Let’s Talk About Jane: Celebration of artist Jane Kaufmann through Feb. 8 collaborative exhibit

Let’s Talk About Jane

Changing the world by thinking outside the box with artist Jane Kaufmann.

New Hampshire, get ready. Curator Yasamin Safarzadeh has joined forces with Positive Street Art to continue innovative and inclusive curatorial feats at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce!

On Thursday, February 8, from 5-7 p.m., the Greater Manchester Chamber will present an artistic exhibition of free-thinking works by Jane Kaufmann. A lifelong artist of over 45 years in a variety of mediums, Kaufmann’s work in this exhibition pushes the boundaries of the cultural notions of art, materials, resourcefulness, aging, growth, and experimentation. At 83 years of age, Kaufmann continues to strive in her work, tapping into the power of limitless creation in hopes of changing the world around us. Yasamin Safarzadeh will lead a unique pure contour exercise which will look to participants trusting the living memory of their bodies over what one imagines in the mind.

Originally beginning her artistic journey in the Granite State as a part of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and the New Hampshire Art Association, Kaufmann sold clay works for a number of years. Upon her retirement to a continuing care community 10 years ago and with no room for a clay studio any longer, Kaufmann looked outside the lines of convention to continue making art utilizing easily accessible mediums. She made quick studies out of a set of old curtains, local plant life, amazon boxes and so on. Jane pivoted to cloth and cardboard as her new medium of choice. Creation soon morphed into an exercise in community as fellow residents donated their own fabric in eager anticipation of her next work. Hung on cardboard framing, Kaufmann’s work is a testament to creating on her own terms.

Eventually abandoning the fabric element altogether, Kaufmann found joy in working with cardboard. Recycling materials provided both a way in which to participate in more green thinking and environmentally conscious narratives. This work has married several disparate worlds and lends a view into something uniquely beautiful out of elements people often overlook. Cardboard work was not only easier to transport but also more cost-effective to produce (readily available in all shapes and sizes in the recycling room), let alone the unique form it gave to her work. Her art plays with the idea of how the body, mind, experience and senses change as we mature through life and the magic of playful metamorphosis as we move into uncharted territory.

All work is available for purchase, don’t be shy to ask about payment programs. Kaufmann’s work is a brilliant way for any person to begin collecting and contributing to the enhancement of the cultural norms of New Hampshire

This is the one-year anniversary of art installations in the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Boardroom at the Greater Manchester Chamber, located at 54 Hanover Street, Manchester. The outlook for 2024 looks Bangarang Rufio! Some sneak peeks include work from a multiyear international Contemporary Indigenous show led by Margaret Jacobs, disability justice and what that looks like for Manchester, and an extraordinary multimedia, interactive install encompassing the themes of how Chocolate Saves the World!  Receptions are free to the community, meant to celebrate the exhibition, organizations, and artists involved. Light food and refreshments will be served.

The mission of Positive Street Art is to inspire a passion for the urban arts in a productive way and to build strong communities through educational workshops, community events, and artistic services.