Photo courtesy of Great American Downtown A girl sits at the 2019 Nashua Street Piano painted by local artist, Olivia Horstkotte, in memory of Amber Lee Carol.

NASHUA – Darrell’s Music Hall, Forever Amber, Great American Downtown, and North Main Music are proud to announce that participants in the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua’s Future Fine Artists program has been selected to paint a piano for the 2020 Nashua Street Piano project.

Established in 2016, the project places artistically painted pianos along Main Street, available for anyone to play and enjoy, from May to October.

Since its inception, the program has grown from two pianos to three. The pianos have been utilized by many local arts organizations and musicians for impromptu performances.

May will mark start of the program’s fifth season. In an effort to engage new artists in the program this year, organizers issued a call for artists, asking for brief proposals from local artists seeking to paint a piano.

The Call for Artists resulted in numerous high-quality proposals being submitted, making the selection of just one difficult, but organizers believed the Future Fine Artists (FFA) of the club’s proposal was the best fit for this year. The FFA is an advanced program for club members with a high interest in developing their skills to become independent artists. Part of its mission is to inspire young people to pursue their passion for art, while empowering them to share their art with the community.

“We are thrilled to have our Future Fine Artists group be involved with the Nashua Street Piano project this year,” club Cultural Arts Director Shay Odueyungbo said. “Too often, our youth feel like they don’t have a voice or can’t make an impact in their own community. Participating in this program will show them in a very tangible, hands-on way that they are integral members of their community and that their creative work does have an impact.”

The other street pianos will be painted by Nashua’s Positive Street Art and Rachel Carpenter, a graduate of New Hampshire Institute of Art who specializes in oils, pen and ink, watercolor, and ceramics.

Carpenter will be painting a street piano in memory of Amber Lee Carroll, daughter of Tracy Lee Carroll of Hudson. Carroll was a talented musician who died at age 18 from Sudden Unexpected Death in EPilepsy (SUDEP) in 2016. After Carroll’s death, Carpenter became involved with the Nashua Street Piano Project as a way to honor her daughter, who delighted in the street pianos. Each year, Carroll has been hosting an online fundraiser in support of the pianos between her birthday and Carroll’s birthday in February and March.

The pianos will make their on-street debut for this year on May 9. There will be a dedication ceremony to mark the fifth season of this beloved community arts program.

The piano program is possible through the generous support of local businesses and individuals. Contact North Main Music’s Sarah Roy at commongoodcrtv@gmail.com for sponsorship information.

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