PORTSMOUTH, N.H., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This summer, The Gallery at Jimmy’s invites guests to experience The Alchemy of a Life, a powerful and intimate retrospective of painter Thorpe Feidt (1940–2024). The exhibition opens with a public reception on Wednesday, July 3 at 6 PM, featuring a live performance by The Alchemy 5, an interpretive jazz quintet featuring musicians from The Orchestra on the Hill. It remains on exhibit through August 22 and will culminate in a special immersive orchestral concert on August 10 at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, performed by The Orchestra on the Hill and inspired directly by Feidt’s work.

Feidt’s celebrated series The Ambiguities—named after Herman Melville’s novel Pierre, or The Ambiguities—spanned more than four decades and over 450 paintings. An artist, teacher, and thinker based in Ipswich, MA, Feidt explored themes of alchemy, jazz, literature, and revision, often reworking canvases across decades. His later pieces, created after his diagnosis with vascular dementia in 2018, speak to a continued urgency of expression even as memory faded.

Thorpe’s widow, Pat Gray-Feidt, spoke to the emotional depth behind these late works. She explained how the paintings evolved alongside his condition; “Thorpe didn’t stop creating. As his dementia increased, he started painting over his early works with black and white. These images show the progression of his disease,” she stated.

These later paintings—layered, bold, and often abstract—appear alongside key earlier works, offering a full-circle view of a life lived in deep conversation with art and sound. A unique feature of The Alchemy of a Life exhibition is the series of original jazz compositions created by The Alchemy 5 – each one inspired by an individual painting in the collection. Visitors can access these interpretive soundscapes by scanning the QR code displayed beside each canvas, offering a layered, multisensory experience that brings Thorpe Feidt’s work to life through music.

The exhibition is curated by Michael Labrie, whose vision for The Gallery at Jimmy’s has transformed it into a cornerstone for contemporary art in downtown Portsmouth. Labrie, an artist and photographer himself, curated this exhibition not only to honor Feidt’s visual language but also to amplify the emotional and musical undercurrent that runs through his work. “Thorpe’s work resonates between his visual storytelling and the jazz rhythms that inspired him. It’s not only a tribute to his creative spirit and the ways in which art and music can move through each other, but also a reflection of how his perspective shifted in later years – shaped, but never silenced, by the challenges he faced.”

ABOUT THE OPENING RECEPTION – JULY 3

Guests are invited to join the free opening reception at The Gallery at Jimmy’s on Wednesday, July 3 at 6 PM. The evening will include a live performance by The Alchemy 5, an interpretive jazz quintet featuring musicians from The Orchestra on the Hill, full bar and light bites menu, as well as remarks on the artist’s work and life.

ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE – AUGUST 10

On Saturday, August 10, Feidt’s paintings will be reimagined through music in a special orchestral performance by The Orchestra on the Hill, a professional ensemble known for its innovative, interdisciplinary concerts. Founded in 2007 and based in Ipswich, MA, the orchestra is led by Artistic Director Thomas Palance—a distinguished conductor and trumpeter whose career includes two decades with the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C., as well as extensive experience in performance and education. “I look forward to bringing life to Thorpe’s artistic mastery through improvisational music, which inspired his work from the beginning,” said Palance.

The ensemble is supported by a vibrant board and artistic community, including Chris Florio, Assistant Artistic Director, an award-winning composer whose work spans symphonic scores, animation soundtracks, and experimental music, and Donna Riccardi, Director of Development and former president of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Volunteer Association.

This one-night-only performance will bring new resonance to Feidt’s visual world, echoing the jazz that filled his studio as he painted.

A SHARED LEGACY

This exhibition was made possible in part by the generous contribution of marketing materials and archival documentation from The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA, which hosted a major presentation of Feidt’s work in early 2024. The Gallery at Jimmy’s extends sincere thanks to The Umbrella for their support in helping to share Thorpe’s legacy with wider audiences.

Also instrumental in shaping this exhibition is Pat Gray-Feidt. Pat continues to champion the arts through her work at MUSTArt Studios in Ipswich, where she collaborates with her daughter, Noelle Keach. Specializing in painting and poetry, Pat brings both a personal and creative lens to her husband’s enduring impact.

“Thorpe always wanted his work out in the world. We are very pleased and encouraged by the wide interest that has been shown since his passing last year,” shared Gray-Feidt.