Last Minute Holiday Treats- Friday

Here's your last chance before the holidays to grab some great handmade goodies. Come to the Winter Warmtimes- a festive gathering featuring 5 local artisans' work, the Connotation singing and fun times together in a relaxed home atmosphere. 5-9pm this Friday, December 17th, at 22 Aldrich St Northampton.

Also, I'm having a sale in my etsy shop. 10% off all items Wednesday and Thursday this week (12/15-16). Just type in 'HolidaySale' when you are asked for a coupon code. I will be offering free shipping on Friday as part of a national Free Shipping Day.

As always, check out artisansofwmass.com for more great local gift ideas.

Happy Holidays!

Weekend Events!

This weekend you can find me at two great events- both great opportunities to wrap up that holiday shopping with local, handmade goodies. Saturday is the Crafty Rumpus put on by the Greenfield Center School. The Rumpus you say? Yes, its called the Rumpus! I mean its gotta be work a visit. You can browse the list of artists and get more info here .

Then on Sunday I'll be at one of Boston most exciting handmade events of the season- The Boston Bizarre Bazaar! This one features a great big selection of handmade art, craft, functional and decorative wonders. The info is all here http://bazaarbizarre.org/boston/.

SCULPTURE SHOW

Finally, I will have a sculpture show opening in Northampton next Friday night, December 10, during Northampton Arts Night Out in the Living Arts Studio, 5-8pm. This will be a sweet little show of sculpture, with some new and some old work included. You can see all the participating galleries by going to the Arts Night Out site here. http://artsnightout.wordpress.com/

And as always, please try to keep you dollars local by shopping through Artisans of WMASS! Many of our Etsy shops will be holding promotions in December, including free shipping day on the 17th, or other discounts. Search "wmass team" on Etsy to find all these great local artisans.

Artisans of WMASS + Artspace Holiday Sale, Twist and Craftopia

UPDATES from ARTISANS of WMASS

Our fabulous group of local artists and artisans is expanding rapidly (now over 50 members!) to include a fabulous selection of handmade art and good. Please remember to check us out as you start to think about your holiday shopping, and tell your friends too. Shopping with us is a great way to support local artists and the creative culture of the region as well as keep money in your own community. Check out our website to see all the fabulous things we have to offer. Look on the blog for the various shows we'll attending. Grab a bumper sticker from us at a show, plop in on your car to help spread the word. And stay tuned for a special AWM online holiday sale! www.artisansofwmass.com

NOVEMBER SHOWS

This Friday and Saturday you will find me in Greenfield among a variety of handmade treasures. Artspace in Greenfield, MA is sponsoring a Holiday Gift Sale at Greenfield High School on Friday, Nov. 5, 6 – 9 pm and Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 – 4 pm. Admission and parking are free. Thirty artists will participate, showcasing works in fiber, pottery, glass, jewelry, painted furniture, wooden bowls, holiday ornaments, paintings, photography, dolls, doll clothes and more will be available at the sale. The sale is located at Greenfield High School on Lenox Ave., Greenfield MA.



Next weekend, come on out for TWIST, the valley's favorite indie craft show. Twist is a fresh kind of fair, showcasing original goods and art from 60+ talented vendors. It's always a lot of fun, with music and drinks on Friday night, continuing all day Saturday for lots of holiday shopping. As usual I'll be in the East Gallery next to my friend Ben Westbrook of BMW Ironworks and Donnabelle of Donabelle Designs. Get some veggie glasswork for your friends and family, or order that something special you've been thinking about.



The vibe of this show is just awesome and the selection and ingenuity is outstanding. I really recommend a visit. It's held in the Northampton Center for the Arts beginning on Friday November 12 with VIP entrance from 4-6pm. If you come then you have to pay more, but you get a swag bag ad first peek at all the goodies! Then the show opens for the regular admission price from 6-9pm and continues on Saturday from 10-6pm.



Finally, on Sunday the 14th, I'll be at another sweet show for any of you who are farther south or feel like taking a drive. Craftopia, a great indie fair run by Rhody Craft, is in it's second season. It's located in Pawtucket Rhode Island, just outside Providence and will be open from 10-5pm.

'Complementary Contrast' opens this week!

