News & Views
Photo of Sandwich Village by Joe Janis
Artists on the Porch & Lakes Region Guest Artist space at Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery9/6/2023 Our next Artist Demonstration on the Porch will be Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 10:00 to 1:00. League of New Hampshire Craftsman Larry and Victoria Elbroch will demonstrate their process of combining Larry's photography of trees with Victorie's printmaking. Together they create beautiful, amazing prints in addition to their own individual work. Hope you can stop by and meet the artist! Sandwich Home Industries, which will be celebrating its 100th birthday in just two years, is offering something new this fall, a Lakes Region Guest Artist space in the Gallery. The brainchild of Sandwich resident Mary Coolidge, the Home Industries was founded to help local craftspeople on the eve of the Great Depression earn an income from their work. The building supplied a space where local craftspeople could display and sell the fine crafts they made at home and where they could teach others, so traditional NH crafts would be passed down through the years. When the League of NH Craftsmen was formed a few years later (with Mary Coolidge as its first president) those goals expanded to craftspeople throughout NH. Four years ago the SHI Board of Directors re-dedicated itself to the original mission of supporting local artists and the local economy, at first by expanding opportunities for all local artists to display and sell their work and to teach classes. We’ve expanded the number of artists at Artisans on the Green, and sought new classes and porch demonstrations by local craftspeople. We are thrilled now to be able to offer a space in our Gallery to these folks. On Thursday, August 31, the Gallery welcomed visitors to a reception for local artists. It was received with great enthusiasm from both artists and visitors alike. Local Guest Artists' work will be available in the Gallery through October 9th, after which the Gallery is closed for the winter. We have SO MANY talented artists in our local area! Do stop by! The Board of Directors for The Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery The Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery at 32 Main Street in Sandwich, is open 7 days a week until October 15, 2023. Hours are from 10:00-5:00 Monday thru Saturday and 12:00-5:00 on Sundays. We hope you will stop in and check out the amazing work of artists from all over the state of New Hampshire!
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Please join us for Opening Day festivities at the Sandwich Historical Society, on Saturday, June 24th, from 12pm-3pm. There will be live Traditional Skills Demonstrations outside the Quimby Barn Transportation Museum, and the opening of the Annual Exhibit in the Elisha Marston House. We will also show the rare 19th century curtain painting of Mount Israel in the upper level of the Grange Hall. All of this, plus an outdoor food grill near the demonstrations, outside of the Transportation Museum! First, Live Demonstrations of Traditional Arts, outside of the Quimby Barn Transportation Museum will feature: Brian Stockman, of Tuftonboro, NH, has dedicated his life to the study and practice of a variety of traditional indigenous and colonial artisan craft media, and large-scale figurative sculpture. For our event, Brian will demonstrate the art of scrimshaw carving. His work is in numerous private and public collections. Alli Plourde, from Durham, NH, is a seasoned potter and figurative sculptor working in clay who currently teaches art at Oyster River HS, and formerly at Holderness School. Alli will demonstrate throwing functional pottery on the potter’s wheel. She has a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Master’s degree from RI School of Design, and is a member of the NH Potters’ Guild. Tina Greenfield, from Rensselaer, New York, will be sharing her skills in decorative painting, often known as “tole” painting. It is the folk tradition of embellishing household utilitarian objects with surface paint to transform that object into one of beauty. Ms. Greenfield has been painting in this style on wood and metal for close to thirty years, and has received both regional and national recognition for her work. Her pieces have been shown at the Library of Congress and the White House, as well as at several New England conventions in this field. Corey Slater, from Ashland, NH, is a second-generation pack basket weaver. He will be showing and creating backpack baskets out of traditional materials. They are especially loved among mushroom collectors. Corey has been making custom heirloom pack baskets for people worldwide for about ten years. Second, the Annual Exhibit entitled, “Tiny Treasures, Great Joys”, will open its doors as well. It highlights and celebrates vintage, handmade dollhouses, and other unique, miniature objects from our vast collection; In the Wentworth Room of the SHS.
