ellO seeks to spice up Portsmouth’s art scene

Portsmouth is a city that prides itself on the creative energy of its resident artists. But, sometimes, an emphasis on “fine art” marginalizes the innovative, contemporary work done by young, local artists. Diversity is paramount to a healthy art scene. Although Portsmouth is littered with galleries, many artists feel they cater to conservative pallets with expensive tastes. With the opening of ellO, a new gallery on State Street, alternative art will find an outlet and an advocate.

Like much of the mixed media art it plans to showcase, ellO will be a combination of several different components. In addition to providing gallery space, ellO will moonlight as a shop for handcrafted clothing and other goods produced by local artists. The gallery, located at 110 State Street, opens on Friday, Sept. 7, with an opening reception scheduled for Sept. 14. The first exhibition is called “Seacoast Undercurrent,” which will feature local artists working in a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, sound, video and fashion design.

The gallery is the brainchild of four artist-entrepreneurs: John Fanning, John Winters, Byrdy DiLando and Glenn DiLando. The space will feature “primarily young artists and artists that are shown in limited amounts or haven’t been shown at all,” said co-owner Fanning. “We’re interested in people doing any kind of contemporary based work, regardless of schooling and regardless of pedigree.” According to Fanning, the art will be “hard to define and extremely unique.”  

The idea for a gallery dedicated to contemporary art isn’t new. Many local artists have long complained that few places in Portsmouth cater to artists outside the mainstream. “We know a lot of people who do things but don’t know where to put them,” Fanning said. “We’ve always known there is an edge here, but it’s been underground and not represented by commercial entities.” Instead of wallowing in complacency, the ellO four chose to take action. After securing a space, the group began promoting ellO and networking with Seacoast artists.

“We’re always up for looking at various people’s work. We’re open to seeing anything. We’re trying to get away from the idea of a gallery being this white cube, where people will only talk to you if can rattle off certain information. We would like to introduce initiatives that engage the public and show that contemporary art is viable and validated,” Fanning said. “We want to connect people to more alternative art so maybe they say, ‘Boy, that was weird, but I get it.’”

Since announcing the gallery’s opening, the organizers have received a wave of interest and inquiries. “People have just come out of the woodwork. It’s super encouraging,” Fanning said. “The number one thing we’ve heard from people is that this town really needs that.” In addition to visual art, ellO also plans to screen short films and present abstract theater performances. They also want to host art classes for children and adults. 

The new gallery will also be committed to environmental responsibility, incorporating a number of green principles. Instead of using plastic bags, ellO will promote the use of reusable tote bags, for example. At the opening reception, guests will enjoy refreshments on biodegradable plates and cups. “There are a lot of businesses in Portsmouth that do environmental things and we want to be a part of that,” Fanning said. The owners hope that, by showing the logic behind being environmentally conscious, the gallery will help pull environmentalism back from the fringe and make it more accessible to the art world and the general public. 

Fanning also hopes to bridge the gap between Portsmouth’s well-to-do, junior professional crowd and its edgier “Friendly Toast kind of crowd.” He hopes to show that it’s not impossible to find common ground between the yupsters and the hipsters. With ellO, “instead of feeling that there are two or three different Portsmouths, people can weave in and out of each other,” Fanning said.

Portsmouth’s reputation as an artsy community signifies a common trend across the United States. Fanning believes that art is emigrating away from larger urban areas and moving into smaller communities. New York is still firmly established as the mother ship of the American art world, but several satellite scenes are beginning to emerge. “Portsmouth is one of the most diverse and culture-based towns in the area,” Fanning said. He hopes ellO will attract a mix of locals and tourists. He wants both to see that Portsmouth “has this kind of art and this kind of representation.”

The opening on Sept. 7 will kick off a “teaser week,” according to Fanning, in which a portion of the “Seacoast Undercurrent” exhibit will be on display. The Friday, Sept. 14 reception, which will be held from 6-10 p.m., will introduce the entire exhibit, featuring special sound installations and artwork.