The work in this show is about complementary contrast, between Joshua Primmer's work and that of Katie Richardson's. "We make diverse forms through very different approaches, yet the works seem to formally complement each other and start a conversation," states Richardson. She continues: "The show is so named also for the binary elements in each of our individual work. For me, the material contrast is the combination of glass and metal. Glass is seen as a delicate, beautiful, fragile material, while steel is associated with structure, rigidity, and strength. These materials complement each other and create a delicate balance while the forms defy the traditional characteristics associated with the materials...The thematic contrast in my work is safety/ danger, fear/ comfort, belonging / exclusion"

Primmer adds: "The elements that I contrast in my work are surface and form. This is an abstraction of the relationship between medium and process and the relationship between nature and man/technology. Medium and nature are represented by surface and process and man/technology are represented by form."

Hope you get a chance to see it! I know it's far away for those of you down here in the valley, but a trip up to North Adams at this time of the year is gorgeous, so its a good excuse. Take a drive, see some art, go hiking among the fall colors and enjoy!

Garlic and Arts Festival and Amherst Biennial Exhibition

Come one, come all, to the stinkiest festival in MA?! The Garlic and Arts Festival is this weekend in Orange, MA and promises to be a lot of fun. The clouds look like they'll clear away for us. The Festival runs from 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, October 2nd and 3rd. It features a wide variety of arts and crafts, lots of great music (including a brief set by my acapella group, the Connotations, at 2:30 on Saturday), activities for kids, and tons of yummy, garlicky food.


Next weekend, the Amherst Biennial Exhibition will awaken the creative juices of folks all over Amherst. This exhibition is being held in multiple sites across town, from the NACUL Gallery at UMASS to the new ETTA Gallery/ Community Photo Access. I'm excited to see the work that was selected as I imagine it will be a stunning representation of local artist. Two of my sculptures, Tucked Away and Cascade, will be included in the show. Read the info below for more details, who's involved and where to go when. Hope to see you there!

Old Deerfield and more!

This weekend I'll be at one of the areas oldest shows, the Old Deerfield Fall Art and Craft Festival. Not only are their tons of interesting vendors, many of whom I've been seen at other shows this year, but they are doing wine and cheese tasting, scarecrows and artist demos. Check out their website here and print an entrance coupon.



Also coming up next weekend is the Amherst Apple Harvest Festival on Saturday the 25th on the Amherst Common. This was a great show last year, and promises to be much fun again this year.

SAVE THE DATE!
Complimentary Contrast: Works by Katie Richardson and Joshua Primmer will open at North Adams Artist Co-op Gallery on October 28, 5-8. The show will be up from October 27 to November 28, and will feature many new sculptural pieces by both artists. Make sure to check out MASS MOCA when you come up to see the show, and enjoy fall in the beautiful Berkshires.

BEADMAKING CLASSES
Last but not least, if you are itching to take a beadmaking class or workshop, I'll be teaching an intro workshop at Bisque, Beads and Beyond in Pittsfield on September 26. Last I heard there were still 2 spots available for the morning session. If that's too far for you to travel, let me know if you'd like to join a class in Northampton next time I run one, or if you'd like to set up private instruction or a home workshop.

Chilifest! and Upcoming Bead Classes

CHILIFEST!


Stone Soup Farm's biggest event of the year is this Saturday, August 21st- the 3rd Annual Chilifest! A great time is had by all, what with farm tours, music, hayrides, a chili cook-off, salsa tasting, artisans and more, there is something for everyone. Its free and open to the public, and is really a celebration of summer, good healthy food and our lovely farm. I organize the whole shabang, so you'll find my metal and glasswork there, along with a bunch of other vendors, many of whom are part of my group Artisans of WMASS.

I hope you'll be able to join us! Let me know if you'd like to submit some chili for the cook-off! Winner gets a giant veggie basket to take home. Even if you aren't going to bring your smokin' chili, maybe you could bring a plate of muffins or a fruit salad. All contributions are welcome. It's free because we do it potluck style and ask for participation, but we can't feed everyone all by ourselves.

Check out the line up of artists and musicians on Stone Soup Farm's website and invite your friends via Facebook.