Please join us for this festive day. And stay tuned for other summer events hosted by your Sandwich Historical Society. —Franz Nicolay, with the Sandwich Historical Society Programs and Education Committee Summer, 2023 Artisans on the Green is a one day fine craft fair on the green in downtown Center Sandwich. This event is sponsored by The Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery (aka Sandwich Home Industries) during our town's Old Home Week and it has been a tradition for many years. Artisans on the Green will be held on August 10th from 10 am - 4 pm. There is still space for artists and craftspeople at our one day, well-attended fine crafts and art fair. We are looking for artisans who might be interested in securing a tent space for that day. We are always excited to have new artists join us, both young and old. A committee will review the applications and will select participating artisans. Please read through the attached application and let me know if you have any questions. It is best to email [email protected] with questions. If you are ready to apply, please download the form from our website, fill it out, and mail it in with your check. . We just extended our due date for applications to May 15th. The last date to cancel is June 15th. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Ralph, the gallery manager at the number below or check out the Artisans on the Green info on the website. The mission of the Sandwich Home Industries is three-fold: to support local artists and the local economy; to provide a welcoming gallery and educational program for area residents and visitors to Center Sandwich; and to collaborate with the League of NH Craftsmen to nurture and promote the creation, use, and preservation of fine contemporary and traditional crafts in New Hampshire.
-- Ralph Watson, Gallery Manager League of NH Craftsmen Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery 603-284-6831 centersandwich.nhcrafts.org Open daily mid-May through mid-October Everything you need to know about this year's Christmas in the Village!For over 40 years, a two-day holiday fair and sale has magically appeared across the town of Sandwich on the first weekend in December. This year’s Christmas in the Village features 19 locations with over 40 participants, selling a wide variety of crafts, fine art, gifts, goodies, and holiday ornaments, greens and décor. You’ll find the holiday spirit everywhere with with many venues offering hand-crafted ornaments and holiday décor. Your Neighbors Flowers and Something Wild Farm is a collaboration between two North Sandwich Farms offering local and sustainably harvested spruce and fir Christmas Trees, table top trees, wreaths and other handmade gifts Saturday 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 9am to 2pm on both sides of the Green in Center Sandwich. Pam Urda will have beautiful evergreen wreaths and centerpieces at Wayside Farm, Amy Brown will have holiday wreaths, kissing balls, centerpieces and ornaments at the Doris Benz Center, and Shirly Glines will show fresh holiday arrangements at the Sandwich Home Industries. Craftspeople and makers will set up in small groups at various locations. At Partridge Hill Farm, you’ll find four vendors in a spectacular barn, open only on Saturday 10am - 2pm only. Rachel Bartlett will have her hand thrown, high fired, functional pottery, glazed to reflect colors of the natural world. Macrame Christmas ornaments, winter paintings, & gnomes are available from Jodi with an Eye. Vicky Dworkin will bring her Fabrications: fabric collage landscapes of local scenes; as well as table top Christmas arrangements from recycled and vintage materials. Laser Focused Designs & Gifts will have unique gifts ranging from charcuterie boards, earrings coasters, holiday ornaments & more. Custom orders are available to make your gifts more personalized. The Doris Benz Community Center will be open Saturday only 9 am- 4 pm, Little Apiary on the Hillside will have local raw honey, beeswax candles, honey based soaps, lotion bars & lip balm, as well as handmade patchwork quilts. You’ll also find hand-dyed napkins, dish towels & clothing, hand carved block printed, silkscreen and real leaves from Robin Cornwall and original photo card of flowers, animals and local landscapes by Jessica Kelly. Wayside Farm will be open Saturday and Sunday 10am-3pm, featuring pottery & wood-turned candlesticks by Ben Shambaugh, jewelry & quilled paper Christmas cards from Amanda Twaddle, Photography, prints & ink drawings by Liz Shelley and a variety of Christmas ornaments, bucket hats, Ukrainian eggs & hand-stitched pillows by Wendy Shambaugh. Get a reallyy sweet treat of fudge and peanut brittle from Jennifer Simpson. Early on, the event featured open studios and workshops, a tradition that continues today. Field Fine Art, the studio of artist and sculptor Kathryn Field will be open Saturday 10am - 4pm and Sunday 10am - 3pm. At MuMandi Glass Studio, Ann Lambert creates colorful fused glass ornaments, dishes and more, open Saturday only 10am to 4-ish. Weaver Suzanne Rowan will have hand-woven items to wear and for the home, rug-hooking & other handmade treasures, also on Saturday only 10am - 4pm. The workshop of Will Lehmann Frames will open Saturday 12/3 10am - 4pm & Sunday 12/4 10am - 3pm. He’s been doing custom picture framing, custom woodworking & finishing for 49 years. Enjoy cookies and cocoa at Kindred Spirit Farm and shop for hand-knit hats, hand-crafted felted soaps, jams, salsas, dog biscuits, & nesting balls for your fine feathered friends.Open Saturday 9 to 4 and Sunday 10 to 3. Of course, the shops in Center Sandwich village will be open, and will also host special guest makers and sellers. The Sandwich Home Industries be open Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday Noon -5pm. Along with the fine crafts from The League of NH Craftsmen, you’ll find photography and photo cards from Susan Lirakis who also makes cozy Polartec hats, Marcy Greene’s handmade bags and accessories, small batch, hand-thrown stoneware pottery by Suzanne Weil and whimsical hand-knit Climate Critters from Anne Richards to benefit . The Porch will be Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm with a selection of gifts, holiday decor, seasonal apparel, and antiques. Stop in to sop and enjoy complimentary home-made cookies and refreshments. Willow Pond Antiques & Goods is unique and whimsical shop featuring antiques and vintage item, home decor, local crafts and unique curiosities, with Sandwich’s own talented ANNE MADE crafts and homemade delicacies Saturday 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 10am to 5pm.
