A Walk in the Woods: Opening Reception: April 6, 3:00-5:00pm

As we look ahead to the change of seasons, MSA presents "A Walk in the Woods" the April 2019 local artists' show. Inspiration comes from the New Hampshire and far ranging beauty of the natural landscape, from snow shoes or animal tracks on the fresh snow, to a branch of spring blooms to hand carved wooden walking sticks and bird sculptures, artists show their love of nature and the surrounding world through two and three dimensional art works.​

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Emerging Artists: Opening Reception: March 2, 3:00-5:00pm
“Emerging Artists” features the work of four early career New England artists; Bri Custer, Jennifer Lamontagne, McKenzie Myles, and Em Svatik. Although there is a variance in medium and style, a cohesion exists in the color, saturation, and vibrancy of each artists’ respective pieces  From abstract paintings  to observational paintings and drawings, the work of these women reflect a rounded contemporary aesthetic.

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Odd Couples; Opening Reception: February 2, 3:00-5:00pm
For our February show, Main Street Art asked local artists to buddy up, pairing a dozen various artists and multiple media together to show how each artist interprets their choice of subject in unique different ways. The vast subject matter ranges from local New Hampshire scenery to retro popular culture iconography, rendered in pairs of artwork. Photographers and painters are working collaboratively, 3D artists pairing with pen & ink artists; artists working alongside their spouses or making new connections within the Main Street Art community to create exciting new work. Participating artists include: Gussie Wilson, Marsha Zavez, Nicole Ellis, Laura Harper Lake, Joe Perna, Tony Nichols, Scott David Chase, Beth Wittenberg and more.

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Art Among Us 2019; January 11 - January 27, 2019

Following an exciting summer and vibrant fall classes, our teachers, volunteers, and board members will come together for our annual Art Among Us exhibit. We’re especially excited this year to bring to you our new teachers and the emerging art of our volunteers, in addition to our loyal MSA favorites whose work you have enjoyed for years.  Meet the MSA family, grab some hot cocoa, an MSA mug, and see the great art our talented organization brings to this community.

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Holiday Small Works Show 2018; November 30 - December 21, 2018 

Opening November 30, 2018
MSA’s Holiday Small Works Show features pieces from a collection of local artists and artisans. This show will consist entirely of small artwork in a variety of styles and mediums. The work is priced to sell and makes great gifts for the holidays. Support your local artists and discover new ones at this fun and diverse exhibition. 
 
Meet the artists and join us at two Small Wonders Workshops designed to go along with this great exhibit.
Small Wonders – Fused Glass Ornaments on December 1 will be taught by Marissa Vitolo.  Small Wonders – Small Canvas Painting on December 5  will be taught by Nicole Ellis. Information, ages, and prices for both workshops can be found on our Workshops page. 

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Nature Obscura: Paintings by Susan Schwake
Opening: November 2, 5:30-7:30pm
Mixed-media artist and art teacher Susan Schwake is best known for her playful, process-oriented teaching style and for her bold use of color in her nature-inspired paintings. For over 20 years she has enjoyed bringing out each student’s personal style and nurturing their self-expression through their own artwork in her classroom. Susan also has created large-scale permanent exhibits of children’s and multi-generational artworks for local municipalities. She is the author of five books about making art with others.
The natural world speaks to Susan through some of it’s smallest parts: seeds, pods, shells, mushrooms, pebbles, waves, tidal pools, insects, blades of grass, tiny fronds, and feathers.
Living in rural areas and traveling to rural areas abroad have helped her notice these pieces of nature daily. They are a part of the fabric of her memories – part of her core. These memories are re-imagined in this body of work with her own choice of color. It’s a tribute to noticing the beauty in the small pieces of our lives.
 Join Susan for a special workshop on November 10 from 1-3pm.  In this Colorful Beasts Workshop,  students will take part in an activity from Susan’s new book “Art Lab For Kids: Express Yourself.” This workshop is a great way for students to embrace creative thinking and share their voice. More information and registration on the workshop page of our website. 

