What’s On 2024

Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry

Now - Oct 20th, 2024

For 13 generations, Rahul Koonathara's family performed shadow puppetry based on two Hindu epics, The Ramayana and The Mahābhārata. Performances, offered in the temple from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., would take as many as 71 consecutive nights to tell stories about gods and goddesses, demons, and war. Puppets were treated as holy figures and the puppeteers' work was considered sacred practice. As modern life interfered, Koonathara's grandfather and father began introducing variations in design, construction, and content to ensure the art form continued. This exhibit explores those traditions and changes, beginning in the 1960s, which included moving performances from the temple to secular venues and performances that also focused on other topics, such as the life of Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus, the animal characters of The Panchatantra, and contemporary social and political themes.

Curator Rahul Koonathara earned an undergraduate degree in physics and is now completing a graduate degree in UConn's Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies program -- a study that is helping him explore how his family's legacy and art form fit into a global picture. Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry includes rare artifacts from his family's collection and traces the story of both traditional and more recent forms. It also includes an interactive theater in which visitors can try their hand at shadow puppet performances!

The exhibit was also created with assistance from UConn dramatic arts professor Matthew Isaac Cohen and John Bell, director of the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (BIMP), which is a copresenter here in NH.

In collaboration with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at UConn, the Mariposa is proud to present an exhibit curated by Rahul Koonathara celebrating the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu, Bommalatta, and Tholpavakoothu. 

Sculptures By Kevin Blythe Sampson

Jan. 3rd- TBD

Kevin is a sculptor, painter, muralist, and airbrush artist recognized for tackling difficult issues. He was born in Elizabeth, NJ, on November 28, 1954. He considers himself to be a “we shall overcome baby” because he was the product of a household committed to civil rights and community concerns, and this continues to be a recurring theme in his work. Kevin's father, Stephen Sampson (deceased), was a civil rights leader in both Elizabeth and other parts of the state; he is Kevin's most important role model.

Sampson became a police officer and composite sketch artist in the city of Scotch Plains, NJ, where he served for over nineteen years. He received numerous commendations for his work as both a police composite artist and detective, including the 200 Clubs Medal of Valor (for saving a life).

Kevin retired early after the death of both his wife and infant son in separate illnesses. He and his two children then moved to the (ironbound section) of Newark, NJ, where he has lived for over nineteen years.

Kevin has extensive teaching experience at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art where he taught for over 16 years, has run workshops at Rutgers Paul Robeson Gallery, and was the head art teacher for the Ironbound Community Center in Newark. He is a mentor to many Newark youths and has assisted a whole crop of young artists in obtaining admission into various art schools in the metro area.

Kevin attended Lincoln University, PA, for two years; Parson School of Design for two years; and is a graduate of the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art. He has been represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery in New York City since 1992. His work is in numerous collections, including several museums. Sampson received the Maria Walsh Sharp Foundation’s residency and the Joan Mitchell artist grant, as well as awards from various art councils throughout the state.

Kevin has been an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the Joan Mitchell Center in NOLA. He is concurrently involved in a major public art project for the City of Newark, where he will construct a 14-foot permanent sculpture for an art wall in a new location.

The Work of Kevin Blythe Sampson. Thanks to the generous support of the Kohler Arts Center, nine sculptures by civil rights artist Kevin Blythe Sampson are now a permanent part of the Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center collection. Seven are on display in the third-floor gallery in Peterborough, NH. Two are in the Mariposa space in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.

Being Restorative, a Book-Inspired Community Circle with Leaf Seligman

May 4th, 3 PM

Imagine feeling safe and valued just as you are, presenting your authentic self. What would it mean to create a community in the context of being whole and being held in that wholeness, i.e. held in our brokenness, fragility, tenderness, crankiness, headstrong stubborn-as-a-mule-ness, our yearning to belong, to be loved, appreciated, acknowledged? Think of the energy undimmed and undammed by that kind of refuge, that kind of relationship. That is the question to be taken up by a discussion circle, following a brief reading by Leaf from her new book, Being Restorative. 

What’s Restorative?

Restorative refers to a way of being that acknowledges our interconnectedness, with the understanding that well-being is interwoven; our capacity to flourish is rooted in the well-being of the collective—so we strive to create communities knit together with empathy, compassion, accountability, and joy. This means re-imagining justice, replacing retributive models with processes of accountability that acknowledge systemic injustices and dismantle root causes of harmful behaviors while affording individuals the opportunity to inhabit our full humanity. Restorative means making daily choices that nurture and nourish planetary well-being. 