Looking for an old or rare book? Hill Country Books will be open Saturday 12/3 & Sunday 12/4 10am to 4pm. The Sandwich Historical Society will also have books, along withcards, ornaments, Sandwich Fair posters, vintage travel posters, Sandwich Hoodies and Crews, magnets, White Mountain puzzles & more! Also showing at there are Hannah’s Handmade Crafts crochet holiday garlands, scarves and shawls and Kathie Fife Photography & Fabric Art - Fine Art Photography greeting cards, bookmarks, ornaments; art of New Hampshire’s nature, landscapes & historic sites, handmade fabric art gift bags, gift card holders, bowl cozies and napkins, hand-warmers & organic catnip toys. Custom orders available. Open Saturday & Sunday 10 to 3 Visit the Marigold Moon Wildcraft Apothecary for locally wild-crafted plant medicinals in the form of tea blends, tinctures, oils, balms, salves, and more. Beverage teas available. And featuring books by MJ Pettengill, local author, historian & wildcrafter. Saturday & Sunday 10am to 3pm. Feeling hungry? Stop by and warm up at the Ladies Aid Soup & Chowder Luncheon on Saturday from 11am -2pm at Sandwich Community Church. Or stop by the Doris Benz Center whose young pastry chefs have been busy baking up their specialties on Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just a cup of coffee at The Foothills Café and Curio, open Saturday 8am - 9pm and Sunday 9am -10pm and enjoy live Christmas and Celtic music by the CaravanBand from 10am - 2pm both days. Foothills Café will also be hosting local artist Blair Newcomb with oil paintings and card, and Fraser Design’s fabulous winter hats with a Polartec lining by Linda Danielovich. Art by toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners at the Sandwich Children’s Center, a fundraiser to benefit the Center. And before you leave the Fair, have your gifts wrapped and ready to go at Wrap-a-thon Fund Raiser to benefit Advice To The Players, Sandwich’s own Shakespeare Theatre For more tasty treats visit the Young Maple Ridge Sugarhouse for Papa Beans small-batch homemade ice cream and pick some sweet gifts of maple syrup, maple cream, maple candy, maple sugar & maple bourbon syrup -all made on site. Open Saturday and Sunday 9am to 9pm. Or stop by the Mount Israel Grange Hall Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning 9am to noon, and shop for local farm products, garlic, onions, herbs, squash, maple syrup, jams, beef, pork, baked goods & more from Chestnut Meadow Farm and Mountain Breeze Farm to take home. Each venue has set its own hours, and some are only open on Saturday. You’ll find everything you need to know about who’s selling what, where and when, along photos and descriptions of each participant offerings on our website http://sandwichchristmasinthevillage.com, including a printable map to plan your shopping tour. Email [email protected] for more information, or contact Julie Deak at 603-707-0140 or find us on Facebook. What is your name and the name of your business? My full name is Carl Parker Hansen. Named after my father Carl, but not junior. To my closest friends and the government I'm Carl but I've gone by Parker my whole life. The name of my business is Lower Corner Millworks, named after our family home in the old brick store at the historic Lower Corner. How did you get to Sandwich, NH? My relationship with Sandwich goes back as far as I can remember. We summered in our small family cottage on Dinsmore Pond until we moved here permanently in 1999 to renovate the old brick store. My parents met in Sandwich in the early 80s doing theater with the Sandwich players in a production of Our Town. My father owned and operated the only gas pump by the only "traffic light" in town. Generations of our family on the Howe side (my father’s mother was a Howe) have lived on Diamond Ledge and Howe Hill, including Rev. Chester Howe. My father has cousins who still live on Howe Hill in Sandwich. I had moved away to Portland, Maine in 2014 after college, but returned in 2020 to start my own cabinet shop. What got you started in this profession? My father has always been a carpenter and cabinet maker, so growing up I would help him as much as I could. After gaining my degree in Environmental Studies from The University of