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The Seacoast Artist Association is a group of artists and people interested in art, based in the seacoast area of New Hampshire. Our gallery, located at 130 Water Street in downtown Exeter, is open:

Wednesday-Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday 10am – 2pm

We offer new body of work and theme show exhibitions every month by local artists, public art receptions every second Friday evening, classes and demonstrations, and scholarship programs.

See About to learn more about our all-volunteer non-profit organization.

Scholarship Panel Fundraiser

The Seacoast Artist Association is running the Fundraiser “Panel by Panel” to raise money for the scholarship fund. We have 80+, 5” by 7” birch wood panel cradle boards. Starting January 2nd you will be able to pick up one or two panels at the gallery for free.  Use your panel to create a piece of artwork to donate.  Panels will be available in January, February and even into March as long as they last.

As the artist you may choose your medium.  You may choose to make your art vertical or horizontal.  Be sure and sign your artwork! Bring your finished panel art as a donation to Seacoast Artist Association on or before March 21, 2026.  

Your panel art will lead a glamorous life.  It will be photographed and featured in a video on the SAA Website, Facebook and Instagram.  April 1-10th your panel will be hung in the gallery where it can be admired.  Then…(drum roll, please) on Saturday, April 11th all panels will be available for sale for $50 each!  Funds raised from this event will help provide scholarships to High School students from the 13 area High Schools. Eligible students need to be pursuing art in a 2 or 4 year Visual Arts program  in a college or university.

Please go have fun making a little panel during the cold winter months and help the next generation of artists. Also remember to come back in April to see and purchase some wonderful art.

Learn more in this short video.

2025 marks a significant milestone for all of us at the Seacoast Artist Association. 50 years ago, we may have started out small and in a different location, but our collective mission to support the arts throughout the Seacoast of New Hampshire has never changed. As an all-volunteer non-profit organization, we reflect on our past and present with tremendous gratitude. And want to thank you, our artists, patrons, and supporters, for being part of the SAA all these years.

December Events

From an early age, I was drawn to the joy of drawing and painting. After completing my college education, I brought creativity into the classroom throughout my teaching career. Once I retired and raised my two sons, I was finally able to dedicate myself fully to watercolor painting—a journey that continues to inspire and fulfill me.

I have studied with artists Doris Rice, Judi Wagner, and Jan Kilburn, and participated in watercolor workshops in France, Italy, Monhegan Island, and Cape Cod. While living in Naples, Florida, I painted regularly with the plein air painters of the Naples Art Association, experiences that deepened both my technique and my love for painting outdoors.

My work is fueled by a desire to bring color, energy, and a sense of vibrancy to the subjects I paint. I hope my watercolors spark a sense of delight and excitement for the viewer, just as creating them does for me.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious it will direct your life and you will call it fate”
– Carl Jung

I think I have always been making art in one form or another. My high school art teacher was the one responsible for directing and teaching me to work in various mediums. Mostly charcoal and pastels during those years. In my 20’s and 30’s I branched out into oils with various teachers at UNH and privately. I was the artist to many pet portraits during that time. In my late 30’s my focus was primarily on the “art” of making a living.

Now in my third act or “last hurrah” as the saying goes, I still love oils. I love the smell, the texture and the forgiveness that oils provide, but have ventured into watercolor-a (quick drying) but masochistic medium. I am on a continuing evolving path of accumulating experience and then starting over.

Theme Show
November-December 2025
Small Art, Big Ideas

“Sometimes,” said Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” – A.A. Milne. The holidays are on the way, and we want to offer the gift of affordable original art to anyone looking for that perfect personal gift to tell someone they love them. All art will be 11”x14” or smaller, including frame, and priced $100 or less.

Monthly theme shows are open to all artists – see our SAA 2025 Theme Show brochure (PDF), SAA 2026 Theme Show brochure (PDF), and entry form (PDF).

Second Friday Reception
December 12, 2025 5-7pm
Music by: Dacha and Sava

Brothers Dacha and Sava Thurber look forward to celebrating the December collection, seeing friends, and sharing music at the SAA once again! Growing up and going to school in Exeter before attending Harvard, they are thrilled to mark their fifth year playing with the SAA. They will revisit old favorites, holiday classics, and exciting new repertoire for a festive evening in downtown Exeter.

Receptions for our monthly body of work and theme shows are FREE and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Meet your local artists!

Art Class
Doris Rice
Thursdays 5:30–7:30 pm

Each week features a new subject designed to teach both technique and topic – open to all levels. Visit DorisRice.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter for updates on classes and workshops. Cost is $35/class or $168 for a 6-class card.