Fall Farm Festivals

Well the summer has been grand and I'm just pulling all the strings of life back together after a wedding/ honeymoon hiatus. Things came together really nicely just in time for our wedding and we got the place looking great, which is perfect because we are hosting the Chilifest so soon. I'm pretty sure we have the only bright blue barn in Hadley, so we are easy to find.

The 5th Annual Chilifest (formerly hosted by Stone Soup Farm, now Kitchen Garden) will be held on Sunday September 16, 12-5pm, and it is going to be awesome. We've really ramped it up this year- we've got great bands, food vendors, People's Pint beer, local artisan marketplace sponsored by Artisans of WMASS, chili cook-off, the whole nine yards. Mark your calendars because its going to be a lot of fun! 

But before that! Wait! This weekend is the Tomato Festival at Red Fire Farm. Katie Ray Arts will be there too, with lots of veggie gear, spiral mobiles, beads and more. Spark! Art Share will also have a booth, so come visit us. If you sign up for a Spark! share now, you'll be getting it for half the price for half the year. Its a great way to give it a try with less commitment.                                          Anyway, these are just a few of the great farm festivals going on this summer and fall. I hope you get to enjoy all that the area has to offer with these celebrations of local food, culture and community.   

I'm also teaching a beadmaking class this Sunday at Northampton Beadery. If you've been looking to learn, here's a perfect chance, and if you can't make this one, there are more coming. Here's a sneak peak into my studio, where you are always welcome to visit or come learn. 

Summer News and this Week's Events

Summer is sinking into me, punctuated by the fabulous fresh food I enjoy from Kitchen Garden and great hiking and biking. This week, I'll be heating it up in my studio though, preparing to be at the Northampton Tuesday Market tomorrow with lots of veggie gear, and then heading to Crafts on the Common on Saturday in Amherst with plenty of new sculpture.  We've also been working on barn renovations, and I'm excited that my glass studio now has proper ventilation and a beautiful window with views out onto my baby orchard! The barn has a new concrete floor, will be painted soon, and then my welding shop will be moving back.  Watch for an open studio weekend coming in the fall.

SHOWS
 Come visit me and sample all the tasty, local produce in Northampton tomorrow.

Then on Saturday, stop by the Common in Amherst for one of the best-established and most well respected craft fairs in New England to see a stunning array of local handmade products to benefit a great cause- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

Shop and support a great cause at the Amherst Crafts on the Common   Saturday, July 14, 2012 ● 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ● Amherst Town Common

 

Admission is free, and the event will be held rain or shine on the Amherst Town Common. The fair showcases quality jewelry, ceramics, furniture and more for sale from more than 100 juried artisans. The fair also features great food, a silent auction and booksale, and musical entertainment by some great groups. 

 

I'm focusing on metal sculptures for this show and I'll be using my great new mesh walls to display sculpture and other new metal work.  Stop by to see the newest addition to my repertoire- decorative planters made of a steel and glass to hang in your home.   

SPECIAL: Mention this blog posting at either event and get 20% off your entire purchase at my booth. 

SPARK

In other news, Spark! Art Share continues to flourish, and as we continue to spread the word, we hope you'll help!  This month's Spark! Art Share comes from 230am studio,  the creative home of mixed media and paper artist, Donna Beck. Working with handmade paper, pulp, surface-decorated papers, found objects, fibers, beading and stitching, she creates a wide variety of mixed media artwork.  She'll be at Food for Thought Books on July 21st distributing the Spark! shares and she'll have additional work on display for anyone who comes by. 

WORKSHOPS

In addition to my upcoming introductory beadmaking class at Northampton Beadery on August 26, I've joined forces with the new Yellow House- a community center for learning in Palmer, to teach a 2 part workshop in October.  Check out their websites, or as always, contact me to make arrangements to come to my studio or set up a workshop in your home. 

CHILIFEST

Last, but certainly not least, save the date for the 5th Annual Chilifest, hosted by Kitchen Garden (formerly Stone Soup Farm)- September 16, 12-5 at 81 Rocky Hill Rd in Hadley.  More details coming soon, but I can tell you it's going to be a blast. We've got a stellar musical lineup, 3 fantastic local food vendors, chili cook-off with prizes and People's Pint will be pouring brews. It'll be a great time!