Vermont, I pursued a career in teaching but after being waitlisted for grad school, I began working at a cabinet shop in South Portland, Maine. For five years I worked my way up to production supervisor at one of the largest cabinet shops in New England, while simultaneously attending Southern Maine Community College to earn an Associates Degree in Architectural and Engineering Design. I then saw an opportunity to return to Sandwich with the skills I had gained, to try my hand at running my own cabinet shop. I knew my father was retiring, as well as a few other cabinet makers/carpenters in town, so I felt that there would be an eventual void that needed to be filled. In the winter of 2020 I started Lower Corner Millworks. Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? Initially I began making signs and small wooden crafts like cribbage boards, catch-all trays, cutting boards, etc., but knew I wanted to be making cabinets and furniture. It took about six months but I eventually built my first kitchen for a client. I’ve made several tables and I was hired to fill an entire home with bookshelf built-ins, bunk beds, an entertainment unit and a full kitchen. I still provide sign engraving services, custom gifts and other misc. products, including 3D topographical maps, flight boards for breweries (a flight board is a serving tray for small glasses of beer or wine or spirits) and the occasional cutting board! I also have a relationship with The Shaker Furniture Company to make furniture parts and I use a CNC router for some projects. A CNC Machine or Computer Numerical Control Machine is a computer-aided router that allows the user to program text or shapes to be cut out or engraved onto a designated material. In my case, I engrave signs into wood or signboard, cut out furniture parts out of wood, create 3D landscapes out of solid wood or cut cabinet parts out of plywood. How did your business get started? My business began pretty easy. Registering my LLC, acquiring start-up funds from The Wentworth Economical Development Corporation and finding a shop space to rent all happened very quickly. My first client was The Shaker Furniture Company, who hired me to make furniture parts before I even had my shop set up. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? The best part of my job is setting my own hours, deciding what jobs to take and basically just being able to do what I love every day. I could be working on a live edge table one day and then making a custom charcuterie board the next. The scope of my work is diverse, which I love. I also get to bring my dog to the shop which is probably the best part. What is the hardest? There are a few difficult aspects of my job. I make my own hours which is fantastic, but not having a "clock-in" time sometimes results in sleeping in a little longer than I should some days! Definitely the most difficult part of the job is juggling every task that goes into running your own business, specifically, bookkeeping. I cannot stress enough how boring yet important it is to keep track of all the ins and outs of my business and I'm learning quickly that hoarding receipts in a manilla folder until tax season is not a great habit to get into. What are your goals and hopes for the future? My goals when I started this adventure were pretty straightforward; to build what I wanted and continue the tradition of craftspeople in Sandwich. I had to leave Sandwich to really appreciate the town I grew up in. When I knew my father was retiring from his long career as a cabinet maker and carpenter, I knew that there would be opportunities to fill the void he left behind. The first year of operating I made four signs for local businesses, several large cabinet jobs, and a contract to provide Sandwich-based Shaker Workshops with furniture parts. I have made countless gifts and game boards for people I grew up around. I joked in my college essay that "Sandwich is a vibrant town full of carpenters and yoga instructors, where the post office parking lot looks like a Subaru dealership." Fifteen years after writing that essay, I find myself driving my Outback to the post office to pick up mail for my own woodworking business. What else can you tell us about yourself and your business?
