DURHAM – A special fall art exhibition brings together local galleries to breathe new life into the former University of New Hampshire Art Museum.
The exhibition “Not for Sale” is the inaugural exhibition at UNH’s Art Gallery in the Paul Creative Arts Center at 30 Academic Way. The exhibition, which features the work of more than 40 artists, runs from August 26 to October 11 and is a collaboration of regional galleries, Katzman Contemporary Projects (Dover), RMFA (Rochester Museum of Fine Arts) and See Saw Gallery in Manchester.
The exhibition marks a significant milestone following the closure of the UNH Museum of Art last year due to $14 million in budget cuts, a setback deeply felt by the entire New Hampshire art community.
In an attempt to revitalize the space, Benjamin Cariens, chair of the Department of Art and Art History at UNH, contacted the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts and Katzman Contemporary Projects to produce an independent exhibition in hopes of ushering in a new era of programming focused on art accessibility, community engagement and sustainability.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Matthew Wyatt of the RMFA. “We’re working with a gallery in Dover to essentially reopen the art museum after it closed last year due to budget cuts. To be clear: We’re only opening it by doing a temporary exhibition until October. After that, we hope the organizers will continue to run it in the same way because our methods are sustainable, affordable and accessible.”
Wyatt said the NFS: Not For Sale exhibition invites artists to present works of personal significance, whether newly created or from their past. To encourage a diverse and introspective collection, each artist was asked to submit 3-5 works without knowing what the others would bring. In addition, the curatorial team asked each participant to look back to when they were still an emerging artist and reflect on the question: What insights would you share with your younger self?
“This exhibition is a small selection of contemporary artists with ties to the Northeast brought together by New Hampshire curators,” said Eric Katzman of Katzman Contemporary Projects. “For me, what is exciting is the interplay of the personal works that each artist brings. The emotional aspect of nostalgia combined with the display of pieces with personal meaning is what makes this exhibition so exciting in a current landscape of rapid change.”
Wyatt said, “We are excited to volunteer our time to curate an exhibition with Eric and Julee Katzman at UNH’s Museum of Art. We look forward to bringing artists and art lovers together to celebrate such an important art space in New Hampshire.”
Amy Regan of See Saw Art and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts added, “Our respective organizations represent a new wave of arts initiatives that are artist-focused and financially viable. We appreciate the university’s efforts to forge a new direction, reopen to the public, and give curators like us the opportunity to expand our reach to a wider audience.”
Invited artists include Alex Leith, Alicia Ethridge, Ashley Page, Bethany Engstrom, Brett Marcel, Chris Thibault, Claudia Rippee, Cozette Russell, Damion Silver, Dave Pettengill, Dean McCrillis, Douglas Breault, Edgar Paredes, Forrest Elliott, Forrest Knight, Hannah Hirsch, Heather Morgan, Holden Willard, Jackie Brown, Jason Bagatta, Kerri Kimura, Kevin Kintner, Kevin Xiques, Kristy Cavaretta, Lauren Karjala, Lydia M. Kinney, Marcus Greene, Matt Demers, Meg Hahn, Mike Howat, Miles Warner, Ned Roche, Rachelle Beaudoin, Raquel P. Miller, Richard Yu-Tang Lee, Ryan John Lefevbre, Sean Weare, Steven Cabral, Susan Schwake, Tara Lewis and Tracy Hayes.
“NFS: Not For Sale” will be on display August 26 through October 11, with a reception on Friday, September 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information and updates, visit katzmancontemporaryprojects.com, rochestermfa.org, and seesaw.gallery.
This article originally appeared in the Fosters Daily Democrat: New exhibition aims to revitalize UNH Museum of Art