UPCOMING BEADMAKING CLASSES

OPTION 1) In collaboration with Bisque, Beads and Beyond in Pittsfield, I'll be teaching 2 introductory beadmaking workshops on September 26. One session in the morning, 9-12 and one in the afternoon 1-4. This is a great opportunity to try something new and have a lot of fun. We'll get you on a torch melting glass and you'll get to leave with a few of your own sweet creations. All the info is HERE, and you should contact the store directly to sign up.

OPTION 2) For those of you who missed my last bead class at Valley Hands in Northampton over the summer, here is the new plan. Let me know that you'd like to take the class, and when it fills, we'll begin. It will run Tuesday nights for 4 weeks from 7-9pm. Cost is $150, materials included. We only need 5 people to fill the class, so tell your friends and we'll start one up as soon as possible.

Teacher/Artist Show: Reception Next Week

This intriguing art exhibit displays the work of 10 artists who are also teachers. The show will be up through mid- September, but the reception is next Wednesday, August 4 from 4-6pm. Eagle Hill Cultural Center is also a really neat place if you've never been.




Watch for these UPCOMING EVENTS in August:

Handmade in the Park, August 7, 10-5pm in Lee, MA. Put on by BerkshireMade.

3rd Annual Chilifest at Stone Soup Farm, August 21, 12-5pm, 275 Jackson Street, Belchertown, MA

Events This Weekend!

Hi friends,

Just letting you know that tomorrow I'll be at Valley Hands during Northampton Arts Night Out, making glass beads along with another jewelry artist Lisa Oram. This is a FREE EVENT, a fun and creative way to spend the evening. Artist Demonstrations and Acoustic Guitar by Corleen Roberts from Agawam. Friday, July 9th 4-8pm, watch glass beadmaking, listen to some music, have a sip of wine & a snack,chat with the artists, pull up a chair and Watch Art Develop!



Then on Saturday and Sunday, I'll be in Springfield at the Hoop City Jazz Festival! The festival is free to all and offers a stellar line up of entertainment, including many Grammy Award winners on stage along with Springfield’s own Greg Caputo’s Big Band. This year’s performers include: Terence Blanchard, Average White Band, Elan Trotman, Zoe with Cindy Bradley, Kashif, Ken Navarro, Greg Caputo’s Big Band, Ed Fast & Conga Bop, Soul Source, Modern Riffs, and the Springfield Youth Chorus. Looks like a lot of fun and a chance to hear some great music. Hope to see you there!

Finally, I'll be in Pittsfield again next week for their Third Thursday event which shuts down the main street in Pittsfield, opening it up for a festive evening of live music, new art, including many folks from our AWM sister group BerkshireMade, great dining & shopping late!

Bead Class- Sign up Now!, Treasury and Events

I'm still taking last minute sign-ups for my Glass Beadmaking Class starting this Tuesday in Northampton. Please let me know if you are interested and tell your friends!
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One of my bottle stoppers was just featured in this squiggle themed treasury. Its a pretty fun group of artisan squiggles, I must say.

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Come see me on Wednesday (6/23) at "Taste of Tourism" at Oliver Wight Tavern in Old Sturbridge Village, 5-8pm.
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Also, this Saturday (6/26) , an event not to be missed....BerkshireMade presents Art in the Park. Promises to be filled with lots of fabulous, hand-crafted, locally made goodies. BerkshireMade is a team of Berkshire artists and artisans who aim to promote local art and support artists in their work. They are a sister group to my crew- Artisans of WMASS- and have invited us to join in this exciting event.

Beadmaking Class, Craft Party, Upcoming Events

Whew! After a busy time finishing up the Borders and Bridges project, which was a great culmination of my M.Ed project and installation work around immigration and education, I'm looking ahead to new and exciting things. First, I'll be offering a beadmaking class in Northampton starting mid June. Here's all the info....

Introduction to Glass Beadmaking

Tuesday Nights, June 22- July 13, 7-9pm

This fun class will introduce students to flameworking by learning to make

stunning glass beads. Basic techniques such as using stringers, cane, dots,

layering, and raking will be covered, and students will leave with a variety

of beautiful handmade beads, maybe even small sculptures.

Cost: $115, materials included

Instructor: Katie Richardson, katierayart.etsy.com, katierayarts.mosaicglobe.com

To sign up: Email katierayrich@gmail.com. A $50 deposit is required to hold your space. This can be paid through Paypal or by sending a check to Katie at PO Box 1486, Belchertown, MA 01007.