I'm learning something new everyday. Working in Sandwich means a lot to me. Personally, Sandwich has always been my home, whether it be summers as a small child, becoming our "new home" when I was in 5th grade or when I returned after years away. Creating my business in this small town full of hardworking men and women makes me very proud. Carrying on the traditions of these people is something I take very personally and I hope I can make my family and neighbors proud. To learn more about Lower Corner Millworks visit: lowercornermillworks.com or get in touch with Parker at: 603-986-8391, [email protected]. Facebook and Instagram people can search Lower Corner Millworks Thank you so much to those who came out to support live demonstrations of traditional skills, and the summer opening of the Sandwich Historical Society! We enjoyed your presence and participation. —Franz Nicolay, Programs & Education Committee. All photos are by Charlene Oulette, except where otherwise noted. Summer hours at the Elisha Marston Museum, Barn and Gift Shop will be Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, from Saturday, June 25 to Saturday, September 3. The Quimby Transportation Museum will be open every Saturday from 10:00 - 2:00 PM. Our other buildings will be open during Old Home Week. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website: http://www.sandwichhistorical.org or email us at [email protected].
The Mill, by Wendy KetchumJuly 9th through July 26th. Local artist, Wendy Ketchum, has created an intriguing series of woodcut monoprints based on 19th century New England textile mills. Her exhibit will open at Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery on July 9. The series was inspired by her love of history, 19th century photographs and the “many long rows of massive brick buildings” that dot the New England landscape. Her meticulous technique combines with her subject matter in a series of poignant pictures relating to the history of the “Mill Girls.” The work is inspired by old photographs of mill workers, as well as actual patterns made from fabrics created at the mills. Join us for a reception to meet the artist on Saturday, July 9th from 5 to 7 pm. Ketchum will also host a “conversation” about the “Mill Girls” and their place in our history on Saturday, July 16 at 9:30 am. Ketchum’s artist statement best describes The Mill, a project that has taken her several years to complete: “In the years between 1830 and 1860 tens of thousands of young single women were recruited to leave their family farms in northern New England to seek social and economic independence through employment in the textile mills. Despite the yoke of corporate paternalism, millwork put a new kind of power into women’s hands economically, providing them with the highest wages offered to female employees anywhere in the US at the time. Coming from farms where time was dependent on the seasons, the “mill girls,” as they were called, were faced with the tyranny of the bell and clock tower dictating every minute of their working day. The cotton that fed the mills was grown and processed by slave labor in the American South, and a portion of it was woven by mill girls into coarse cloth to clothe those very slaves creating a closed circle of labor. Many of the mill girls became ardent abolitionists, in addition to becoming labor reform activists fighting for better working conditions through walkouts, mass rallies, strikes, and the creation of one of the first labor reform leagues in the country.
The exhibit will be on view through July 26th. The gallery is located at 69 Maple Street in Center Sandwich. Gallery hours are from 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday and Monday, if the door is open, come on in. www.patricialaddcaregagallery.com, 603 284-7728 What is your name and the name of your business? Nancy Jones Hansen, my business name is Sewing. It leaves no question as to what I do! How did you get to Sandwich, NH? I met a guy....! I came to Sandwich in 1980, married a local. We lived here for several years and then moved to Bethel, Maine for 15 years, returning in 1999. On our first date, my husband, Carl, looked at the Brick Store and announced he was going to live there some day. So here we are in the Brick Store, running our businesses from one of the most iconic buildings in town. What got you started in this line of work? My mother was a sewer, and taught me to sew over Easter vacation when I was 12, on my grandmother's treadle sewing machine. (Sounds like I'm really old, but it was a really old machine at the time.) I've been sewing ever since. Once out of college I realized I could make money sewing. I applied for a job with a small wallpaper/fabric store. I had a basic book on how to sew everything. The owner would ask me if I know how to do... whatever. As long as it was in the book I said yes and got the job. I've been sewing for people in Sandwich for 30 years. Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? There is no Home Economics any more in schools, so people are not learning sewing as a craft or vocation. I think it's a dying art. I am fortunate that I have sewed for over 50 years and have done just about everything in the field, from simple alterations to designer drapes and swags. I've done prototypes for people with new ideas, and repaired antique quilts. When/how did you begin your business? In the 80s Carl worked as a contractor and I became a division of that, Hansen Homes & Interiors/Sewing. Carl has retired from building, mostly, so now he works for me. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your job? I like to see people happy with something they thought was ruined and now it's good. Weird is fun, repetition is repetitive, but it pays the bills. Quite often I get clothes or ties from someone who has lost a loved one and want a quilt made from them. T-shirt quilts are fun because usually all of the shirts have meaning to those who receive it. If I know the person, even better, then I can add to what I know of their personality. My business is my hobby, so I get to do it everyday. What is the hardest? The hardest is being sure people are happy. Even after all of these years making things for people, a little voice always wonders, "will they like this?" So far so good. What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? I had the best job during Covid. People still needed things fixed. I just did a lot of business out on the porch. Of course I made many, many masks. Both donated and some for sale. It was a good way to use up small pieces of fabric. What are your goals and hopes for the future?
