Residents and visitors have likely noticed the existing sculpture and mural installations in the Downtown Lebanon Tunnel, providing public art for the enjoyment of pedestrians and cyclists using the path between the Northern Rail Trail and the Mascoma River Greenway. These installations have been created by local artists and supported by Lebanon ArtWays, the Arts and Culture Commission of the City of Lebanon. Before long, additional installations will join the first four, adding vibrancy throughout the tunnel and expanding the public art offerings in Lebanon.

The goal of commissioning art installations in the tunnel, says Recreation, Arts, and Parks Department director Paul Coats, is to “have Lebanon stand apart as a municipality in the Upper Valley because of our devotion to public art” and also “to make that tunnel more attractive” as a recreational space. Artistic, aesthetically pleasing spaces attract development, tourism, and recreation, while also discouraging less attractive graffiti such as tagging. The effort also enlists local artists and provides fair compensation for their work.

Earlier this year, Lebanon ArtWays presented a Request for Proposals for installations to fill the tunnel with art, owing to the availability of TIF district funds to provide stipends and materials reimbursement to artists. In May, the commission reviewed and recommended approval of five proposals, covering a range of styles, formats, media, and subjects. This was followed in July by a site visit to consider the locations and sizes of each proposal. Lebanon’s Heritage Commission is also involved in the process, intending to support art that highlights the history of transportation locally.

What can viewers expect to see in the coming months? Here is a preview:

Emily Battles has proposed an interactive, three-dimensional installation consisting of hundreds of wooden blocks attached to a grid and painted in varying hues and shades. Emily’s intention is to allow viewers to engage with the installation by rotating the blocks and changing the appearance of the wall. This incorporates viewers into the generation of art, giving passersby the opportunity to create a unique display from the positioning of the blocks. To better engage younger members of the community safely, this installation will be affixed to the northern wall of the tunnel, farther from the section used most frequently by cyclists.

Julio Muñoz Uribe, also known as Ragko, created the recently-completed community mural that adorns the building of COVER Home Repair in White River Junction. His proposal for Lebanon superimposes a collection of images that evoke a sense of place for those in the tunnel: a mountainous backdrop above a map of the City; the distinctive cupola of Lebanon City Hall, and brightly colored fish to represent the river that flows beside the trails. The proposal plays heavily on the concept of confluences, as the images combine in the space between the restored stone wall of the tunnel, in a space that connects two trails that bring riverside nature to a municipal downtown area. Additionally, the colors of this mural will, Julio hopes, complement the colors of the sculpture installation beside it.

Marley Dube mural proposal – Mother Nature

John Garoutte in 2023 painted “Patchwork,” which he describes as “a giant quilt, with patches that depict scenes from Lebanon both past and present,” as an homage to the textile industry of New England. The piece currently resides near the western end of the tunnel’s south wall. His latest proposal expands this mural eastward, incorporating more seasons alongside the estival images tunnel users already enjoy. John notes that “the seasonality of New England is unique and beautiful in so many ways, and I wanted to contrast the warmth and energy of the summer with the cool quiet of the winter.” John’s art is inspired by his snowboarding and his work as a stone wall builder; his love for public art emerges from the idea that it “humanizes the built environment and has the ability to transform and invigorate spaces in ways that make public space so much more inviting and comfortable,” and “it can provide everyone in the community direct and ongoing encounters with art.”

Nicholas Cain is working with Kay Curtis and a team of four volunteers on what he describes as “a parade through the tunnel, playfully illustrating Lebanon’s culture and activities using many of the iconic Lebanon landmarks.” The larger-than-life mural will consist of two stacked panels, sixty feet long and each measuring seven feet high for a total of fourteen vertical feet looming over the tunnel’s visitors. The project sketches show animated figures, evocative of cubism and engaged in activities of celebration and daily life.