Location: Valley Hands, 342 Pleasant St, Northampton, MA

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Next, I'm hosting a networking event/ craft party with my group Artisans of WMASS.

www.artisansofwmass.com

PLEASE FORWARD TO ANY ARTISTS/ARTISANS/MAKERS in WMASS

Hey we are having a Craft Party! Western MA artists, artisans, makers of any kind, come hang out, network, work on a project. June 18th, 7-9pm, Dynamite Space in Thornes, Northampton, MA. Hosted by Artisans of WMASS, supported by Valley Art Share. Go to the link below to RSVP. Please RSVP asap (by MONDAY JUNE 7) so we can get our numbers up. (If we are in the top 50 of these parties across the country, etsy will send us free goodies!! It's Etsy's anniversary so there are inciting these parties across the country. I thought it is a great excuse for a fun artist gathering.)

http://www.meetup.com/Etsy-Craft-Party/3046/

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Last but not least- lots of UPCOMING EVENTS!

June 12: Marketplace at Hampshire College's 40th Anniversary Celebration 11-5pm, and Gallery Opening for Alumni Art Exhibit, 4-6pm

June 17: I'll be in Pittsfield for their Third Thursday event starting at 4pm, selling my wares and doing glass bead demos outside the shop Bisque, Beads and Beyond.

June 23: 5-8pm, Taste of Toursim Event, Oliver Wight Tavern in Old Sturbridge Village

June 26: Berkshire Made Presents Art in the Park in downtown Lee, MA 10-5pm

Borders and Bridges Project Opens this week!

Please come join us for the opening and events of the Borders and Bridges Project! A mix of art installation and M.Ed leadership project by Katie Richardson and Jackie Chromey, dealing with issues of identity, education, immigration and home.

Opening: Friday May 21, 7-9pm
Conferences: Saturday 5/22 and 5/29, 1-5pm
Film Screenings: Monday 5/24and Thurs 5/27, 7pm. Monday we'll screen a series of short films, Thursday we'll screen "Children in No Man's Land".

All events held in the Dynamite Space, basement of Thornes, Northampton.
Sponsored by Commonwealth Center for Change

Additional open hours and more info at: 

http://teachimmigration.wordpress.com/of-borders-and-bridges 

or search "Borders and Bridges" on facebook

Please spread the word!
questions: katierayrich@gmail.com

Great WMASS Etsy Treasury

Check out this lovely collection of items listed on etsy by members of Artisans of WMASS. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/e085ea1dbdbccb4b7af79900/delightfully-dreamy





Our group is growing and flourishing, supporting and networking with local artists, encouraging the local and the handmade. Search "wmass team" on etsy for more great stuff from western mass. My garlic bottle stopper is featured in this treasury! Thanks Karen of moonandsundries.etsy.com for the great selections.

Higgins Armory and TWIST!

Coming up this Friday is an event at the wine event at Higgins Armory. Check it out at http://www.higgins.org/int-wine.php. It looks like there'll be lots of tasty treats! And I know there will be a great selection of glass bottle stoppers as well as beautiful corkscrews and beer openers made by my friend Ben Westbrook of BMW Ironworks. http://hammeronsteel.etsy.com



Then next weekend at the Northampton Center for the Arts is TWIST 4.0! This is an event not to be missed. Twist is a fresh kind of fair, showcasing original goods and art from 60+ talented vendors. Twist is held twice a year, in May and November. Save the dates for an exciting feast of shopping and fun!








Friday May 7, 2010
VIP Reception 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Market Party 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Saturday May 8, 2010
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

twistfair.com for more info. See you there!

Bead Extravaganza Tomorrow and Sustainability Festival

TOMORROW! This is an excellent sampling of top notch bead makers who make truly amazing stuff. Definitely worth the trip! I'll be there absorbing their splendor while selling my veggie earrings and other accessories.

April 17,2010 10am-5pm
*Holiday Inn, 265 Lakeside Ave, Marlboro MA*


Welcome to Glass Bead Extravaganza 10, Presented by the Boston Chapter of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Glass Bead Extravaganza is THE PREMIER all glass bead show in the Northeast. This year's show features exceptional glass beads, and finished pieces from over 30 glass artists with a wide range of styles to fit everyone's tastes. You will also find a variety of glass-working tools as well as jewelry and beading supplies to interest beginners to professional designers.






