SHARON REED, Program and Events Manager
Hood Quarterly, summer 2025
Over the past forty years, the Hood Museum of Art has been a place for conversation, collaboration, and community engagement. Since its founding in 1985, the museum has prioritized partnerships with individuals and organizations to bring creative and original programs to all our audiences. As visitor needs and interests have evolved, so have our programs.
Collaboration, as defined by the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, is "the act of working with another person or group to achieve something." While generating a rewarding experience as a single organization is valuable, partnering with others to create an even broader experience can be magical.
The museum has been fortunate to collaborate with countless individuals, groups, and organizations over the past forty years. From brewers and garden clubs to actors, musicians, artists, and scholars, these partnerships have resulted in truly unique and remarkable programs for our audiences.
One of the earliest collaborations during my twenty-five years here was Streetfest—a townwide festival in Hanover each July where the streets were lined with tents, food, and activities. The Hood Museum participated by offering information and a popular photo booth where attendees of all ages posed in costumes. One memorable year coincided with Rembrandt's 400th birthday, and we worked with a local actor who roamed the festival as Rembrandt himself!
In the early 2000s, the museum partnered with area garden clubs to create an Art in Bloom experience in the Upper Valley. In 2009, club members crafted floral works inspired by art in the galleries. These stunning creations were displayed for a day while horticultural icon Charlie Nardozi and international landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy gave talks. A bustling silent auction, run by an impressive team of volunteers, further enriched the event.
In 2011, Tibetan monks from the Namgyal Monastery and Institute of Buddhist Studies created a sand mandala at the Hood Museum, later ceremoniously releasing it into Occom Pond. Australian composer Padma Newsome connected Indigenous Australian art with music, while jazz musician Fred Haas riffed on the muted stripe paintings of Sean Scully. A dramatic reading of A Raisin in the Sun, staged by Northern Stage in the galleries, deeply resonated with an exhibition on activism. The museum has also partnered multiple times with Opera North to bridge the worlds of visual art and opera, as well as organized a joint membership trip with Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.
Another popular past collaboration centered on ancient beer. Christine Lilyquist, former head of the Department of Egyptian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, joined forces with Horst Dornbusch, an international brew industry consultant, and Tod Mott, head brewer at Portsmouth Brewery. The program featured a presentation on beer's production and social significance in ancient Egypt, followed by a tasting of an authentic Pharaonic beer replica from the Egyptian dynastic period.
More recently, Ensemble Marie performed short, choreographed routines throughout the galleries in response to our special exhibitions. We also collaborated with the Hopkins Center and the Dance Theatre of Harlem during their summer residency, which included an in-depth exploration of an exhibition that inspired spotlight performances. Performance artist Dell Hamilton presented a roving performance based on excerpts from Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Beloved, tied to our Reconstitution exhibition. These partnerships all brought greater depth of experience and perspective to the artwork on view.
Other notable collaborations include co-hosting a family program with the Montshire Museum of Science during an exhibition of ice-cut paintings by Eric Aho. We have also offered mindfulness sessions in the galleries in partnership with the Shambhala Center of White River Junction and Dartmouth's Mindfulness Practice Center. Additionally, hundreds of people have enjoyed our ongoing creative writing workshop series with author Joni Cole over the years.
The museum has engaged with community groups ranging from Indigenous artists and scholars to local refugee organizations and social justice initiatives. These collaborations have helped shape exhibitions and programming, ensuring that the art on display resonates with diverse communities.
Of course, the digital era offers new possibilities for community engagement. Most recently, we collaborated with Anivision, a virtual reality experience developed by DALI, in connection with the exhibition Attitude of Coexistence. Virtual programming, interactive tours, and social media initiatives extend our reach to new audiences far beyond Hanover, New Hampshire. Whether through artist talks, student-curated exhibitions, or collaborative workshops, the museum continues to innovate in making art accessible and meaningful to all.
Looking back on the past forty years, one thing is clear: the Hood Museum of Art has always been more than just a museum. It has been a meeting place, a learning hub, and a catalyst for dialogue. Moving forward, one can only imagine the new and exciting ways it will continue to bring art and community together. Here's to the next forty years of creativity and connection!