Janet Duncan Opening Reception

Janet Duncan's work was well received on Friday night. She is a charming lady with equally charming art. Here she is talking with a couple of fans. To see her work- go here.

McGowan Fine Art and the NH Humanities Council hosted a discussion with Peter Milton on the Future of Printmaking in the Digital Age. This took place at the Coolidge Center for the Arts in Portsmouth and was attended by more than 40 people, including the former director of the Humanities Council, Charlie Bickford.

Peter also brought one of his LED Display images of his most recent print "Sightlines I, Tracking Shot." There was much discussion on how the two different presentations affected the print.

After the seated discussion Peter mingled with the guests and answered the questions on his many prints.

Almost Done!

The show is hung and the painting of the walls is almost done. I will install the baseboards and the new gallery is complete!

Construction Continues!

We worked all day on Monday, May 4th and we accomplished quite a bit. We built freestanding walls around the existing columns.

We painted!

We patched!

We even wore our safety goggles.

Coolidge Center for the Arts

For those who have been following me on twitter you know my big news- McGowan Fine Art will be taking over the exhibition program for the summer at the Coolidge Center for the Arts located at the Wentworth Coolidge Historic Site in Portsmouth, NH. It will be very exciting for us to be on the seacoast- and especially exciting for out artists.

It is also a lot of hard work. I have been juggling the writing of press releases, getting postcards made, buying extra credit card machines- all in anticipation of this new venture.

We will be stretched pretty thin trying to man (or woman) two galleries, but we will manage. I thought people would be interested in seeing the raw space before we give it a makeover in the next few weeks. I don't have a budget like some of the TV Makeover programs but I think it should look pretty good by the time we are done.

The first show will be:

May 13- June 7
Reception Sunday May 24 5-7PM

Alison Goodwin
Peter Milton
Becky Darling
Peter Sabin
Mark Shapiro
Sheri Tomek
Jane Ryan

We will also have an artist's talk on June 7 from 2-3 PM with Peter Milton addressing the future of the print. This is in collaboration with the NH Humanities Council. Please join us- the last talk Peter gave was standing room only!

We will also have an e-newsletter specific to the Portsmouth location which will only go out for the summer. If you would like to sign up- just contact me at art@mcgowanfineart.com.

2009 Concord Telefest

For local people- don't forget to watch Concord Television Arts Telefest coming up in a little over a week. It is a great weekend of programming highlighting the cultural offerings and artists of the Concord are. Click on the logo to the left for more information.

Where to Eat In Concord, NH

Picture of me doublefisting some gelatos in Rome to prove that I may not be a gourmet, but I am certainly a gourmand.

I get a lot of questions about where to eat in Concord after visiting the gallery. I usually give people the caveat that they are receiving recommendations from someone who is a celiac (allergic to gluten and all things wheat). But I figure if a restaurant can hold the interest of a non-wheat eater then it can't be too bad. This list is not all inclusive, it is just the places that I have eaten at and can personally recommend.

Angelinas - Medium priced. Charming & quirky in a little out of the way alley only two blocks from the gallery. It serves Italian food. My favorite is the Filet Mignon with bleu cheese.

Barley House- medium priced. This place is fun! Always crowded and for good reason. It is across from the Capitol, about 3/8 mile from the gallery, so you get a rowdy mix of legislators, lobbyists & locals. When I fall off the wheat wagon I have one of their Irish Whiskey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries. Sinful! The owner, Brain Shea, serves with me on the board of Main Street Concord so this could be a shameful plug... but it isn't. His place is really good! He has also recently instituted a gluten free menu.

Bread & Chocolate- low priced and excellent food. This is a bakery that makes sandwiches. They are all premade and there is a huge selection. When I could eat wheat (years ago) my favorite was tuna on oatmeal bread- mmmmmm! If you go at lunch there is almost always a slow moving line. Franz, the owner, just does things his own way- and thank God! The sandwiches are huge, so if you are not a big eater consider sharing with your date or saving for later. Be sure to save room for dessert! They are right around the corner from the gallery on South Main Street.

Celery Stick Cafe at the Concord Food Coop- low priced and less than a block from the gallery on South Main Street. If you are looking for tasty and healthy food- this is the place for you. It is self serve, but has a separate eating area with windows that look out to the sidewalk. They have the only gluten free granola bar I have ever seen- drizzled with chocolate! My favorite dish, when they have it is black rice with sweet potatoes. And they have fabulous soups for the cold weather months.

Constantly Pizza- low priced and good! It is right around the corner from the gallery on South Main Street and serves pizza, sandwiches & homemade soups. It is a local hangout for nearby businesses and state workers. It is friendly & noisy- a lot like walking into someone's large family kitchen.

Elizabeth's Kitchen- low priced. Greek Food, only open for breakfast and lunch. This has just relocated to the Capitol Building (under the big gold dome). From the outside this place doesn't look like much, but the food is authentic. The chicken lemon soup is wonderful and the stuffed grape leaves are worth ordering again and again. Try it, you'll like it!


Gamil's - low priced and fabulous! This is right around the corner from the gallery on Pleasant Street and relatively new. It serves Egyptian food.... which I can't say I have had before. You will recognize may of the items as being Mediterranean: toubeleh, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, spanikopita. The owner was an Olympic swimmer back in 1969! I love little facts like this and that you can find it out in a short conversation with the waitress while also getting food recommendations. We ordered their tasting platter which was more than adequate for 4. I will definitely be going back and telling all my friends about this restaurant.

Granite Restaurant- a little more expensive but worth it. Their staff is topnotch, as is the food. You can buy 1/2 glasses of wine, which I like. My favorite thing to do is order a few appetizers instead of a whole meal. I definitely recommend the lamb lollipops, although their menu changes frequently. Only about a mile from the gallery on Pleasant Street- unfortunately not open for lunch on weekends. Reservations recommended.

Hermanos Cocina Mexicana -medium priced and conveniently located right across the street from the gallery. Live Music Sunday through Thursday evening. They are pretty tight about opening right on time, don't expect to get in at 10 minutes before 5, but they are open 7 days a week. My favorite is the garlic chicken nachos.

Moritomo's- medium priced Japanese cuisine. I would walk here but most people might want a car to get there from the gallery- about 3/4 of a mile away. It is on Fort Eddy Road off of Loudon Road. Good sushi and good service. Be sure to get the edamame.

Siam Orchid- medium priced. I like Thai food. Some people don't. If you do, this is a good one. The rice is always perfect and you can specify the amount of heat you want. About 1/2 mile from the gallery, across from the Capitol- an easy walk with lots of window shopping on the way.