Marley Dube is a graduate of Lebanon High School, and in 2019, she painted a mural in the school, so she is familiar with public art. Her submission is titled “Mother Nature” and, like John’s “Patchwork,” depicts the seasons of the region. Marley’s mural leans heavily into organic imagery, including leaves and stars and water in a semi-abstract design embodying the natural environment that draws so many people to the community and its many offerings. Positioned in the western part of the tunnel near to the Mascoma River, “Mother Nature” is sure to evoke in viewers an appreciation of the trails they are enjoying.

Brian Cook, executive director of Revels North, and his team are finding innovative ways to bring Christmas Revels to our community. A part of our Upper Valley community since 1975, the Christmas Revels celebration made the move to the Lebanon Opera House in 2019. Cook and his team concocted the idea of a heart-warming animated Revels film for the 2020 season but were determined to have an in-person performance for 2021 and have created a new conceptualization of Revels to make that happen. “We see this as another chance to reinvent what we do. We feel like, let’s have some fun with this. We don’t want to let a little thing like a pandemic interfere with a tradition that goes back to 1975,” Cook said. 

This year, Christmas Revels is going to be a two-part extravaganza with both an outdoor portion in Colburn Park that will be free to the public and ticketed events in the Lebanon Opera House. 

The outside portion of the program will be, in Cook’s words, “classically Revels,” and feature traditional favorites such as Dona Nobis Pacem, The Shortest Day recitation, and Lord of the Dance. This program will include two half-hour performances daily of the festival at 4 and 5:30pm. “All of the standards of the community chorus and your Christmas Revels will be there, and it will have everything you expect year after year, plus even more happening in the park besides these performances, so we hope it will be both familiar and surprising,” Cook said. New pieces will also be included, such as a hit song from last year’s animated film titled Julian of Norwich, better known as Bells of Knowledge. Cook hopes the free outdoor performance and festival will prove welcoming to newcomers to the Revels: “Hopefully it will be an invitation to people who’ve never tried Revels before to give it a shot.”

The indoor portion of the festival in Lebanon Opera House will be a series of different concerts by three guest artists. “We wanted to capture three performers – each very different from the other and each exceptional at what they do,” Cook said. 

The Friday night performance will feature Eden MacAdam-Somer, a composer/performer/improviser who weaves together violin, vocals, and percussive dance. “[Eden’s] range of interest and cultures is staggering,” Cook said. A timely highlight of her performance, Cook believes, will be her knowledge of the music of Afghanistan. “She’s traveled to Afghanistan about six times in the last 15 years and taught at the music school in Kabul. So, she’s soaked in Afghan music, and I anticipate that will be part of her show.”

The Saturday performances feature Dr. Richard Antoine White, a classical tubist. His performance will present his music and life story, which will include a 30-minute documentary about his journey from experiencing homelessness in Baltimore to performing as a world-renowned musician in prestigious symphonies. White also has a personal connection to the area as he grew up with Revels North artistic director Nils Fredland and his performance will feature local musicians. “[White] is coming at a really interesting time in his career,” Cook said, “He just has an amazing life story.”

Finally, Sunday will star Còig, one of Atlantic Canada’s premier Celtic quartets. Hailing from Cape Breton, the three-time Lebanon Opera House veterans are “right in the wheelhouse of Revels” with their passionate performances of traditional and contemporary Celtic music. “This is in line with what audiences have come to expect from Revels in 45 years, so this will be the familiar performance and MacAdam-Somer and White will be something new,” Cook said. 

While the theme of this year’s celebration is officially Lighted Candles in the Winter Trees – a line from the recitation The Shortest Day (a Revels regular) – Cook and his compatriots decided not to focus on a particular cultural theme due to the new form of the performance. “This unique situation gave us the flexibility not to focus on one particular culture. We’re hoping that through this festival we are able to capture the overall breadth of interests, cultures, and traditions that Revels likes to explore.” 

For Cook, the Christmas Revels is a family affair. From participating in the show in 1981 as a child, to having his children involved in the performance between 2011 and 2017, to acting as director beginning in 2019, Christmas Revels has been a thread throughout Cook’s life. It was his children’s participation in the project that led to his becoming executive director, Cook said. 

