Why Support?

Ten Piscataqua Painters is more than just putting an art show of ten regional painters into a coffee table book. There are grander schemes afoot. It’s . . .

• Another arts platform. Print, in this case a coffee table book, can reach a wider audience of art lovers who may not attend gallery openings, but still need a way to discover and explore the genius around us. A coffee table book can make art both more accessible and less intimidating by showing a whole body of a painter’s work exploring specific visual ideas. A coffee table book can even reach art lovers who don’t yet know they are art lovers. Not to mention the different experience a coffee table book gives in allowing the viewer to spend much more time exploring a painters vision. 

• Arts community building. These books recognize a larger arts community than any individual city or town. They celebrate the arts community of a larger region—the Piscataqua River watershed straddling the southern NH &ME border and all the tributaries that feed into it. We feel strongly that the more a community is aware of and supports its local genius, the more grounded and sustainable it is. Members of the visual arts community come together in this book in various ways, the painters contribute their visions, creative professionals invest time and talent to produce and market it, art lovers collect and gift copies of it, and art patrons (businesses, orgs, and individuals) support the effort with generous donations because they recognize the community benefits.

• Supporting local artists! Support local where ever you can but support local art especially. Our region is particularly blessed with outstanding painters! Here are ten of them we think the community should know about. Every dollar we can raise beyond our crowdfunding target to get the book on press starts putting money directly into the pockets of not only the ten painters contributing in the book, but the creative professionals who have also invested time and talents to produce and market the book.

• An ongoing series. We are building on our success with Ten Piscataqua Photographers, and after Ten Piscataqua Painters we have several more categories of visual artists to present in the coming years as coffee table books, before beginning the cycle over again.

• An educational tool. This book opens a window into the worlds of ten different visual storytellers. It teaches what regional artists are up to. It teaches that art is not just about decoration, art has things to say. These artists have things to say. A book in your hand is an intimate way to take the time to explore, and see, as well as listen to what they’re saying.

• An historical document. The Piscataqua region has a rich art history in painting, and Ten Piscataqua Painters presents a snapshot of what’s happening among some of its painters today.

For updates by email as painters are announced and video sneak peeks into their portfolios and studios, Subscribe to Ten Piscataqua News!