For decades, the City of Manchester has been home to several well-endowed institutions for the visual arts, ranging from The Currier Gallery of Art, to the century-old New Hampshire Institute of Art. But in recent years ? some say it seems like overnight ? Manchester has also become home to an exploding population of contemporary artists and craftsmen, who are attracted by low-rents and a highly supportive community. The growth of this community is challenging the city to define arts and culture in a much broader way. NHPR?S Doug MacPherson reports.
For more information about the June 20th OPEN DOORS TROLLEY TOUR, or to learn more about Art Builds Community, click here: http://www.manchesterarts.org/index.htm
Then click on the trolley icon in the lower left-hand corner. Or call Amber at the New Hampshire Institute of Art: 623-0313, ext. 546.
IT WAS JUST ABOUT A DECADE AGO THAT THE LANGER FAMILY BOUGHT ITSELF A MILL. WHAT THE LANGERS NEEDED WAS 30-THOUSAND SQUARE FEET WHERE THEY COULD MAKER POLYSTYRENE PACKAGING AND BUILDING MATERIALS. WHAT THEY ENDED UP BUYING WAS 180-THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF THE FORMER AMOSKEG TEXTILE COMPANY. JAN LANGER SAYS THE 1890-MILL FEATURED BATS, BROKEN WINDOWS, AND HOMELESS PEOPLE. BUT THE PRICE WAS RIGHT.
TAPE ONE, JAN LANGER 063 it was cheap factory space and the parking was attractive. And the hope was that maybe something would happen in the mill yard, but that wasn?t our primary goal. :08
FOR YEARS, MORE THAN HALF THE BUILDING STOOD EMPTY. THEN
IN 1996, THE LANGERS WERE APPROACHED BY A MASTER OIL PAINTER, WHO WAS LOOKING FOR INEXPENSIVE SPACE TO RE-LOCATE HIS BOSTON-BASED STUDIO-WORKSHOP. THE LANGERS NEVER DREAMED WHAT THIS WOULD LEAD TO.
TAPE ONE, JAN LANGER 080 SFX, ENTERING PAUL?S STUDIO 081 anybody home? Hi. These folks are students. :07
THE PAUL INGBRETSON STUDIO OF DRAWING AND PAINTING LOOKS MUCH LIKE THE REST OF THE MILL, WITH SOLID OAK PLANK FLOORING AND YELLOW PINE BEAMS FOURTEEN FEET OVERHEAD.
TODAY, INGBRETSON IS GIVING A LESSON IN COLOR RELATION THAT CLAUDE MONET MIGHT HAVE TAUGHT MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO. HE BORROWS THE BRUSH OF HIS STUDENT AND APPROACHES A HALF-FINISHED STILL-LIFE OF FRUIT.
TAPE PAUL INGBRETSON. 164 but you see how much that?s going to allow us to make red around the grapes? if were to take that one grape and just make it red, just along the edge there ? it would look totally plausible. Given the atmosphere of red that everything else is sitting there.
STUDENT it looks right. I wouldn?t say that it was red, but now that you?ve put it down. :19
TODAY, LANGER PLACE IS HOME TO PAINTERS, GALLERIES, DECORATORS, POTTERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND CABINET-MAKERS.
JAN LANGER WISHES SHE COULD TAKE CREDIT.
TAPE JAN LANGER 236 it was a total accident. [LAUGHS] the whole thing was an accident. Because paul came and that just attracted more and more artists. :06
DAN HELGEMO IS ONE SUCH ARTIST. A FORMER AND STILL OCCASIONAL STUDENT OF INGBRETSON?S, HE NOW RENTS HIS OWN STUDIO ON THE THIRD FLOOR.
TAPE DAN HELGEMO (HELL-GA-MOE) 385 The price is right. The light is right. You couldn?t ask for better light in terms of the large windows and the north light. And just being part of the community with other artists is very important. /// 389 it?s important to have other outlets just for shop talk and camaraderie. And input. Feedback. There?s a danger, a risk in isolating yourself too much. :21
THIS COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS SIMPLY DIDN?T EXIST IN MANCHESTER A DECADE AGO. AND WHAT?S A SHAME, SAYS ED REINISH, A MASTER CABINET MAKER WITH A SHOP ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, IS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON?T KNOW THE COMMUNITY EXISTS TODAY. REINISH?S BUSINESS IS THRIVING. BUT HE WISHES MORE PEOPLE ? AND MORE CUSTOMERS ? WOULD COME BY AND VISIT.