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The Art of Automobiles; Bangers to Cars, Jalopies to Trucks 
Photography by Tony Nicholls and Paintings ( original/acrylic) by Nicole Ellis 
Opening: October 15 2018 
Public Reception: October 19, 5:30-7:30pm
The rough character in abandoned trucks, tractors and old cars are inspirational to artists Nicole Ellis and Tony Nicholls. They find beauty in the imperfect lines, texture and patterns and they enjoy the patina of aged things, be it rust on a dilapidated old truck or the way nature has wound its tendrils into a lost car. These tell the story of the object in a way that is beautiful and it speaks of our current "throw away culture" in how the natural world reclaims and can make it beautiful again, regardless of the damage we have done. Recreating the graceful curves of old cars and trucks and adding the details and texture of peeling paint or rust is a way to give voice to quiet stories of forgotten machines once useful and cherished. 
Nicole and Tony share a similar feeling towards their subject matter, drawing attention to the spirit of the machines, regardless of the imperfections ... in fact embracing the cracks, scars and age of them as indicative of their unique character. 
 Meet the Nicole Ellis and join us for a Printmaking workshop on Saturday, October 20, from 1:00-3:00pm. Try printing techniques to hand print a set of notecards, while viewing an art show featuring trucks and cars. Meet the artists and create your own truck cards to mail! ​This workshop is for students of all ages. Great for families; take advantage of MSA’s 10% sibling discount.

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​The Beauty Around Us
Seacoast Photographers Group
​Opening Reception -September 14 5:30-7:30
Main Street Art is pleased to host the Seacoast Photographers Group of Exeter, NH in their fifth annual photography exhibit in our Newfields gallery. This year’s show, titled The Beauty Around Us, will display over 45 works of 15 artists who will share through their images the beauty, and humor, in the world they see. Featured among them will be Ken Kartes, a NH based photographer whose images of local and distant sites have  been on exhibition around the Seacoast. 

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2018 Summer Camp Showcase
​Featuring the work of Main Street Art's 2018 Summer Campers
​Opening Reception -August 17, 5:30-7:30

A Day at the Beach
A film created by the students in Art of Animated Film Summer Camp. ​

Off to the Races: A Pixilation Project 
​Created by Off to the Races Summer Camp

A Day At The Beach from Lily Featherston on Vimeo.

Off To The Races Pixilation from Lily Featherston on Vimeo.

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Main Street Art Presents Sight Lines featuring photography by Gussie Wilson; June 1, 2018 
This is a fast-paced world, a place in which events, ideas and people present themselves nonstop but then disappear before they can be fully understood, appreciated or remembered. Gussie Wilson finds solace in photography and respite from our world of immediacy; the camera allows her to slow down, to see objects as a whole but also as a part of something larger. She is drawn to segments - an eye looking for answers or reflections in water - that make images become abstracted but also shimmer with mystery before being caught on film.  She wonders what might lie behind a barn door, or if random objects left behind are markers of past experiences.  She sees patterns in architecture and nature that are different, yet seem so similar. Her camera allows her to look for sightlines that she hopes asks questions or perhaps reformats everyday objects into a new experience for those viewing her photographs.

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MSA's 2nd Annual Art in Bloom, May 23-May 28
Can't make it to the MFA? Come to Main Street Art for our Second Annual Art In Bloom Exhibit!
The opening reception is April 27th from 5:30-7:30pm . This exhibit will run until May 23. The opening reception and exhibit are free to the public, however your generous donations will ensure Main Street Art can continue to offer exhibits like this to the public. You can make a donation at Main Street Art or on our donation page.
Usher in Spring with Main Street Art and local artists for our second annual Art in Bloom exhibit. Each artist will showcase pieces in their own style and medium fitting the theme of the exhibit.

