MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Thursday, the Currier Museum of Art re-opened its doors to the public, a re-opening that brings three special exhibitions.
The first, Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art, looks at the influence of video games on contemporary art from its earliest days in the 1970s to the present. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue featuring contributions from video game historian Andrew Williams and feminist scholar Samantha Blackmon. The exhibit returns after its initial opening earlier this spring.
The second, Photographs from the Civil Rights Movement, draws from the museum’s collections of photographs to take a look at Civil Rights protests of the 1950s and 60s. The exhibit includes images from those who participated in the protests directly as well as esteemed photographer Ernest Withers.
The third exhibit features artist Richard Haynes and his telling of an enslaved family’s story through the Underground Railroad. Hayes, a Portsmouth resident, has been an artist-in-residence at the Currier Art Center.
“The museum has been very active online since March,” said Alan Chong, director of the Currier Museum. “But art is more powerful when experienced in person. Our new exhibitions are striking statements.
In addition to the exhibits, the Currier is also introducing a timed ticketing system to ensure the safety of its guests, with the museum requiring guests to wear masks when inside the museum.
Admission is free every Thursday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with free admission on the second Saturday of every month starting on Sept. 12.
