Read it and Eat!

by | Aug 22, 2024

Read It and Eat! Fall flavors potluck dedicated to seasonal eating and family stories Monday September 23 6–7:30 pm $15 non-member/ $10 member

If you cannot attend our events this year (May 20th, July 22nd, September 23rd), you can still submit a recipe for our community cookbook! Email our Programs Coordinator, Sarah Robbitts-Terry at sarah@portsmouthhistory.org to submit your recipe.

FAQs

What is currently in-season?
Apples, beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, kale, melons, peaches, pears, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries, spinach, squash, tomatoes, zucchini
How many people should my dish serve?
We usually have 15-20 people at each Read It and Eat event, however each of those individuals will all be making a dish! If your recipe serves 4-6, that should be more than enough. People tend to take small portions so they can try everything.
Will alcohol be served? Can I use it in a recipe?
Per the conditions of our liquor license with the city, we do not serve alcohol at these events, and guests cannot bring alcohol to drink. However, dishes with cooked alcohol are perfectly fine to bring.
How are food allergies handled?
We do ask people to provide us with a list of ingredients in their dishes, but this is a potluck-style dinner with dishes all laid out together on a long table and served family-style. Dishes are prepared at individuals’ homes and cross-contamination cannot be ruled out.
Are non-alcoholic drinks provided?
Yes! In addition to water and seltzer, we provide fun mocktails for everyone to enjoy!
Can I plug in my crock pot?
Unfortunately, we do not have enough outlets to accommodate crock pots or other electrical equipment. Dishes must come ready to be served.

Cabot Lyford: Winds of Change

by | Aug 16, 2024 | Exhibitions

Finishing Touches Exhibition, accessories throughout the ages

April 1–November 2, 2025

In 2025, Portsmouth Historical Society will present “Winds of Change,” a retrospective of the work of Cabot Lyford (1925–2016). Lyford’s experimental approach to different materials and his advocacy of environmental and political issues through his art will resonate with viewers as much now as it did in the 20th century.

Exhibition Events  •  Contemporary Currents  •   Lyford Catalogue

Creativity & Experimentation

While best known for his works in granite, Lyford explored such varied media as watercolor and gouache, slate, wood, aluminum, bronze, acrylic, and laminated and fiber glass and plywood, as well as varying his style from abstract to realist to surrealist. Our programs and workshops will encourage all to embrace the unexpected and turn “mistakes” into new avenues of creativity.

Black and Red, 1973. Painted wood. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford

Trifecta. Cast aluminum and bronze rod on granite base. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Birds of a Feather, 1995. Maple. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Jonah and the Whale, 1958. Watercolor on paper. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Reminiscence, 1978. Laminated wood. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Leviathan. Black granite. Collection of Phillips Exeter Academy.

Winter Pines, 1969. Watercolor on paper. Courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Remembrance or Thanks, Exxon, 1990. Black granite. Collection of Maine Audubon.

Proposal for the Vietnam War Memorial, ca. 1980. Cardboard and other materials. Image courtesy of the Estate of Cabot Lyford.

Advocacy Through Art

Lyford dared to confront complex and difficult issues with his sculpture and always tried to advocate as well as create. Art impacts the way we view complex issues like war and ecology. This exhibition will illustrate the profound impact that public art can have on a community, a region, and a country.

Exhibition Events

Young Artists Contest

Young Artists Contest
Accepting Submissions through May 31

Stylized, granite statue of a woman leaning forward holding a child against a blue sky. Text reads: Cabot Lyford: Winds of Change Curator Tours. First Fridays at 12 & 5:30 pm. free

Curator Tours
Every First Friday
12:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Collaboration with New Hampshire Art Association

We are proud to announce we our continued collaboration with NHAA and artists across New Hampshire. This fall, we will open a call for art that will fill our balcony gallery with a contemporary response to “Winds of Change.”

New Hampshire Art Association Logo
Stylized, granite statue of a woman leaning forward holding a child against a blue sky. Cabot Lyford Catalogue
Get your copy

Exhibition Catalogue

Take home this exhibition catalogue, which brings together a wide array of public and private works made by this prolific New England artist.

This catalogue includes a treasure trove of documents and photographs preserved by Lyford’s family and places Lyford’s art into the context of public sculpture in Portsmouth. Included are some eighty illustrated examples of his finest work that provide the first rounded look at Cabot Lyford.

Thank you to our sponsors

Dan Brown Giving Fund

Doug Nelson, Sunpointe Investments

Bob Thoresen, in memory of Sue Thoresen