Cook’s first year with Revels in 2019 ushered in the first performance of the Christmas Revels in Lebanon after making the trek over from Hanover where the show had been performed since 1975. “The first show did really well,” Cook said, “We were delighted with both the Opera House and the town and excited to establish new roots in Lebanon. The Revels community was excited about the Lebanon Opera House.” Cook reports hearing such remarks as: ‘It was so much easier to get parking,’ and ‘We had such a great meal at Three Tomatoes or Salt Hill!’ “Our audience immediately felt good about the new home,” Cook said.

Cook is hoping this year’s festival will continue to deepen the connection with Lebanon and that “the free outdoor portion downtown will be an invitation for people in town to come and give us a look, whether it’s for the first time or the first time in a long time.” 

Even before moving to Lebanon, Revels North has had ties to the town. Erling Hystad, a member of the Lebanon city council, has been involved with Revels since the very first show in 1975. Originally behind the scenes, he became a performer and will be in this year’s show. Additionally, the Revels board features Lebanon and West Lebanon residents such as President Kim Rheinlander, Treasurer Mandy Spencer, and board member Karen Zook, owner of Scratch Supply Co. This year’s show also features a recent Lebanon High School graduate, Sam Clifton, who both attended Revels as youngster and first performed in 2019: “It was a great way for Revels to begin a relationship with Lebanon as a community, and the city has been right by our side as we figured out our plans for both last year’s efforts as well as this year’s.” Several members also work in the Lebanon community, in the schools or Upper Valley Music Center. “It’s pretty fun to have Lebanon represented in all generations,” Cook said.

Lebanon has also provided Revels the flexibility to create an event they may not have been able to do in Hanover. “The ability to do what we are doing is made possible by this town. There are eight other cities who perform the Christmas Revels and we’re the only one trying to do something this crazy. The reason we can do it is the proximity of Lebanon Opera House to Colburn Park and the vibrant downtown that surrounds it. This is only because of what Lebanon has to offer.”

Cook is excited about continuing to build the relationship with Lebanon in the future. “The town leadership is excited about the arts and the culture commission is really enthusiastic about us coming to town.” Cook is eager to have “Lebanon families get excited about this and view this as their own.”  

Cook notes that Christmas Revels is only possible through the support of the community, such as with a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Mascoma Bank underwriting the festival for the fourth year in a row. He also encourages folks to donate if they like what Revels is doing and want to support offering this to the community for free. In addition to the free outdoor performance, the indoor ticket prices are reduced, and the Saturday matinee will feature an $8 youth ticket. 

Cook is most excited about making this year’s festival as broadly available to the public as possible and providing the opportunity for people to gather and celebrate. “I think being able to get people back together in downtown Lebanon this year will be a thrill for all of us, because ultimately that’s what this organization is about. It’s about gathering the community to celebrate.”

The Christmas Revels Festival will be held on December 17, 18, and 19 with free outdoor performances in Colburn Park at 4pm and 5:30pm and activities, vendors, and artists from 3-7pm. Indoor performances at the Lebanon Opera House are at 8pm on Friday, and 1:30 and 7:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. The outdoor performances will be mask optional. LOH will be seating at reduced capacity and requiring masks. 

Don’t forget to get your tickets to see Dark Star Orchestra to benefit the Rusty Berrings Skatepark in memory of Tyler Kirschner.

Dark Star Orchestra recreates set lists from some of the most legendary Grateful Dead shows in the Dead’s 30 years of touring. If you’ve ever wondered why the fans were/are so loyal to what the Dead was offering, you now have a chance to experience what it was like to be in an intimate venue, with a couple thousand of your now closest friends (because that’s what seems to happen), and just let the music carry the evening. When the seven members of DSO play, they remind us that the music never stopped and it definitely isn’t stopping any time soon.

“Quite possibly the most talented and accomplished tribute band out there…they’ve definitely mastered their inspiration’s vagabond nature.”

