With so much art and so much fun to be found at AVA, we hope you'll stop by on your next trip through Lebanon. (There may even be a Pokemon in our sculpture garden!)

The recently opened exhibitions, on display through August 19, are not to be missed. And be sure to join us for a panel discussion with Barbara Bartlett, Nira Granott Fox and Jessie Pollock on Saturday, July 30, at 3pm.

Please read on to learn more about upcoming classes, camps, exhibitions, artist opportunities, and more.
 
Stay cool,
~The Board and Staff of AVA Gallery and Art Center
2015 Juried Show Award Winners: Bartlett, Granott Fox, Hufschmid, Pollock  
On display through August 19 

Panel Discussion: Saturday, July 30, 3pm


Take Another Look: Aging with Dignity, A United Valley Interfaith Project
On display through August 19

photo: Robin Roche
  
A collaboration of United Valley Interfaith Project (UVIP), ReThink Health: Upper Connecticut River Valley, and CATV 8/10  
Johnson Sisters Library (Second Floor)



Enrollment in AVA's 2016 Summer Art Camps Continues  
Weekly through August 26

Our exciting, nine-week program features some of AVA's classic camps combined with a selection of brand new offerings. Camps include partnerships with: the Dartmouth College Architecture Faculty, the Dartmouth College Biology Department, the Dartmouth College Computer Science Department, the Enfield Shaker Museum, the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Upper Valley Music Center.

Click here to learn more about AVA's 2016 Summer Art Camps.

AVA at the Lebanon Farmers' Market   

Lebanon's beautiful Colburn Park -- a mere stone's throw away from AVA -- is a favorite gathering place to come and enjoy all kinds of activities, especially during the summer time. We are delighted to continue being part of the weekly Thursday Farmers' Market (4:00-7:00pm) with our plein air studio and free art activities for children of all ages. Once again, from early June to late August, weather permitting, AVA's capable summer interns will be in charge of this high-spirited offering, adding yet another layer of color to this marvelous downtown venue.

And keep in mind that on Thursday evenings our gallery hours are extended until 7:00pm, so be sure to combine a stroll through Colburn Park with a visit to see what's on display at AVA! 

Sunday Soup at AVA
Sunday, August 7, 3pm

The next Sunday Soup gathering will be held on Sunday, August 7 at 3:00pm. Initiated and led by Randall Szott, Head Chef at The Prosper Valley School in Pomfret, VT, this playful engagement will offer great food, creative community and a newly funded art project!

What is Sunday Soup?
Sunday Soup is a grassroots model for funding small-to-medium sized creative projects through community meals. Basically, community members are invited to share in a meal of soup prepared by Szott, accompanied by Red Hen bread, for a nominal fee. The proceeds will be pooled as a grant, and at the conclusion of the gathering, will be awarded to support a developing, local art project. Artists seeking funding for their work should bring a printed, one-page description of their goal, with accompanying images, to the Sunday Soup event. All proposals will be tacked to the wall for participants to review. Every diner gets to vote. At the conclusion of the event, the proposal with the most votes receives the collected monies - no strings attached.
 
Why do it?
Sunday Soup is worth engaging with because it generates independent funding for the arts, sparks dialogue among local creatives, cultivates how we think about collaboration and community, and gives artists of all ages and abilities the opportunity to propose projects they might not otherwise be able to complete. For applying artists, the proposal process is more streamlined and fun than traditional grant application packages. For participating diners, the decision-making process is quick and democratic, and the outcome will reflect our local priorities. Sunday Soup is platform that gives everyone the opportunity to discuss ongoing projects with new audiences, meet new collaborators, and share ways of working.


Search for AVA's New Executive Director Is Underway

Following the announcement that AVA Gallery and Art Center's longtime executive director Bente Torjusen will be retiring at the end of 2016, AVA's Board of Directors secured the services of the executive search firm Arts Consulting Group (ACG) to lead a national search for a new executive director.

ACG is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, facilities and program planning, and organizational development services for the arts and culture industry.

AVA's operations and programs will not be impacted by the cost of the search, as it has been offset by donations from current and former board members. Additionally, ACG is providing its services including a generous in-kind contribution in support of AVA and the Upper Valley arts community.
 
 
Americans for the Arts Public Opinion Poll Results
Americans Speak Out About the Arts 
 

Americans for the Arts have released a fascinating report on the role of the arts in our culture.

"The American public is more broadly engaged in the arts than previously understood--believing that the arts not only play a vital role in personal well-being and healthier communities, but that the arts are also core to a well-rounded education."

Call for Storytellers: The Mudroom at AVA 
Deadline: September 1
  
 
The next installment of AVA Gallery's quarterly story-telling series, The Mudroom, will be held September 22, on the theme "Creation Stories." We're looking for a few good storytellers.
Stories are limited to 7 minutes, must be true and autobiographical, and must be told live (not read), similar in style and format to "The Moth Radio Hour."  
 
Click here to send story ideas to The Mudroom. Please include a very brief summary of your story (no more than 300 words) and a short bio (no more than 150 words). The deadline for story submissions is September 1. After that date, we will select five stories from the submission pool.

We welcome stories from storytellers of all ages (over 21) and from all towns in the Upper Valley. Storytellers will be given a one-year membership to AVA Gallery as a gift.

In addition to the live storytelling, September 22 Mudroom will feature: 
  
Call for Artists: The Center for Contemporary Art       
Deadline: September 11

The Center for Contemporary Art's annual International Juried Exhibition celebrates contemporary art by both established and emerging artists. The Center for Contemporary Art ("The Center") is a vibrant regional non-profit art center with studio art classes, a summer art camp, rotating exhibitions and community outreach programs. Juror Jonathan Goodman will select work for inclusion in the exhibit and for three cash prizes. The Center's Exhibitions Committee will review the body of work of each artists selected and chose one for a solo exhibit in 2017. 
  
AVA Gallery and Art Center   
11 Bank Street
Lebanon, NH 03766
(603) 448-3117
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm, Open until 7pm on Thursdays
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturdays 11am - 5pm