Nova Arts is preparing for a fall lineup that is looking to bring local talent to the stage.The performance venue and café, located in downtown Keene, hosts events ranging from live music to community discussions.
Nova Arts’ Programming Director, Eric Gagne, said the goal of Nova Arts is to bring “eclectic” music to the area. “We’re just always trying to make good things happen here in Keene and amplify other organizations and work together to make art and music accessible to everyone in the area,” Gagne said.
Gagne said the process of finding events for Nova Arts involves a mix of methods. “I get about 100 emails a week from people wanting to play,” he said. “So it’s a mix of having folks reach out and checking out a lot of stuff, and then stuff that I am really excited about that I want to bring, and then people that I meet here at work.”
“[It’s] just sort of my full-time job to be dreaming up ways to get the community involved,” he later added.
Gagne said he also places a lot of value in smaller-scale acts. “Just because there’s eight people there doesn’t mean that the music or the experience isn’t valuable or powerful,” he said.
Gagne, also a Keene State alumni, said students should come to Nova Arts and enjoy the space. “I would have loved [it] if there was a place like this,” he said. “We didn’t really have an all-ages venue where you could go and be in a place that was safe and comfortable and always ensure that something high-quality would be on the stage.”
“It’s a super intimate space, and I think we do a really nice job,” he added.
Some events coming up at Nova Arts include instrumental soundscape band Terraces featuring Stephen Brodsky (Oct. 9), musician and songwriter Kimaya Diggs with the Get Down (Oct. 14) and Pan-Latin ensemble Sol y Canto and quartet Doozy Jane (Oct. 17).
Nova Arts is located at 48 Emerald St. in Keene. You can find more information about Nova Arts and upcoming events at novaarts.org.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