Local ARTery and other spring things

This Saturday, May 19th, promises to be an exciting handmade filled day for me and many others. I'm hoping you can join to! Local ARtery, Artisans of WMASS's signature show, will be held at the Pushkin Gallery in Greenfield, MA from 10-5. This locally handmade event will feature over 30 artists and artisans from all over Western Mass, including the Pioneer Valley, Berkshires and North Quabbin Region. Local ARTery promises a fun, diverse and kid friendly shopping experience.  The Greenfield Farmer's Market will also be happening across the street in the morning so you can get your tasty local produce and beautiful artisan work all together. 

Also on Saturday is the 3rd Spark! Art Share pick up at Food for Thought books, this time featuring work by Taylor Ceramics. Taylor Ceramics make fantastic forms in clay with incredible organic and whimsical detail.  You can still sign up for a share, or check out her display on Saturday even if you don't have a share. 

I'll be teaching a glass beadmaking class at Northampton Beadery on Sunday, May 20th. I'm not sure if this class is full, but call if you are interested because there is another one coming up in August.  And as always, contact me for private parties or lessons at my home studio in Hadley. 

My line of veggie earrings, pendants and bottle stoppers has recently been added to the collection at Nash Gallery in Easthampton, MA and will be coming soon to Pete's Produce in PA.  I'm always looking to expand the stores and galleries I work with, so if you have suggestions, send them my way. 

If you didn't get to see my sculpture show at the Burnett Gallery, you can see some of the work at Tip Top Country Store where I'm the featured artist for May/June. The rest of the work is with me now, but will be heading to NAACO Gallery in North Adams soon, which is a fabulous gallery to visit. (It's also in the beautiful Berkshires and right next to MASS MoCA which adds to the package.) There are some images from that show on facebook here.  

That's all for now. Enjoy the amazing weather!

All that comes with fall...

The busy time for crafters is beginning! This weekend in Springfield is one of my favorite shows from last year, Mattoon Street Arts Festival. This show has been going on for a long time and has a great reputation. The website touts that "The Mattoon Street Arts Festival features 90+ exhibitors, food vendors, and strolling musicians. This is the longest running arts and crafts fair in Western Massachusetts, and one of the best in New England.Parking and admission are free. We are only three blocks from I-91. Come join us at this family-friendly event. Great for holiday shopping, seeing new craft ideas, or just walking on a beautiful Victorian street."



As you start to have thoughts about holiday shopping, remember to not only visit handmade shows, but also support those businesses who carry local artists' work. You can find my work in a variety of places throughout the area- Northampton Beadery, Red Lion Inn, North Adams Artist Co-op Gallery, Petersham Craft Center, Bridgewater Art and the Wandering Peacock. Coming soon you will also be able to find my work at Salmon Falls Gallery in Shelburne Falls and Happy Valley Gifts in Northampton. If you do go shopping at one of these galleries, thank them for supporting their local makers and let them know that you care.

Artisans of WMASS is excited to announce that we are now officially a non-profit, and we have a beautiful new website, thanks to Vicki of Weyakin Designs. AWM is always a great source to find local handmade goods, and now you can search by types of products, or by artist. You can also find out where which shows we'll be at by looking at the shows and events page.

And finally, if you are still dying to take a beadmaking class, I have one coming up in Northampton on October 22. Contact Northampton Beadery to sign up. Limit 5 students so call quickly if you are interested. My new studio in Hadley will be up and running by the winter, so if that date doesn't work for you, you can also contact me to make other arrangements.

Enjoy the beautiful New England Fall!

Florence Friday Festival

This afternoon you can find me at the Florence Friday Festival. Great band, awesome food, kid activities, friends & colleagues & neighbors. Handmade treatsies. What better way to enjoy a Friday afternoon in the summer? Come join us from 3-7 at the Cutlery Building in Florence.



I'm about to be off on some adventures for a few weeks, but when I come back it will already be time for the 4th Annual Chilifest at Stone Soup Farm! Save the date- Saturday, August 20, 12-5. Farm festival featuring a chili cook-off, live music, salsa tasting, farm tours, artisans and more.



Finally, for anyone looking for a beadmaking class in the Northampton area, I'll be teaching a 4 hour introductory workshop on October 22 at Northampton Beadery. Contact them to sign up. http://www.northamptonbeadery.com/