Performing Arts Centers

HOPKINS CENTER AT DARTMOUTH

The Hopkins Center at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH, brings world-class entertainment and arts to the Upper Valley throughout the 12 months that the superlative college is in session. There is also a full roster of performances from the Dartmouth College groups, including theatre, vocal and instrumental music, and dance and two ongoing excellent film series. www.hop.dartmouth.edu

PENTANGLE ARTS IN WOODSTOCK VT

Pentangle Arts offers outstanding programs in music and performance in programs at the Town Hall Theatre in Woodstock as well as a weekend film series. The Classical Music Series performs in venues throughout Woodstock, which include the many beautiful churches in town. There is a special Interplay Jazz, which offers much-more-than-a camp each summer and performances throughout the year.. www.pentanglearts.org

LEBANON OPERA HOUSE IN LEBANON NH

Lebanon Opera House brings in outstanding national and international groups to their fine theater. Additionally, many area arts groups perform regularly at the LOH, including City Center Ballet and North Country Community Theatre. www.lebanonoperahouse.org

CLAREMONT OPERA HOUSE IN CLAREMONT NH

Claremont Opera House has several performances throughout the year in the Opera House, which is above the Town Hall in downtown Claremont. There is a special Children's Theatre program offered each summer. In the 2009-2010 year, the Connecticut River Valley Orchestra debuted and made its home in the Claremont Opera House. www.claremontoperahouse.com

UPPER VALLEY EVENTS CENTER IN NORWICH VT

Upper Valley Events Center is the newcomer to performing arts centers in the Upper Valley and is, at present, summer/seasonal. They've had everything from music and theatre to the Dog Run events in their spaces on Rte. 5 in Norwich, VT. They also organize & sponsor lessons in the arts and enrichment (e.g., foreign language) year-round. UVEC is home to the Upper Valley Rock School and the Summer Days Camp. www.uvevents.org

Upper Valley Theatre Companies

The Upper Valley is rich in theatre experiences, from professional theatre companies (i.e.,majority of the cast are Equity actors) to regional theatre companies. All organizations listed are non-profits.

NORTHERN STAGE

Northern Stage is a nationally-recognized professional theater company in White River Junction, VT, that produces seven shows per year from October through May and teaches theater classes year-round for all ages. www.northernstage.org

SHAKER BRIDGE THEATRE

Shaker Bridge Theatre has an outstanding artistic director, Bill Coons, and stages more thought-provoking, intriguing modern theatre than the usual entertainment fare. Professional actors and very talented local players are in the casts of 5-6 productions per year. www.shakerbridgetheatre.org

OPERA NORTH

Opera North began as a community opera group and has since morphed into a summer opera intern program that, with the help of several professionals and the musical expertise of Dartmouth faculty, stages two different operas each August. www.operanorth.org

NORTH COUNTRY COMMUNITY THEATER

North Country Community Theater performs two major community musical productions each year: a teenage performance in the early spring and a predominantly adult show in the summer. www.ncct.org

MOMENTUM THEATRE TROUPE

An intriguing experimental theatre group that performs in a mobile, large-truck theatre,traveling throughout the Northeast and the U.S. The 2010 season runs June through early August, with fascinating performances of The Tempest, Jabberwocky and Ionesco's The Leader. The group also offers theatre workshops and residencies throughout the year. www.theatretruck.com

PARISH PLAYERS

Parish Players is a community theatre organization in Thetford, VT, offering productions, readings, improv evenings and a new One Act Play Festival. The quality of the performances is outstanding, and you'll often find Dartmouth professors or doctors from the Medical School faculty in the leading roles. www.parishplayers.org

OLD CHURCH COMMUNITY THEATER, BRADFORD VT

The Old Church Community Theater has been presenting plays in the historic old church on Main Street in Bradford, Vermont, for 26 years. Performances are on weekends and the schedule runs from early May through early October. Auditions are open to all and are generally eight weeks ahead of each production. www.oldchurchtheater.org

NORTHEAST SHAKESPEARE ENSEMBLE

NorthEast Shakespeare Ensemble presents a Shakespeare play each June in New London, NH, at the Colby Sawyer Arts Center. The cast is led by Equity Actors and fine regional thespians complete the roles. NESE was located at Lebanon Opera House from 2006-2009. www.nesetheatre.org

UPPER VALLEY MUSIC CENTER

The Upper Valley Music Center is located in downtown Lebanon, NH, where many instrumental lessons are taught. UVMC arranges ensemble instruction and has a youth symphony orchestra. There are two faculty performances each year. www.uvmusic.org

CLASSICOPIA

Classicopia provides instrumental lessons for all ages. In addition, Classicopia arranges performances of professional duets, trios and ensembles throughout the Upper Valley. www.classicopia.org

DARTMOUTH

Dartmouth College has many student and student-community musical groups, including the Barbary Jazz Ensemble, The Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, the Handel Society, The Dartmouth Gospel Singers and the Dartmouth Chamber Singers. www.hop.dartmouth.edu

CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY ORCHESTRA

This is a new offering in the Upper Valley and began in the 2009-2010 season. Max Culpepper,retired music professor and conductor from Dartmouth College, directs this fine orchestra, which performs in the Claremont Opera House in Claremont, NH. www.crvo.us

CANOE CLUB

The Canoe Club is located on Main St. in Hanover, NH, and serves lunch and dinner. The club is open 363 days/nights a year and has evening entertainment (primarily excellent, mellow music) every night it is open. www.canoeclub.us

In the past two years, many restaurants in our region have added music to one or more nights of their service. For the full listing, pick up a copy of The Complete Hoot.