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Altered Courses: new portraits, both two-legged and four, created this winter by Scott David Chase,  March 23 - April 18, 2018
Scott David Chase is a painter and illustrator from New England (as much as anywhere.) He completed precisely one semester of college as a Fine Arts major before dropping out. His formal training ended there.
Through trial and (many an) error, he has managed to stumble into a visual style that is uniquely his own. Creating is his most powerful way to connect to others, and to show the world how it looks from his perspective. ​

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First & Again – an exhibit featuring the work of Artist Nicole Ellis.  Opening reception is February 16, 5:30-7:30pm .  This exhibit will run until March 16. The opening reception and exhibit are free to the public, however your generous donations will ensure Main Street Art can continue to offer exhibits like this to the public. You can make a donation at Main Street Art or on our website: www.mainstreetart.org.
 First & Again is Nicole’s first show. It speaks to original works and harkens to the second life. In the images, she hopes to show the rust, the peeling paint, the broken edges, which she finds fascinating. 
It speaks to how she paints with the first impulse, with an image, then the countless checking and peering into the image to truly "see" it until completion. It's also a reference to how people look at art; they seem to glance at first then revisit to look again.
 Drawing since early childhood, Nicole has had a lifelong dream of painting full time. She currently enjoys painting with acrylic and finds herself getting lost in the details of small additions to the images. She hopes you enjoy the details and her work as you see her work in her First gallery setting and look Again to gain appreciation of these quiet images which mean so much to her. ​

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​Art Among Us January 19 - February 9, 2018  Get to know the Main Street Art Family! This exhibit features the art work of board members, committee members, teachers, and staff of Main Street Art. At MSA, we appreciate the hard work of everyone who helps us thrive, and we love to take this opportunity to show off how talented and creative they are.  The work is a varied and interesting as they are. Come out and take a look and get to know the MSA family a little better through their art! 
​Opening Reception: January 19, 5:30-7:30pm 

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​December 8 - December 29, 2017 - MSA Holiday Small Works Show
This is a departure from our usual exhibitions, as it focuses on small works.  It is scheduled to open on December 8, and run until Christmas. This is a great show to attend for those looking for small gifts for the holidays season. We will be keeping the gallery open extended days/hours.
Extended gallery hours for this exhibit are: Saturday, December 9, noon to 3pm, Sunday, December 10, noon to 2:30pm, Saturday, December 16, 10am to 2pm, and Sunday, December 17, noon to 2:30pm.

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November 11 - December 3, 2017 - Kids in Vietnam - 1971
Main Street Art is excited to bring photographer Fred Vigeant from Stratford, CT to showcase his photographs from his time serving in Vietnam.  Fred went on active duty in April 1970 and was sent to Chu Lai, Republic of Viet Nam in January 1971, as a member of the 23rd  (AMERICAL) Infantry Division. He was assigned to be Information officer of the Americal Division Artillery.  Among his subsequent additional assignments were civic action officer and recreation officer.  
 
He was responsible for photographing and issuing press releases on soldier promotions, education, awards and other notable achievements within his unit. He additionally had the opportunity to photograph community efforts, including the Medical Civic Action Program and support efforts at local orphanages.
 
He returned to the United States in November, 1971, with the stand down of the division. Two years ago, he began scanning his Viet Nam negatives and posting some on Facebook which led to this exhibit.

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October 13 - November 10, 2017 - Catherine Green "Connections" 
Catherine’s work is comprised of clean lines and clear color. The compositions often focus on specific detail in the foreground with an atmospheric background. Each piece may be comprised of as many as 45 individual stencils based on the complexity of the image. Some of her ideas take up to six months to complete.

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September 15 - October 7, 2017 - The Seacoast Photographers Group: "People"
“People” is the fourth annual exhibit from the Seacoast Photographers Group at Main Street Art.
The show opens on Friday, September 15 with a public reception from 5:30 to 7:30.
This year’s exhibit will feature over 40 works depicting the individual artists' interpretation of the theme, including portraits, street photography, and casual imagery in color and black and white.

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2017 MSA Summer Camp Showcase

August 25 - September 8, 2017
The Summer Camp Showcase features the work of MSA's summer camp students. 

