Manchester is finding its artistic groove

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Sculpture 8 AUG 22 scaled
Photo/Brian Chicoine

MANCHESTERMANCHESTER, NH – Manchester is a great place to live! Yes, it has its issues, but it is a growing city with a lot more opportunities for “play” than when I was growing up. However, one thing that Manchester has always been lacking is a vibrant arts scene. That is, of course, until now. 

I have always loved art…particularly music. (Yes, I consider music a form of art. Even what I consider bad music is art…I may label it bad art, but it’s still art). But growing up in Manchester, I wasn’t really exposed to art. I mean, we sometimes went on a school field trip to the Currier and of course, had art class, but nothing more than that. Lucky for me though, my family is from South Boston, so I was exposed through that. As an adult, I lived in Providence, which is a very artsy city. (Speaking of Providence, you need to check out Waterfire…it’s awesome!). 

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Cat Alley will be getting a refresh this month. Photo/Brian Chicoine

But over the years, especially within the last 10 years or so, Manchester has become home to a steadily growing art scene. We have had the New Hampshire Institute of Art, and the Currier Museum of Art, and its Zimmerman House, as well as college galleries such as the Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College. For performing arts we had the Palace Theatre and the Majestic Theatre, but beyond those things, there wasn’t much else. It wasn’t until a Manchester Art Trolley Tour back in 2017 that I realized that there were so many – somewhat unknown – art and culture spots in our city. 

Today is a different story, in addition to the previously mentioned places, we have the re-opened Rex Theatre, (a 1940s theatre that closed in the early 1960s), as well as Studio 550, Stelling Kelley Contemporary, and Studio Verne, and of course the Art on the Wall program at City Hall, to name a few. The music scene has also picked up in Manchester, as we now have Jewel and Angel City Music Hall, as well as live performances at many of our city’s growing number of eateries. And of course, we have our big venue, the SNHU Arena

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Cat Alley is one of Manchester’s art treasures. Photo/Brian Chicoine

We also have art festivals, including the Manchester International Film Festival happening this month, and the Citywide Arts Festival happening in September. 

One thing that I do not remember seeing a lot of growing up is public art (except of course the orange lollipops that were in front of the old New Hampshire Plaza on Elm). Whereas we had some galleries and live performance spaces, we did not have much in the form of public art. This has also changed, as we now have art pieces throughout the city, such as the sculpture outside of the Currier, the one outside of the SNHU Arena, and a newer, lesser-known one where Granite and Old Granite Streets meet, (across from the Center of New Hampshire parking garage). 

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Arms Park steps recently got a vibrant mural treatment thanks to James Chase. Photo/Brian Chicoine

We also have a growing number of murals in our city, including the one in the Parker Street Tunnel along the Piscataquog Rail Trail on the West Side, as well as murals on buildings throughout the city, and the ever-popular Cat Alley in Downtown. And, thanks to local artist and muralist James Chase and the Arts Build Community, we will have many more murals throughout our city! They will be hosting the very first Manchester community mural festival, Arts Build Community August 11-22, 2022, which will bring artists from all over to the Queen City to brighten spaces with beautiful murals. 

I am very excited about the increase of art and art-related projects in our city and look forward to seeing how they will help make Manchester an even better place to live, work, and play!


InkubatorColorsManchester Rising is an ongoing series of stories focused on the people, organizations and entities elevating and engaging our community. Send story/subject suggestions to publisher@manchesterinklink.com for consideration. If you’d like to help support this effort please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our Inkubator fund.


 

About this Author

Brian Chicoine

Brian Chicoine is a New Hampshire native who moved to Manchester from Raymond in 1980. While a student at Notre Dame College here in Manchester, Brian transferred to Rhode Island College in Providence, where he met his now wife, Jackie. Brian and Jackie spent the next 20 years living in Providence and Manchester, returning to Manchester with their two sons, (who are proud Manchester natives), in the fall of 2017. He and his family intend on staying in Manchester and are committed to helping make it an even better place to live, work, and play.