Art is plentiful in the Upper Valley. From the superlative art museums and exhibitions through the funky and fun with everything in between, our region is full of talented artists, knowledgeable art historians and gallery directors. You'll find traditional museum collections and nationally-known contemporary artists, local artisans and artists with national reputations, and craftspeople and clever local talent.

HOOD MUSEUM AT DARTMOUTH

The Hood Museum is one of the very fine college art museums in the country. Its collections of Assyrian and American art are noteworthy, and there are always intriguing current exhibits. The museum is located adjacent to the Hopkins Center on the south side of the college green in Hanover, NH. Admission is by donation. www.hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu

SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN CORNISH NH

The home, extensive grounds and studios of famed 19th c. American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens provide not only the historical exhibits of Saint-Gaudens' work, but also ongoing exhibitions of sculpture, painting, video and/or historical memorabilia throughout its season. Saint-Gaudens is open April through the end of October. There is a summer concert series at 2 p.m. on Sundays, which is free with the usual cost of admission to the SGNHS ($5). www.nps.gov/saga/

AVA ART GALLERY & CENTER - ALLIANCE FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

AVA is located at 11 Bank St., off the green in Lebanon, NH. The recently-renovated old Carter Overall Factory into a "green" and gorgeous LEEDS-certified building for exhibitions, art classes and individual artist studios is an outstanding asset in the Upper Valley. The ongoing exhibitions, usually 4 at any given time, are excellent, featuring local artists with national reputations as well as retrospectives. There is a juried art show each summer. Admission is free. www.avagallery.org

SPHERIS ART GALLERY

Located on Main St. in Hanover, NH, adjacent to the Nugget Movie Theatre, Spheris is a small and fine art gallery. They feature artwork of established and noteworthy artists, often from the Dartmouth faculty or the New York art scene. www.spherisgallery.com

NEWPORT MILL GALLERY

The Newport Mill was renovated into a large and gorgeous exhibition space that opened in 2009. Exhibitions here take full advantage of the extraordinary space available. This is an exciting initiative in the Newport, NH, art scene.

THE AIDRON DUCKWORTH ART MUSEUM

Exhibits of the work of this noted artist, who lived in Meriden, NH, are on display as are works by his former students. www.aidronduckworthmuseum.org

THE UNDERGROUND GALLERY AT ARTFUL THINGS

This is a jewel of an art gallery that is located in the mall in Lebanon, NH. It is part of an excellent frameshop run by Kathy Valdes and Kathy Maiorano. They feature monthly exhibits of the artwork of local artists and craftspeople. www.artful-things.net

MAIN STREET MUSEUM on Bridge St in WHITE RIVER JUNCTION VT

Main St. Museum is the brainchild of David Ford, and it is a quirky and fascinating place that has been key in the WRJ artistic revitalization. MSM makes artwork out of fascinating, found objects (many are contributed) and also has a cozy reading area where people can hang out and read the magazines (from The New Yorker to funky) and talk about anything of interest. www.mainstreetmuseum.org

THE PHOTOSTOP GALLERY

Located in the Tip Top Building in White River Junction, PHOTOSTOP exhibits work of fine photographers from both the local and national scene. Lia Rothstein, the gallery's director, also offers classes.www.photostopvt.com

TWO RIVERS PRINTMAKING STUDIO

TRPS offers classes, workshops and studio space to working graphic artists. They have exhibits throughout the year, and publish a book of outstanding graphics annually. www.tworiversprintmaking.com

Over the last several years, many (if not most) restaurants and hotels have added fine art displays featuring work that is either historical (such as the Abbott photographs at the Tip Top in White River Junction) or available for sale (as at the Zollikofer Gallery in the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction).

BILLINGS FARM & MUSEUM

This is a working farm and museum that celebrates the agrarian life and culture of the late 19th C. in Vermont. Special weekends also highlight their seasons, from sleighrides in the winter to apple-picking and harvest time in the autumn, from crafts and quilt-making to ice-cream making and "Time Travel" adventures. Located in Woodstock, VT. www.billingsfarm.org

ENFIELD SHAKER MUSEUM

Located in Enfield, NH, on beautiful Mascoma Lake, this is a museum that derives from and features the Shaker lifestyle and culture that once abounded in this 19th c. Shaker community. On Rte. 4A, the complex of buildings includes a Chapel, the old stone meetinghouse, and a hotel, as well as splendid Shaker gardens. www.shakermuseum.org

MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

This superlative science museum is located on the Connecticut River in Norwich, VT. The museum has excellent permanent exhibitions featuring physics and marine biology, as well as their super ant farm. In addition, special exhibits from artwork to dinosaurs are featured throughout each year, and there are workshops for all ages. There is a safe and special play and exploration section for the youngest museum visitors. www.montshire.org

VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCES (VINS)

This is a nature center with a national reputation. Their owls and raptors are fascinating, and the chances to see snowy owls, barred owls, peregrine falcons and many other birds in their habitats as well as in special demonstrations are unparalleled. VINS is also a rich repository of information on birds and all things about birds. www.vinsweb.org