Adults of the world: slow down, be creative, and get in touch with your inner self.
That, at least, is what Twiggs Gallery is proposing. With its newest exhibition, “A to Z: Art to Zen,” the Boscawen studio and gallery is making a special effort to focus on the intersection of spirituality and art. The exhibit will be up until June 12.
At the exhibition’s artist’s reception Thursday night, gallery manager Laura Morrison explained what compelled her to curate seven New Hampshire artists who used meditation, yoga or other spiritual practices in their artwork.
“I was very intrigued by the whole coloring craze,” Morrison said, referring to the popular adult coloring books. “It’s an easy way to create something beautiful that’s low-stress.”
One of the artists now represented in the gallery, Julie Puttgen of Lebanon, is also a meditation teacher. While “we live in this world if fake things you don’t know how it was made,” Puttgen said. Creating art can anchor people in their experience, and give them time to fully appreciate the moment.
“I think all of that can add up to an antidote to addiction and anxiety,” she said.
Getting adults to pause and be creative was the whole thought behind Twiggs Gallery and Cornerstone Design, both owned by Adele Sanborn. The little wooden building, nestled next to Sanborn’s horse paddock, beckons to people as they zip towards the intersection of Routes 3 and 4.
Especially in a rural area such as Boscawen where there aren’t other art opportunities for adults since the New Hampshire Art Association re-located to Portsmouth, Sanborn wants to remind people about their creative side.
“Parents have forgotten how important creativity is and how important it is to still have that in your life,” she said.
(Elodie Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)