It was a sticky, humid Thursday evening, but I didn’t mind. I was surrounded by art, velvety chocolate cake, crisp shortbread cookies, music, wine and ice-cold pitchers of lemonade.
I was at an Art Concord event. You know, that thing last week you didn’t bother showing up to.
Art Concord is an initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce that gives Concordians a chance to become more cultured without spending a dime.
A variety of galleries – the Franklin Pierce Law Center, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Gallery 205, Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, NHTI, Red River Theatres and Sulloway Gallery – opened their doors last week and welcomed the public to peruse exhibitions, enjoy refreshments and, in some cases, live music.
But you wouldn’t know that, because, like I said, you weren’t there.
I apologize if I’m wrong. Maybe you went and we never crossed paths. If you did go, you probably noticed it, too: the art was there; the people were not.
I’m sure you had a good reason for not showing up. You could have had dinner plans, a headache or relatives who just flew into town. Perhaps art isn’t your cup of tea.
Rebecca Kinhan, communications manager at the chamber, told us the event was promoted in the local media. Of course, you may have missed the chamber’s attempts to get your attention. You can’t go to something if you don’t know about it.
Franklin Piece Law Center took matters into its own hands and held the opening reception for the Merrimack River Painters’ exhibition in conjunction with Art Concord. At most galleries I visited, I was often one of two people viewing art (the other person being my fiancé). This was not the case with the law center. About 15 people were there when I stopped in.
Sharon Callahan, the law center’s director of alumni relations and art exhibit guru, said that artists helped spread the word and invited environmental groups to attend.
But the success at the law center isn’t enough to consider Art Concord a hit. Though the chamber has scheduled fall and winter tours, one has to wonder what will become of Art Concord if the turnout continues to be low.
It’s not that the tour wasn’t without flaws. Traveling to the galleries, which were spread out around town, made me feel like I was a participant in “The Amazing Race.” The majority of my time was spent rushing from place to place only allowing myself a few moments to scan the art, jam a cookie or two in my mouth and go.
At NHTI, the first location I visited, I never even made it to the exhibition. I couldn’t find it.
True, I had yet to obtain a map (each gallery had one), but I saw no signs promoting it. The only people I ran in to were attending a dental reception.
But now I’m just being nitpicky. These aren’t reasons to forgo the next tour.
The chamber put together a Creative Concord Committee to make events like Art Concord a tad more happenin’.
“It’s definitely something we want to focus on in the next few years,” Kinhan said, adding the committee is looking at the impact of the arts on the area’s economy and exploring options to help position Concord as the creative hub of the state. That includes artist housing, public art and events like Art Concord.
While the chamber is attempting to make Concord more cultured, I encourage you all to do the same. Go to these events. Get involved with the committee. Stop complaining that there’s nothing to do (I’m looking at you, young people) and expand your horizons beyond bar hopping. The next time Concord invites you to a party, don’t RSVP your regrets.
The next Art Concord event will be held on Oct. 9, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about upcoming chamber events, visit concordnhchamber.com.