My goal for the future is to retire! This seems impossible as the phone keeps ringing. Two or three seamstresses have closed in the last year for different reasons so there are not as many people sewing. For the near future, I'm still working. I have a new shop space at our house and I hate to give it up. What else can you tell us about yourself and your life in Sandwich? In 1980 I married into Sandwich. Coming from Detroit, it was a big change, but a good one. Friends from 1980 are still here and still friends, and now their grandchildren play with mine. All three of our children live in town, which made our Covid bubble very nice. We travel more now, but it's always nice to come home. We live in the most beautiful place. [email protected] 603-387-4767 What is your name and the name of your business? Anne Metcalf Perkins, Anne Made How did you get to Sandwich, NH? I am one of the fortunate who was born in Sandwich. I have always known how special that is. My mother’s parents had a camp on Winnepesaukee and they decided to settle in Sandwich at the end of World War II. Lester Lear was from Gallipolis, Ohio. Isadora Schmidt Lear was born in Philadelphia. My father’s family had a camp on Squam Lake. At the age of 20, my father, Lance Metcalf, decided to settle in Sandwich, after leaving the Marine Corps at the end of the war. My parents met in Sandwich, probably at a Town Hall square-dance. After my mother, Nancy Lear, attended UNH for a year, they were married at Saint Andrews in Tamworth. Tell us about your work. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? I am a textile craftsman and have made and sold everything from bed quilts and wallhangings to Christmas ornaments and dolls. Currently I’m working with cashmere and making fingerless gloves. What got you started in this work? My grandparents were both craftsmen. My grandmother, Isadora Lear, did crewel embroidery and was a weaver. My grandfather, Lester A. Lear, was a silversmith and did enameling on copper. My uncle, Peter C. Lear, was a silversmith. I was surrounded by talented textile people as a child, and l was encouraged from a very young age to work with textiles. Grandad studied silversmithing in London, England with Robert Stone, a member of the London Silversmith’s Guild while helping to set up Stars and Stripes, the military news magazine. When he came to Sandwich he studied with Karl Drerup and learned enameling. He sold both his work in silver and enameling at the Sandwich Home Industries. Grammy's parents lived in Mt Vernon, NY when she was growing up. Her father, Louis Schmidt worked as a medical illustrator, and later as a photographer for illustrations for medical books at the Rockefeller Institute located in Rockefeller center. He also did illuminated manuscripts and produced skilled etchings. Isadora Studied embroidery at the Royal School of needlework when they were living in London. She and Lester were both juried members of the NH League of Arts and crafts. When spending winters in Mexico both Isadora and Lester studied painting at the Art Institute of San Miguel d’Allende. Isadora taught herself how to do embroidery left handed so she could teach her left handed granddaughter the skills. Neither of my parents were full-time craftsmen. My mother, Nancy Lear Metcalf, was a skilled tailor and an accomplished knitter. My father, Winslow Harris Metcalf ( known as Lance) was a skilled welder, blacksmith, carpenter and mechanic. He designed many labor saving devices for many different trades in 1950s Sandwich. Growing up at 12 Main Street gave me endless opportunities to hang out and learn (pester, question) the League craftsmen. (Twelve Main Street was first my grandparent's home when they moved to Sandwich in 1945. They sold the house to my parents, Nancy and Lance, and I lived there until I went to boarding school.) I was within walking distance of the League shop and my grandparent's and my Uncle Peter’s homes during my entire childhood. I took many classes at the League as a child. Classes I took: pottery, silversmithing, drawing and watercolor and whatever was offered. I took classes every year. When/how did you start your business? When I was about 10 years old I was a locally-juried maker of potholders and Christmas ornaments sold at the Sandwich Home Industries. I’ve never stopped making things. I attended an arts-oriented boarding school, Wykeham Rise in Washington, Connecticut, and the Nantucket School of Needlery on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. I went to junior college for a year and I went to nursing school at Hartford Hospital and worked as a nurse for three years. Living away from Sandwich from 1964 until 1971 made me so homesick I got a pass to Old Sturbridge Village to remind of home within driving distance. I ran a bookstore in Conway and worked for Jan Burnell cooking and baking food which was delivered to Sandwich town folk by her husband. Many people remember Jan who worked as a chef for Jane and Don at the Corner House. For many years starting in 1981 I sold my work at the Corner House Inn when it was owned by Jane and Don Brown. Representatives from Better Homes and Gardens saw my work at the Corner House and invited me to design and produce kits for a variety of needlework techniques. I worked as a Better Homes designer for four years while remaining in Sandwich. