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Dec. 30, 2004
BY MICHELLE SATURLEY
Contributor, Listings
Manchester Hippo
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Abstract shows, collaborations
graced the 2004 scene
 The last 12 months could have been called
The Year of Ceramics. Manchester’s art scene was all about the clay this year, from the Currier’s jaw-dropping
exhibit, Creations in Clay: Contemporary New England Ceramics to New Hampshire Institute of Art’s first ever
Ceramics Biennial, a national juried competition which brought in an overwhelming number of applicants. The
Currier show featured new works by “Pottery god” Don Campbell, among others. The NHIA show assembled pieces
by emerging clay artists from as far away as California.
Then again, 2004 could be noted as
the year abstract art finally broke out in the Queen City. Manchester’s art lovers took a quantum leap forward
this year, attending such cutting-edge shows as the digital photography exhibits by local artists Lynda Elliott
and teacher/artist extraordinaire Harry Umen. Elliott’s works were featured in a solo show at E.W. Poore, while
Umen’s new work was the subject of a show at Southern New Hampshire University.
Even traditional artists got in on
the act: East Colony Fine Arts member artists were challenged with the “Tradition Gone Wild” show to take a
piece of theirs and give it an abstract makeover.
At the Manchester Artists
Association’s annual Art in the Park show in September, the winner of the “Best in Show” award was a 22-year-old
abstract artist named James Chase. And finally, the City Arts Commission made a bold statement in December, by
selecting abstract artist Jessica Van Daam as their artist in residence at City Hall. If there was any question
about the place of abstract art in the city’s art landscape, those questions were answered in 2004.
We also had to say goodbye to some
friends along the way in 2004: Art Builds Community was effectively disbanded due to funding issues, which meant
that their fabulous gallery closed its doors. Before the gallery folded, they managed to reach out to the arts
community and put on some memorable shows, including exhibits by newcomer Kathryn Dean, a two-person show by
Stephanie Bergeron and Ann Trainor Domingue, and a showcase of the Currier Art Center’s Open Studio students.
For a brief time, ABC’s gallery really showed the communal spirit of the city’s artists.
Also leaving us in 2004 was the Hot
Couch, a teen art center and hangout spot on Elm Street. It’s already been replaced by a cigar shop, but its mission
of creating a safe haven for creative expression among the under-21 set is sorely missed.
Some of the biggest art events of
the year included the Strawberry Shortcake Festival at the Valley Cemetery. This was the first year the Friends
of the Valley Cemetery invited artists to become part of the event, with big results. The Jazz and Blues Festival
also added an art show to their festivities. The Art in the Park outdoor show at Veterans Park drew one of the
biggest crowds in the history of the event. The same could be said for this winter’s Holiday Renaissance at Langer Place.
In 2005, the gallery to watch is
the Manchester Artists Association’s new gallery, located at the Carol Rines center on north Elm Street. Their
first show of the year is collaboration with the students of the Open Studio project. This new gallery features
new works by some of the area’s best artists, both established and emerging. They have the potential to fill in
the gap left by the Art Builds Community Gallery — and with the community’s support, they could really be something special.
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