Artist Immortalizing Hampton Beach in 'Most Meaningful' Work

In the 1970s, Frank "Frankie" Galasso's father drove him from their Rhode Island home up to Hampton Beach to see if the Casino Ballroom "was still standing" since the days when his father played regular gigs there as a trombonist in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. 

The innocuous trip turned into a summertime ritual, and quickly became a highlight of the year for the young Galasso, who grew up to be a nationally syndicated and recognized cartoonist and news illustrator.

That's why Galasso, now 52, has chosen Hampton Beach as his newest subject in a series of special watercolor and mixed media lithographs, marking the Seacoast's history through depictions of some of the places and people that made Galasso "never want to stop going back." 

"This is in all honesty is probably the most meaningful thing out of anything I’ve ever done, so I’m putting a lot into it," said Galasso, 52, whose work on editorial and sports cartoons have netted him 10 New England Press Association awards. "New Hampshire is like my second home. I learned to walk there. It's always been a special place to me."

The funny part of the project is that on numerous occasions, Galasso has come close to finishing a particular building or has figured out how he wants to depict it, only to have a freak occurrence, project or unfortunate incident come along and dramatically alter the appearance of that structure. 

Not long after he first started in on his lithograph in 2010, the Surf Motel, Mrs. Mitchell's and other A Block structures he targeted for the piece burned down. Then the Seashell Stage was torn down. Then La Bec Rouge was shut down and demolished due to a pipe burst. 

"Every time I try to finish this, something else happens," said Galasso with a laugh, adding that a variety of other businesses have also done major renovations in the past few years. "The publishers have been really cool, really patient."

Galasso no longer has to worry about that ironic timing, though, as his lithograph is finished and will be unveiled on Monday, Aug. 5, at McGuirk's Ocean View as part of a public celebration of the history of Hampton Beach.

A time hasn't yet been set for the unveiling, which Galasso said is fully open to the public. The new Seashell Stage, the Ashworth By The Sea Hotel, McGuirk’s, Buc’s Lagoon, Mrs. Mitchell’s and the Pelham Resort are among the businesses to be featured, in addition to the Hampton Mounted Patrol, the Lady By The Sea memorial, the Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Competition and many other iconic parts of the beach community.

The lithograph, which Galasso said was inspired by the award-winning rebirth of Hampton Beach, will be available for sale on Galasso's website and at Mrs. Mitchell's. Galasso said many shops have also already contacted him about getting the print on shirts and mugs for their stores.

Galasso envisions showcasing Hampton Beach in other ways in the future, as he said Hampton Beach is his "heaven on Earth." He's particularly excited about the artistic, historical and economic potential in the impending changes to the Casino complex and the Casino Ballroom, and said he'd love to do something with a building he feels "could be the perfect keystone" for the next era of Hampton Beach.

"There could be some more style there," he said. "Giving it a facelift while bringing back some of its historical look would be even greater."