Exhibits, galleries, theater and more: Seacoast arts and culture news

Myths Retold: Paintings by Rosemarie Beck

DURHAM — The Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire presents Myths Retold: Paintings by Rosemarie Beck, on view at the Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire Jan. 26 to April 1. The public is invited to a free opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. All programs are open to the public and free of charge. The Museum will be closed March 13 to March 18 for spring break.

Myths Retold: Paintings by Rosemarie Beck presents a collection of paintings and embroideries spanning more than 40 years of the artist’s career from the mid-1970s through the early 2000s, exploring gendered relationships and universal themes of love, sacrifice, and power, through scenes from classical Greek mythology and English literature.

Rosemarie Beck (1923-2003) was active for nearly 50 years as a painter and teacher. She was an intellectual and passionate force, soaking up contemporary art movements in 1940s New York as a student studying with the Surrealist painter Kurt Seligmann, abstract expressionist painter Robert Motherwell and later befriending Philip Guston, her neighbor, in Woodstock, New York. Though considered by art historians to be a student of second wave Abstract Expressionism, Beck abandoned abstraction in the late 1950s focusing on narrative paintings inspired by Greek mythology and English literature for the remainder of her career. This exhibition includes seventeen paintings and two dazzling embroideries (she turned to needlework when she tired of standing at her easel) depicting pivotal moments in the lives of female characters at the heart of classical mythology.

This exhibition was made possible by a gift of paintings from the Rosemarie Beck Foundation (RBF) which wished to see Beck’s legacy as an artist and teacher continue. The RBF recognized the educational mission of the Museum of Art, donating 12 paintings and studies to the collection, four of which are on view. Beck inspired generations of students at Queens College of New York, Vassar College, Middlebury College, the Vermont Studio Center, Parsons School of Design, and the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, where she was on the faculty until shortly before she died.

Grant Drumheller: In the Garden

DURHAM — The Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire presents Grant Drumheller: In the Garden, on view at the Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire Jan. 26 to April 1. The public is invited to a free opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. All programs are open to the public and free of charge. The Museum will be closed March 13 to March 18 for spring break.

Grant Drumheller: In the Garden, is a selection of lush and vibrant paintings of the artist’s family completed during the past eight years and on view for the first time publicly. Observation is at the center of Drumheller’s work as a figurative painter; he is well-known for large-scale compositions of pedestrians on bustling streets, beaches, and Italian town squares and palazzos where he is often removed from the action. For paintings In the Garden, we find the artist at the center of it all, hovering eavesdropping, capturing the vitality and ever-changing dynamic of his family. Far from distant or insular, the viewer is pulled into these warm, intimate moments by the artist’s use of brilliant color and bold brush strokes. We are inclined to turn toward the sun; its radiance is irresistible. Drumheller’s scenes are of people at ease, relaxing in each other’s company; they lounge in living rooms bathed in golden light, float in serene aquamarine waters, and breakfast on the deck amongst the lushness of a summer garden. Children grow up, babies are born, Grant and his wife Karina delight in the growth of their family.

Grant Drumheller: In the Garden continues the tradition of celebrating the careers of esteemed studio art professors who have recently retired from the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Art and Art History by highlighting their works of art in a solo exhibition.

Rockingham Choral Society to hold open rehearsals Jan. 10

EXETER — The Rockingham Choral Society is holding open rehearsals for its spring concerts and is looking for new and returning members. Open rehearsals, which provide an opportunity to try out the group without obligation, will take place Jan. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Exeter High School in Exeter, N.H.

The group is open to singers aged 16 and older. There is a brief placement audition for new members at the end of the second open rehearsal. Dues are waived for high school and college students. Auditions are simple and do not require any advance preparation. Soloists are always chosen from the membership—a policy that offers singers who may currently sing with other groups that typically bring in outside soloists for performances to shine.

There will be two spring performances that will feature Beethoven’s Mass in C, and Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) sung in the original German and accompanied by an orchestra.

“Our spring concert program offers singers the opportunity to perform two gems from the choral repertoire,” said Kristofer Johnson, Artistic Director. “Beethoven, who studied under Haydn, wrote his Mass in C in response to a commission from Prince Esterhazy, Haydn’s former boss. Touches of Beethoven’s work reflect his teacher’s style, but the construction and fire are all Beethoven. Brahms’ 15-minute choral/orchestral work is sometimes called his ‘little Requiem’ because of its stylistic and compositional parallels with that larger masterwork.”

Since 1957, the Rockingham Choral Society has expanded and enhanced cultural experiences by performing choral masterpieces and adhering to the highest musical standards. The Choral Society is comprised of over 95 members and presents two concerts annually to the audiences in the New Hampshire Seacoast region.

