The Seacoast Artist Association (SAA) will host its Annual Members Awards Show at the Exeter Town Hall gallery over the first three weekends of November. The show will run on Nov. 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Nov. 9-10 and Nov. 16-17 from noon to 4 p.m. The opening weekend coincides with the Exeter Art Walk, offering extended hours. More information and maps for the art walk can be found at exeterfallarttour.com. The public is invited to the artist reception and awards presentation on Friday, Nov. 8, from 4-6 p.m. Jazz musicians Cinnamon Blomquist (flute) and Gary Smith (guitar) will perform, and awards will be presented at 4:30 p.m.
Last year, the show featured 110 entries, and this year’s event is expected to surpass that number. The SAA gallery at 130 Water Street will also hold its regular Second Friday reception from 5-7 p.m., with live music by Maine blues/folk singer-songwriter Jerry Short.
This year’s show is juried by Matt Siegel of Bedford, Mass., a seasoned arts professional with a background in glassblowing and museum curation. Siegel’s extensive career includes positions at renowned institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he managed global traveling exhibitions. Siegel is passionate about integrating the arts into civic life, believing that they are crucial to building a just and open society.
The SAA will also launch its annual “Big Gifts Come in Small Packages” exhibit on Oct. 27, which runs through Jan. 4, 2025. This theme show features art priced at $100 or less, with artists continually replacing sold pieces, offering new options for holiday shoppers.
Another November highlight is the Second Sunday Demonstration, set for Nov. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the SAA gallery. Illustrator and comic artist Sophia N. Asbury will present a discussion on Illustration and Cartooning. Asbury, a freelance illustrator from Derry and a student at New England College, focuses on comics but also works in various media, creating everything from paintings to logos. She emphasizes the importance of human passion in art and aims to fight against the digital theft of artists’ work, such as through AI image generation.
In addition to these events, the SAA will feature two Body of Work shows in November, both showcasing photography. Dave Saums, a lifelong railroad photographer from Newburyport, will present Steam and Smoke Over Maine, a collection focused on the historic “Iron Horse” steam locomotives of Maine. Ray Alarcon’s show, Seascapes and Landscapes, will explore the beauty of natural landscapes, highlighting the relationship between nature and humanity.
With many events scheduled, the SAA encourages visitors to check their website at seacoastartist.org or follow them on social media for updates. The gallery is located at 130 Water Street, open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