NEXT WEEKEND- APRIL 24TH, 10-4 PM
SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL IN DOWNTOWN AMHERST

The 1st Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival is being held
in the downtown area from Kendrick Park to the Town Common.
Lots of us from Artisans of WMASS will be showing our handmade goodies!

Bead Class and Craftopia

I have a 3 hour introduction to glass beadmaking class with one spot open for you! Sunday morning, March 28th, 9-noon in Northampton (actually Florence). You'll get to melt glass with a torch and leave having made some of your very own beads! It's lots of fun, I promise...
$50 for the class, all materials included.

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Upcoming craft show on April 11th. This will be my first adventure down there to RI, but it looks like it will be a good one!



And....Last but not least...


**Save the Date- Opening May 21 through May 30**

Of Borders and Bridges: Complex Identities in Education

This project is a multimedia artistic and academic exploration of how diversity and belonging are constructed and contested in public education and how this impacts people as individuals and as a nation.

Hosted by Commonwealth Center for Change, in the Dynamite Space in the bottom of Thornes, Northampton.

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Call for workshops, presentations and multimedia contributions for a mini-conference to be held in the space on May 22nd or 29th. Please email a proposal by April 15th.

Also seeking artists who are interested in contributing or collaborating and volunteers to help assist in installation, gallery sitting, poetry reading and other facilitating roles.

Please contact katierayrich@gmail.com to get involved.

Old Deerfield- Spring Sampler Show

This weekend is the first big show of the year, the Deerfield Spring Sampler! Don't be fooled- its actually held in West Springfield- Saturday and Sunday, March 13/14, from 10-5 both days.

LOCATION: 1305 Memorial Av, West Springfield, MA 01089
At the Eastern States Expo, "Home of the Big E."

go here for an admission coupon
http://www.deerfieldcraft.com/Coupon/index.php

My booth will be surrounded by other great artisans from our group "Artisans of Western Mass" in booths 147-150. Artisans of WMASS is a group dedicated to promoting things local and handmade. www.artisansofwmass.com

Hope to see you there!

http://www.deerfieldcraft.com/ for more info

Upcoming Glass Class

Starting Tuesday, February 23, and continuing for 6 weeks, I'll be teaching an intro glass class. The class will be an introduction to flameworking using a portable set up that allows us to create stunning beads out of moretti glass. Learn how to melt glass, form beads and decorate with a variety of technique including dots, stringers, raking, plunging and more. Class is 7-9 Tuesday nights at the Mudspun Art Center in Belchertown.
You can find more info at www.mudspunartscenter.com.

As always, if this time doesn't work for you, contact me to arrange for private workshops or lessons at my studio.

***Also, don't forget to visit the Dirty Truth in Northampton to see my sculpture show before it comes down on Feb 1st. Reception is today, Tuesday, January 26, from 5-7. ***

Sculpture Show and Reception

Sculptural Explorations (Seeking Home)


Come join me for a reception on January 26, 5-7pm, celebrating my current sculpture show! The show is a grouping of work exploring issues of home-safety/danger, fragility/strength, comfort/fear.

If you can't make it on the 26th, stop by the Dirty Truth anytime before February first to check it out.

Start Date: December 21, 2009
End Date: February 1, 2010
Reception Date: January 26
Location Name: The Dirty Truth
Hours: 4pm-2am daily
Address: 29 Main Street
City, ST: Northampton, MA

Artist Statement

We draw lines around everything, we create barriers and borders and barricades, we build walls and fences, physically, socially, culturally, emotionally, economically. Human nature defines the world around us in contexts of in/out, safe/scary, home/foreign, and this system is what allows us to understand the things around us. But what do these lines we draw mean, what do they imply and how do they impact our visions and hopes for our world?
Inspired by these intersections of human life and social context, and the insane necessity of these lines we draw, I join the never-ending search for home. I revel in both the natural world and mechanized beauty, and make nests and cocoons of organic warmth and rigid cold. These forms question boundaries between safety/danger, fragility/strength and comfort/fear. Who belongs and who protects? Who gives life and nurtures it? What is safety and who is home?