Admission: Free! Donations appreciated.

Swedish Performer: Sofia Talvik

May 11th, 3:30 PM

Sofia Talvik is a rare artist and storyteller with a style and approach comparable to Joni Mitchell, or as the Folk/Americana Magazine NoDepression put it: "a singer/songwriter who evokes the essence of Laurel Canyon circa the ‘60s as expressed in the work of Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and others who... paint beautiful tapestries from words and music.” Prepare yourself for a unique and intimate evening, a la the 1970's coffeehouses and speakeasy's.

Sofia has played festivals like Lollapalooza and SxSW and opened for artists like Maria McKee and David Duchovny (X-files, Californication). Her delicate songs showcase an angelic voice enhanced only by a tasteful mix of harmonies and delays, the steady picking of her acoustic guitar, and the rhythm section consisting of her own two feet, bells, and a stomp box.

Her latest album "Center of the Universe" was released in 2023.

Throughout the 10 songs on the album, there is a broad range of topics of some of life’s most earnest moments, ranging from the Ukraine War, American women’s rights, the thousands of missing children in the US, and the torment of domestic violence survivors across the world. The album went straight into the top 20 on Folk Radio Charts USA in August 2023, with the first single charting in the top 10. The album was considered for a Grammy nomination for "Best Folk Album" 2023. You can listed to Sofia Tavlik here.

"Too few artists today offer protest material, but Talvik seems to have picked up the mantle from singer/songwriters like Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Pete Seeger.” - Americana Highways

Tickets: Members $15, Nonmembers $20

Women of the World (WOW) Meeting

May 29th, 4:30 PM

Join us for the Women of the World meeting at the Mariposa! WOW is a place where women who live in the Monadnock region but hail from other countries can come together. WOW offers a vibrant and inclusive community where women from diverse cultural backgrounds meet to celebrate their unique heritage while forging lasting friendships and unforgettable memories, all while having fun!

Registration is free!

I Am Woman

June 1st, 6 PM

Soulful vocalist, thought-provoking songwriter, and monster percussionist Tara Greenblatt headlines this event, which also includes an update from Planned Parenthood on access to women's health services in New England and a community of women singers. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood. Tara will be accompanied by Ramsey Thomas on upright bass and Richard Doherty on guitar in an empowering, woman-affirming set of songs. Amy Conley, another gifted performer and teacher, will be leading a local chorus in songs celebrating women, including the 1970’s Anthem, I am Woman, by Helen Reddy. 

Tickets are $20 For Members and $15 for Nonmembers

Hiroya Tsukamoto

June 23rd, 3 PM

A favorite of Mariposa audiences, Hiroya is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the guitar shortly after.

"A Journey Through Strings and Stories"

Tsukamoto brings a blend of masterful fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural barriers. His artistry, honed at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, has been celebrated on renowned stages like the Blue Note in NYC and the United Nations, and lauded for its “delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed” style by Acoustic Guitar magazine.

Tsukamoto’s concerts are not just musical events; they are immersive experiences that weave lyrical narratives with intricate melodies. Recognized for his soulful performances that create an orchestra at his fingertips, he invites audiences into his world of musical exploration and emotional expression. This is a rare opportunity to witness a performer who has been celebrated for his ability to take listeners on an “impressionistic journey” (Boston Herald).  Enchanting music that promises to resonate long after the final note is played.

Hiroya Tsukamoto is a Japanese-born fingerstyle guitarist who moved to the United States in 2000 to attend the Berklee College of Music. Needless to say, he’s not only a dizzyingly agile fingerpicker, but a soulful and transcendent performer, with compositions that combine instrumental guitar work with lyrical performance and spoken stories from his life. 

Tsukamoto has been recognized for his talents on stages such as at Blue Note in New York City, Japanese National Television (NHK), International Storytelling Center and United Nations, and by scoring second place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship both in 2018 and 2022. 

Hiroya Tsukamoto may play the guitar with the skill of a virtuoso, and he may write compelling music that draws from many different cultures and genres, but if I had to choose one word to describe him it would be orchestrator. " - Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Members $10, Nonmembers $20

Apple Hill String Quartet in Concert

Oct. 27th, 4 PM

More information coming soon! Tickets $20 nonmembers. $15 members.