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Art In Bloom, Newfields

April 28-June 9, 2017
Can't make it to the MFA? Come to MSA and help us usher in Spring with Main Street Art's first Art in Bloom exhibit. This exhibit features fresh flowers paired with the artistic floral interpretations by local artists including Peg Duffin, Dusty Knight, Amy Brnger, Ella Carlson,  Heather Park, and Verity Boyer. 
Live floral arrangements provided by the Newfields Garden Club. ​

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Convergence/Divergence 

March 10 - April 14, 2017
This exhibit showcased the work of the Tributary Artists, 7 Seacoast area painters. They exhibited oil, acrylic and water color paintings of scenics and people, mostly  of the Seacoast area.

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We are proud of our shared gallery space and classroom, and are glad to offer at least 9 or more shows every year exhibiting the talent of regional artists, along with nationally located artists. 

The annual Seacoast Photographers Association show Windows: Picture This. This  exhibition featuring the work of local photographers is a study of how multiple talented artists interpret a theme. In addition to the opening, there will be Art Talks on Saturdays.

Opening Reception September 9, 5:30-7:30pm. Art Talks on Saturdays at noon. The show runs through October 15.

 Image credit Robert Jones

The Intimate Portrait

This show highlights the photographic works of 6 photographers who studied together under the direction of Joyce Tenneson at the Maine Media Workshop. Despite different styles and influences, the common thread of portraiture unites this show into a rhythmic and enticing exploration of people.

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February 2016
The Art of Graphic

One misconception about graphic art is that it is based in commercialism, lacking the creative freedom or self expression often associated with other visual art genres. This collection of artists is a dynamic and eclectic showcase of work exploring the many obvious and subtle ways that graphic arts and fine art influence each other in positive ways.

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Featured in this show are:
Soosen Dunholter
Carter Humphreys
Marcy Pope
Alicia Quimby
Bryan Rutland
Jodi Scaltreto

Alicia Quimby

Marcy Pope

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January 2016
Art Among Us: Masks

This annual show features the work of those dedicated individuals who already give their time and energy to all manner of daily operations at Main Street Art. We are not only an organization dedicated to providing quality art experiences to the community, we also endeavor to enrich the creative process of our members. We have extremely talented staff and volunteers and we are proud to have their work on display.

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Catherine Green-
Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Catherine’s work is comprised of clean lines and clear color. The compositions often focus on specific detail in the foreground with an atmospheric background. Each piece may be comprised of as many as 45 individual stencils based on the complexity of the image. Some of her ideas take up to six months to complete.
Catherine’s prints have been widely recognized, notably through her inclusion in the Cheremeteff Exhibition of American Prints at The Book Chamber in Moscow and by winning the Yankee Magazine Print Award. Recently, she showed in the New Hampshire Institute of Art Biennial, received the League of NH Craftsmen’s Charles and Elizabeth Gorst Print Award and was added to the permanent collections of the League of NH Craftsmen and The McIninch Art Gallery at Southern New Hampshire University.
Inspired by natural themes, Catherine's screen prints showcase traditional still life subjects such as flowers and fruit as well as nests, birds, seashells and leaves. “I am always looking at trees,” she says. “In their particular settings, their relationships with other things and the movement of their branches. Each one has something to say.”

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Previous Exhibitions

Days of Summer: 2015 Summer Camp Show
 featuring the work of summer camp and Art in the Afternoon students

Edge of Realism
an Exhibition Featuring the Work of Jeff Wagner and Judith Andrews
May 22 - July 10

Solid Space; A 3 Dimensional Show
April 10-May 22, 2015

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5th Dimension: Works on paper
February 20 - April 2, 2015

Art Among Us: One Big Family
January 9 - February 6, 2015

"Color!"
Featuring Gaby Grossman and Rose Bryant
November 21 - December 30, 2014

'Wandering Watercolorists'
featuring Barbara Day Richards, Joanne Ravgiala,
and Lisa Lynn Alyson
October 17 - November 14, 2014

'Life is good'
seacoast photography group
September 13 - October 11, 2014