-Rolling Stone 

Help keep the Rusty Berrings Skatepark, located at the Riverside Community Park in Lebanon, a permanent and free recreational venue for the entire Upper Valley!

www.gofundme.com/lebanonnhskatepark

If you’ve ever been to downtown Lebanon, you can hardly have missed AVA Gallery and Arts Center, a centerpiece of the community’s creative economy for decades. Located just off Colburn Park on Bank Street, the center offers artist studios, galleries, and numerous events and programs for youth and adults interested in a wide variety of visual arts.

There’s always something interesting happening at AVA. Here’s a selection of some of the latest news from the center. To learn more about upcoming classes and events, visit avagallery.org – or better yet, drop in and see what’s going on for yourself!

7th Annual Best of the Upper Valley High School Exhibition

An exhibition at AVA Gallery this month features works by Upper Valley high school students who have been nominated for participation by their art teachers. The exhibition includes works from 18 participating high schools, including Lebanon High School and Ledyard Charter School.

The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will be on display from February 13 to March 6, with an award ceremony taking place during the opening reception on Friday, February 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. This year’s awards will be chosen by Trevor Fairbrother, an independent writer and curator from Hanover, N.H.

The Best of the Upper Valley High School Exhibition is one of many art programs AVA offers for the benefit of youth in our region. AVA’s commitment to providing youth with meaningful engagement in the arts also includes internship opportunities that promote professional development; scholarships towards classes and workshops; access to AVA’s Digital Arts Media Lab; and afterschool and summer camp programs.

Call for Storytellers:

The Mudroom –
“Paws and Claws”
The Mudroom, modeled after NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, continues to draw large crowds to AVA for lively evenings with talented storytellers and mesmerized audiences.

AVA is currently looking for storytellers on the theme “Paws and Claws” for the next Mudroom, scheduled for March 26. Email mudroom@avagallery.org to submit a story idea or learn more.

Annual Silent Auction

AVA’s annual silent auction fundraiser is an event not to be missed, if the streets lined with cars on final bidding night are any indication.

This year’s silent auction, featuring works donated by more than 100 artists and craftspeople along with framed vintage posters, opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 21. Preview and early-bird bidding are free and open to the public. The Silent Auction Party and final bids event takes place on Saturday, March 28, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Proceeds support every aspect of AVA’s art programming and mission.

AVA Gallery Named Business of the Year

AVA Gallery was named 2014 Business of the Year by the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce at their annual holiday special event held on December 10. The following biography was shared at the event and is adapted here with permission.

About AVA:

In 1973, a handful of artists from the Upper Valley joined forces to create an art gallery. Under the name of the Community Gallery, their first exhibition took place in a barn in Norwich, Vermont. Soon after, the gallery moved to Hanover, obtained nonprofit status, changed its name to AVA (Alliance for Visual Arts) Gallery, and began broadening the scope of its programs to include art classes and community outreach.

In 1990, AVA relocated to former H.W. Carter & Sons overall factory at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon. For the next 13 years, the organization rented exhibition spaces and teaching studios in the building to promote and pursue its mission. Simultaneously, the remaining part of the facility filled with artists who rented studios.

In 2003, thanks to the generosity of several supporters, AVA acquired the 11 Bank Street building. Shortly thereafter, plans for a necessary and extensive renovation began. Made possible by a $4.5 million capital campaign, the renovation broke round in September 2006. The building re-opened its doors in October 2007.

In fall 2010, AVA was one of six organizations nationwide to receive an “Innovative Space Award.” This highly competitive national award recognizes outstanding efforts in the design and development of affordable spaces for artists, and is given to organizations that “provide a firm base from which artists may pursue their work while simultaneously contributing to shaping vibrant, healthy communities.”

The present-day AVA provides unique experience for people of all ages and abilities. AVA’s stunning exhibition spaces have come an increasingly sought-after venue for artist from all over New England.
The 41,500-square-foot building houses four exhibition spaces, seven teaching studios – including two children’s student studios, a stone carving studio, a printmaking studio, and a digital arts media lab – and a resource library, as well as 20 individual artist studios.