Story Archives of 'Arts'

In the North Country, spring means the mountains turn green, the rivers flow wildly and on Friday (today)- against all odds - one of the nation's oldest movie theaters opens for the summer.

NHPR correspondent Chris Jensen has this story about the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem.

Have you ever gone to a shoe store and couldn’t find a single pair of shoes you liked? Either the color was wrong, or the design just wasn’t your style?

As we consumers get more finicky, companies are trying to give us exactly what we want - letting us call the shots. In the "pimp my ride" era, you can now pimp your sneakers too, as well as all kinds of mass-produced products.

One person who’s watching this ongoing trend is Kim Hastreiter, editor of the New York-based fashion magazine Paper. She joined Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott from her office in New York to talk about our new ability to customize just about anything from handbags to hamburgers, cars to furniture.

The design issue of Paper is on newsstands now. Click here for a peek inside.

There's a retrospective of original prints by the world renowned wood engraver, Herbert Waters. It's showing at the Edwards Art Gallery at the Holderness School in Plymouth. In 1993, the State of New Hampshire presented Waters with the Living Treasure Award. NHPR Correspondent Sean Hurley went to the exhibit's opening and offers this review.

Writer and director Tom McCarthy made a significant splash in independent film circles with his first movie, "The Station Agent." Critics described it as "quaint," "big hearted" and "charming."

His next film, "The Visitor," is just now starting to hit select theaters. It’s about a college professor named Walter who comes home from a business trip to find two people living in his apartment. It turns out, both Walter and the squatters are victims of the same scam - someone rented Walter's apartment to these people while he was away. Unlikely though it sounds, Walter ends up inviting them to stick around. It’s not until later that he realizes his new roommates are illegal immigrants.

It's not surprising that a U.S. filmmaker would choose to tackle the immigration issue in today’s political climate. But critic Aaron Beatty says Tom McCarthy – unlike some directors - expresses his views on the issue without making it too heavy-handed. Aaron writes reviews for the Connecticut Valley Spectator, and he joined Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott to talk about the film.

"The Visitor" is coming to theaters in Concord and Wilton on May 9th, and to Conway Village on the 16th.

This Tuesday, the University of New Hampshire is screening The Story of Stuff as part of its Earth Day festivities.The short animated film by environmental activist Annie Leonard shines a light on the production chain behind most of our everyday consumer products. It's an eye-opening exploration of our often wasteful, disposable culture. Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott talks with Annie about the film and the mostly unseen effects of our daily purchases.

You can see The Story of Stuff Tuesday, April 22, at UNH's Memorial Union Building. Screenings are at 1pm and 6pm. Click here for more details.

You can also watch the entire film online. Click here to visit The Story of Stuff website.

Here's a teaser: (If teaser won't play, click here)