TAPE TWO ED REINISH 124 to be able to come through someone?s shop and see their work or other work being made is a really good thing/// the more people know and the more they understand and the value of it, they?re better consumers. To have a thriving arts communities, or a community of artisans, yeah, the more people who come through, the better. : 21
MORE PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO COME THROUGH AND DISCOVER MANCHESTER?S THRIVING ARTS COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, THE CITY HAS LONG BEEN HOME TO A HANDFUL OF ART INSTITUTIONS THAT MANY PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE AT LEAST HEARD OF. THE CURRIER GALLERY OF ART. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF ART.
THE MANCHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY. BUT THOSE INSTITUTIONS USED TO HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING SOMEWHAT?. STUFFY.
TAPE 2, ANNE ZACHOS 264 if you were new, and language was a problem /// you just didn?t know what to wear when you went through those doors, you didn?t know where to go, what to say. And I think now that all the institutions are very, very cognizant of that. :13
THAT?S ANNE ZACHOS, CHAIR OF ART-BUILDS COMMUNITY.
A-B-C WAS FORMED IN 1997, WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING ARTS AND CULTURE A PERMANENT PART OF ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT MANCHESTER?S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FUTURE. IN ITS FIRST THREE YEARS IT DOLED OUT 27-GRANTS OF FIVE TO TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS. ONE IMPORTANT CRITERION: EVERY APPLICANT MUST COLLABORATE WITH A NON-ARTS ORGANIZATION.
TAPE 2, ANNE ZACHOS 096 nobody was really talking to each other, and nobody understood what the others were doing, and we thought it would strengthen each of them. :07
ZACHOS SAYS A-B-C?S TIMING WAS PERFECT. THE OLDER, ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS WERE LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY?S BURGEONING ETHNIC COMMUNITY. THE CURRIER HAD ATTRACTED A DYNAMIC NEW DIRECTOR, THE CITY ELECTED A NEW MAYOR WHO LIKES ARTS AND TURNS OUT FOR EVERY GALLERY OPENING. ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GRANTS FOUNDED THE YO GALLERY ? A COMBINED EFFORT BY THE CURRIER AND MANCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.
DARRYL FURTKAMP, YO GALLERY?S PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SAYS THE GALLERY?S VERY DIVERSE SHOWS HAVE SOME THINGS IN COMMON.
TAPE DARRYL FURTKAMP 200 they?re immediate, and kind of fresh. They?re practicing and living artists whose work appeals to a younger generation than a lot of the work we see in Manchester. :13
THE WORKS, IN FACT, ARE SELECTED BY STUDENTS.
TAPE DARRYL FURTKAMP 211 the high school students who participate in our program view different artists. They make comments on the types of work not only they would like to see exhibited here, but that they think people of their age group and beyond would like to see and need to see. :14
STUDENTS DESIGN AND LAY-OUT THE SHOWS. THEY HANG THE WORKS, THEY SET THE LIGHTS. THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED.
BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW IT. MANY LEADERS OF MANCHESTER?S ARTS COMMUNITY SAY THE CITY HAS YET TO FIND A WAY TO PROMOTE ITSELF AS AN ARTS DESTINATION. IT STILL STRUGGLES TO LIVE-DOWN A REPUTATION AS A GRIMY, DOWN-AT-THE-HEALS, MILL-CITY.
ONE THING THE CITY HAS DONE TO PROMOTE ITS ARTS IS CALLED THE TROLLEY TOUR. LESLIE STEWARD, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS, SAYS THREE SUCH EVENING TOURS HAVE INTRODUCED HUNDREDS OF NEW PATRONS TO THE BEST MANCHESTER HAS TO OFFER.
TAPE LESLIE STEWART 230 an individual can get on a trolley, which is free of charge, at either city hall, or any of the locations on the tour. And they can get on and off as many times as they want. Stop for 10 or 15 minutes, visit a gallery, and then come back out and another trolley will pick them up and take them to the next stop that they?d like to do. :19
EVERY STOP ON THE TOUR OFFERS FREE ADMISSION. STEWART SAYS FAMILIES HAVE BEGUN TO BRING CHILDREN, COUPLES MAKE IT A DATE NIGHT, AND INDIVIDUALS FEEL COMFORTABLE ATTENDING BY THEMSELVES. THE NEXT TROLLEY TOUR IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 20TH.
MEANWHILE, ANNE ZACHOS WISHES MORE NEW ENGLAND RESIDENTS WOULD THINK ABOUT GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY THE NEXT TIME THEY DRIVE THROUGH MANCHESTER.
TAPE ANNE ZACHOS 104 those bridges are meant for something. They can come inside and there?ll be wonderful places to eat, AND by the way, there?s an exhibit. Or, there?s a concert. :07
THIS SUMMER, MANCHESTER WILL OPEN A NEW VISITOR AND TOURISM BUREAU, TO BE JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE STATE, THE CITY, AND MANCHESTER?S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.
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