Community Chorus at South Berwick is welcoming new singers for the 2025-2026 season
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — The Community Chorus at South Berwick (CCSB) is recruiting new singers for the 2025-2026 season. CCSB is a group of singers from the Seacoast area whose mission is to “harness the power of singing together to build community, inspire creativity, affirm every person’s worth, and promote choral music’s transformative influence.” The chorus is directed by Dr. Amy Kotsonis.
Join CCSB on Mondays from 7-9 p.m., at the Marshwood Middle School. No auditions are required. Rehearsals begin on Aug. 25 and fall concerts are Nov. 15 and 16. New singers are welcome to attend the first two rehearsals before making a commitment to join. Nothing else is needed, just bring your love of music and community.
Visit www.ccsb-sing.org/join to register.
A Splash Of Improv with Stranger Than Fiction
PORTSMOUTH — Join Stranger Than Fiction for a night of unscripted comedy, at the Players’ Ring Theatre, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth on Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The cast will take your summer themed suggestions and transform them into hilarious scenes, characters, and stories right before your eyes. Perfect for a summer evening, this show promises to be a refreshing and entertaining experience for audiences of all ages.
General Admission: Advance $15, the door, $17. Visit www.playersring.org/shows for tickets.
Rising exhibition opens at Aplomb Gallery
DOVER — Aplomb Gallery proudly presents Rising, a new group exhibition featuring works by 26 contemporary artists from New England and beyond. The show opens Thursday, Aug. 8, and runs through Sept. 30.
Through a wide range of media, including painting, photography, drawing, mixed media, and installation. Rising explores themes of emergence, healing, resistance, and transformation. Each artist brings a personal interpretation to the concept of “rising,” whether from trauma, identity struggles, environmental concern, or spiritual awakening.
Participating artists include:
Gerard Bianco, Jacqueline Boudreau, Kelly Danner, Michelle Dreselly, Gary Finelli, Gay Freeborn, David Gibson, David Kasprzak, Susanne Larkham, Tom Levasseur, Elise Morissette, Barbara Morse, Erica Nazzaro, Brenda Noiseux, Sarah Picard, Karl Schmitz, Katelin Schutt, Scott Smith, Robert Sullivan, Jill Covey, Shenandoah Crook, Shaunna Whitney, Laura Waller, Brian Wagoner, and Jocelyn Vache.
Admission is free and open to the public with a $10 suggested donation to The Aplomb Project. RSVP at theaplombproject.org/gallery.
Art Guild of the Kennebunks announces ‘Awards Art Exhibit’
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — The Art Guild of the Kennebunks (AGK) announces the “Awards Art Exhibit” Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-17. The exhibit takes place at Community House, 8 Temple St., Kennebunkport. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Friday and Saturday and 12-4 p.m. on Sunday. A reception is open to the public Friday, Aug. 16, from 4-6 p.m. Admission is free.
The exhibit features original artwork by members of the AGK and will be available for purchase. Subjects include Maine scenic views, florals, seascapes, animals and a variety of other themes. Artists provide professional, framed works in oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, photographs and mixed media.
For more information check the AGK website www.artguildofthekennebunks.com or call 207-337-4833.
New Hampshire Art Association announces August exhibitions
PORTSMOUTH — The New Hampshire Art Association announces the following exhibitions for the month of August. All Exhibitions will be showcased at the New Hampshire Art Association through Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
Main Gallery Exhibition
Lotte Jacobi Open Juried Exhibition featuring 63 artworks by 45 artists
This exhibition pays tribute to esteemed former New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA) member Lotte Jacobi, who was considered a premier photographer of the 20th century. Known for her striking portraits, Jacobi captured iconic images of cultural and intellectual figures such as Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Robert Frost. Beyond her artistic contributions, Jacobi played a pivotal role in advocating for photography as a fine art medium within the NHAA during the 1940s. NHAA aims to keep her legacy alive by inviting photographers from all over New England to submit their best work. The result is a stunning display of diverse perspectives and techniques within the photographic arts. Juror Gary Samson, who worked closely with Lotte Jacobi, took his job seriously and welcomed the challenge to jury an exhibition in her name. “Lotte was a mentor to young artists; she believed passing her knowledge down was essential to fostering the next group of creatives,” Samson says. “I was so intimidated by her at first, but I quickly felt welcomed by her willingness to help me in my career as a photographer.” The Lotte Jacobi Open Juried Exhibition is a must-see for photographers and art enthusiasts alike.
Artist-Curated Solo Exhibitions
New England Stories by Ana Smyth
New England Stories is Smyth’s homage to the region she now calls home, brought to life through a lens of unexpected brilliance. With joyous color and energetic brushwork, she captures scenes of snow, ocean, forest, and historical structures, each infused with a rhythmic quality. “Painting is like creating a symphony,” she says. “My brushstrokes are instruments playing in harmony, inspired by the music I listen to while I work.”
Aquaria by Cleo Huggins
Inspired by her frequent visits to the New England Aquarium, Cleo brings her experience to the gallery. Rendered with the precision and sensitivity of an experienced oil painter, her underwater compositions challenge traditional plein air technique. Light diffuses and drops off suddenly. Shadows shimmer with unexpected color. Subjects dart and hide. Turtles loom, larger than life. The distortion of aquarium glass adds another layer of surreal beauty. Huggins captures not just marine life but the emotional escape of immersion, where the viewer becomes part of the stillness, the spectacle, and the imagination.
Scenes from San Pedro—La Isla Bonita by Tom Cawthon
With a documentarian’s eye and a storyteller’s heart, Cawthon captures the kaleidoscopic culture of San Pedro, where Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, and other heritages coexist in a dynamic blend of tradition, tourism, and local life. This exhibition invites viewers to glimpse daily rituals, fleeting moments, and experience the warmth of a community known for its laid-back spirit. Framed by the island’s natural beauty and international influences, these photographs go beyond postcard images to tell a deeper, more human story.
Balance: Stone, Steel, and Wood by Marty Kelley
Using a hammer drill, salvaged spring steel rods, and his eye for the unexpected, Kelley creates formations where heavy stone seems to float or sway in delicate counterbalance. Abstract works highlight the raw beauty of fractured surfaces, while his figurative sculptures push against gravity and logic. With a combination of rugged materials and thoughtful intention, this exhibition invites viewers to reconsider their expectations of sculpture, movement, and permanence. Kelley’s work is a testament to imagination and the elegance found in even the heaviest materials.