal of the city rubble and the regeneration of the city. My focus is on city hall rhetoric around two sites: the mass grave in the city cemetery with victims from the February 23 bombing and Wallberg, one of the “rubble mountains” made from the broken buildings that stand at many German cities. At the same time, I'll be building my own intergenerational identity, getting to know Pforzheim and my relatives. I really only first met my German extended family in 2019, and I brought my mother back to Pforzheim last summer. She hadn't seen her brothers since 1963. In essence, I'm using scholarly methods (archival research, rhetorical analysis, field research and interview) to write imaginatively. I'll be using the research to write creatively, a duology, a book of poetry and a book of creative nonfiction about Pforzheim. An example of the work I've already completed through research is my long poem The Pforzheim Quartet.
Jeanne M. Thieme
I just had an unveiling of a 4' x 16’ mural that I painted. Last summer, I had a fall off the back of my horse. I broke a right collarbone and left wrist. This left me unable to care for my horses. They sadly went to new homes. Over the years 11 horses have lived in my barn at Pipe Dream Farm so when I could paint, I created this mural of all 11 horses and had an unveiling last week. My four grandchildren painted the background. As I painted this mural pain and loss became gratitude that I had 40 years with my horses and they would live on on my barn wall for a very long time. Oh the healing power of ART!! The story and more photos are on my FB page and on my website.
Sandglass Theater
Sandglass Theater is delighted to celebrate that we have received artist visas for 3 international companies! Xavier Bobés Company from Spain, FAB-Theater from Germany, and Puzzle Théâtre from Canada will be joining us at our upcoming Puppets in the Green Mountains festival this September. We can't wait to introduce these unique and wonderful artists to our community.
Chris Pellerin
I needle felt landscapes and animal portraits. This technique uses a barbed needle to secure fine wisps of dyed wool fibers into a felt or cloth background. My current obsession is trying to capture sky and water in wool, studying the light at different times of day and seasons on Highland Lake in Stoddard. I attached a couple of photos, one of myself and one of a work-in-progress.
Viva Bach Peterborough
Preparations are in full swing for our third annual Viva Bach Peterborough Festival, taking place from October 25-27! Our Festival Chorus will begin rehearsals on August 8, under the expert direction of Colin Mann. Mann, who is currently pursuing his doctorate in Choral Conducting at Eastman, brings a wealth of experience to our festival. He previously served as Artistic Director of the Monadnock Chorus and is well-acquainted with the Monadnock region. In his third year of conducting Viva Bach Peterborough Festival chorus, Mann has curated a stunning program for day three of the festival that includes Bach's cherished Motet "Jesu Meine Freude" (BWV 227) and the beautiful Cantatas "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir" (BWV 131) and "Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot" (BWV 39).
Our Festival Chorus is a vibrant, intergenerational group of 70 singers, ranging in age from 16 to 90. We look forward to bringing this diverse and talented ensemble together to celebrate the timeless music of Bach. Find more info on the event, under the leadership of Artistic Director Veronika Schreiber, here!
Amy McGregor-Radin
Amy McGregor-Radin of Jaffrey, NH will be one of five artists sharing their work and creative approach at A Sense of Wonder: Paying Attention with Intention, an art exhibition at the Dublin Community Center in August. She will be joined by Susan Byrne of Keene, Joan Cunningham of Hancock, Terry Govan of Peterborough, and Jean Mann of Hancock.
While each of these artists has a distinct style and approach, they all share a
curiosity about what it means to pay attention with intention throughout the
creative process. They also share an appreciation for the beauty of the natural
world and the sense of wonder it fosters—as a healing force and an antidote to
the persistent distractions of everyday life. The exhibit features art in a variety of mediums, including oil paintings, collage, detailed mandala-like designs, and hand-pulled prints.
The Dublin Community Center is a non-profit organization located in the heart of Dublin Center. The exhibit will be open from August 9 through August 28 during DCC hours 10-12 Mondays, 9-3 Tuesdays and 1-4pm Wednesdays. The opening reception will be Friday, August 9 from 5-7pm at the center at 1123 Main Street, Dublin NH.
17Rox
17ROX is having a Solo Exhibit and Group show on September 13th from 5-8PM. James Duffy will be presenting abstract acrylic work. Music, art & snacks provided!
The Local crowd monadnock
The Local Crowd Monadnock is gearing up for Choose Indie Art Month in October! Inspire our community to celebrate local artists, artisans, and creativity—learn more here.
Choose Indie Art is part of the American Independent Business Alliance’s Choose Indie Local Initiative.
For more stories on the arts going on in our region, check out these arts spotlight blogs on our Discover Monadnock site! Local nonprofits like the Monadnock Chorus, MAXT Makerspace, and the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music are doing amazing work!