More information can be found at www.rockinghamchoral.org or on the group’s Facebook page.

Community Chorus begins rehearsals

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Community Chorus at South Berwick begin rehearsals for their spring concert Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. at The Federated Church in South Berwick. Under the direction of Dr Nicolas Dosman, the chorus will be preparing pieces for their Spring Concerts on April 1 and April 2. The musical selections include pieces by Whitacre, Walker, and Shaw reflecting the concert theme – “Love is in the Air”. New singers are always welcome to join. For more information, please visit our website https://www.ccsb-sing.org.

NH  Society of Photographic Artists 23rd Annual Exhibit

EXETER — The 23^rd annual New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists (NHSPA) Member Exhibit and Sale will be held Jan. 7 to Jan. 29 at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m.).

This year’s featured image is a black and white print titled, “Magnolia” by NHSPA member Joe Sack.  The image was captured in Williamsburg,Va. using a Sony RX100 II digital camera.

Please check the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists Facebook Page and the www.nhspa.org website calendar page for more information. The Exeter Town Hall gallery is handicap accessible via an elevator inside the rear door, adjacent to the upper parking lot. Admission is free.

Sing in 2023 with Voice from the Heart

PORTSMOUTH — Give yourself the gift of music to ring in the new year. Make your resolution one of celebrating yourself in song.

Voices from the Heart, the Portsmouth women's chorus devoted to singing soulful multicultural music from around the globe, is welcoming new singers for its 2023 season. "We are anticipating about 12 openings in our chorus which will begin rehearsal on Feb. 6," says director, Joanne Connolly, "and we'd love to welcome some new women to our group! The spots for new singers will be filled on a 'first come - first served basis.'

Voices from the Heart is a women's alternative chorus.There are no auditions, and music reading is not required, just a desire to sing from the heart. Voices sings a variety of soulful music from a range of cultural and musical traditions. Voices rehearses every Monday night from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Church, 292 State Street in Portsmouth. Registration has begun for the upcoming season. To join Voices from the Heart, please contact director , Joanne Connolly, at joannasing@aol.com.

Rye400CelebrationArt Exhibition

RYE — In recognition of the 400th anniversary of the first settlement in 1623, the Rye 400 Committee, under the auspices of the Rye Historical Society, invites artists to submit entries for the People, Places, and Things: Images of Rye Art Show, to be held on Saturday, March 25, at the Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, N.H., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Many talented artists have been inspired by Rye’s seacoast, rock walls, and other images that are a part of the vibrant community it is today. We are looking for artists to capture​the people, places, or things that symbolize Rye’s rich history.

The show is a juried  event, open to the public. Prize levels into categories, are as follows:

Adults 18 years and older:

• First Prize: A cash award of $1,000. The winning piece will become the property of the Rye Historical Society.

• Second Prize: A cash award of $500.

• Third Prize: A cash award of $250.

Students K-12:

• First Prize: A cash award of $150.

• Second Prize: A cash award of $100.

• Third Prize: A cash award of $50.

Artists may enter up to three pieces for consideration by Saturday, Feb. 18.

Full event rules and an entry form may be found on the Rye400 website, https://www.ryenh400.org/events/rye-art-contest-paintings-drawings-photography.

More information about Rye400 events can be found on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TownofRyeNH, NextDoor, https://nextdoor.com/city/rye--nh/, and Instagram_@ryenh400.

Exeter Gallery hosts local violinists 

EXETER — The Seacoast Artist Association in Exeter, N.H. presents award-winning violinists, brothers Danilo (Dacha) Thurber and Sava Thurber at their Second Friday artist reception on Jan. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. The SAA is requesting donations of Personal Care items such as soap, toothpaste, and shampoo to be donated to GatherNH.

A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, Dacha Thurber serves as Harvard College Opera Full Season Recital Coordinator and Orchestra Liaison. He believes in the power of music to inspire social harmony, and his interactive concerts for youth have also brought him to schools across the United States, Australia, Russia, Haiti, and China. In 2020, Dacha was awarded the Robert Hardt Memorial Award for outstanding musical achievement by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. In Harvard College’s class of 2025, Dacha is studying music and computer science. He is a violinist in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and an avid chamber musician. He is also a violin coach at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras.

Sava Thurber graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2022, where he was concertmaster of PEA’s Symphony Orchestra. In 2021, he won the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition and his Accenti Trio was a semi-finalist in the international Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.  For the past ten seasons, Sava has enjoyed playing with all the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) ensembles that feature strings.  After a gap year, Sava will matriculate at Harvard University.

The gallery is located at 130 Water Street in historic downtown Exeter. Parking is free. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exhibits, galleries, theater and more: Seacoast arts and culture news