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? I love the creation of designs, the problem solving in pattern making and color choices. I am never bored. I found it challenging and rewarding to use a sewing machine. I pretty much invented what I was doing so nobody had seen it before. What is the hardest? Working at home as a craftsman was a challenge at a time when it was not considered to be work by many. The local banks didn’t recognize craft work as employment so it was almost impossible to get a bank loan. There were a lot of interruptions because I lived in the village and people expected hospitality whether it was a convenient time or not. I was a parent and was trying to keep four employees busy. It is different now. I have more flexibility. My child is an adult. I have no employees. I have earned credibility. How has this last Covid year affected your work? Other than not attending markets or fairs, not at all. My work keeps well and I found retail outlets elsewhere. What are your goals and hopes for the future? To keep up my standards, abilities and eyesight as long as possible. What else can you tell us about yourself and your life in Sandwich? There were many craftsmen who settled here in the fifties, sixties and seventies, and I remember some wonderful collaborations. Bob Wright and Lance Metcalf created metal sculptures from found objects. Peter Lear collaborated with a local potter to make lamps. The INN wallhanging was a collaboration between Elli Ford, artist, Don Brown, artist, Anne Perkins and Judi Dunlap quilters. Many craftsmen collaborated on a friendship quilt for Daphne Alcock Frentress who lived in Australia for a number of years, including, Louisa Miner, Nancy Metcalf, Anne Perkins, Ellie Dow, Helen Bryant, Bunny Michael, Louise Page, Robing Dustin, Bunty Walsh, Shirley Burns, Dot Harding. I want to thank Jane and Don Brown, Mark Duffield, Nick Floyd, Crosby and George Bonsall, Betsy Switzer, Denny Taylor, Ferne Tilton, Betsy Leiper, Bruce Montgomery, Catherine Hope, Nancy Papp at Mocha Rising and the League of Arts and Crafts for encouraging my craft business. I want to thank my employees, Judi Dunlap, Elli Ford, Betty Alcock, Priscilla Grant, and John Perkins. My Daughter Ellen Perkins collaborated on a lot of designs with me and was an employee for a long time.
My current work is available for purchase at Willow Pond Antiques & Goods, 22 Main Street, Center Sandwich. Martha Nichols writes: For one special day during August, over 25 New Hampshire craftspeople will gather together at the beautiful Sandwich, NH town green in front of the League of NH Craftsmen gallery for the annual craft demonstration and sale day, called Artisans on the Green. This year the event will be held on Thursday, August 12, when the Main Street of Center Sandwich will once again become a center of craft celebration and fun for the entire family. This year’s Artisans on the Green, held during the annual town-wide Sandwich Old Home Week, promises to have something for everyone: craft demonstrations, access to artists, beautiful crafts for sale, animals to pet, and delicious food by the Sandwich Woman’s Club. The Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery organizes this remarkable day and is also the sponsor. The entire event is free: there is no admission charge and there is plentiful parking at marked locations in the historic and beautiful town of Center Sandwich. The event is held in rain or shine from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There are many favorite artists returning this year, such as Diane Johnson of Soft Touch Farm needle felting, Marion Federspiel digital paintings of landscapes, Zee Hayford sterling silver jewelry, Marcy Greene canvas bags, Dick Devens architectural watercolors, Jennifer Libby soaps and pottery, and Hog Hill Pottery. New this year are Sandwich potters Suzanne Weil and Rachel Bartlett, Anne Richards and Donna Carlucci fiber artists, Martha Spaulding mosaics, and Ralph Watson Fiber art. Always popular demonstrations on the green and hands-on activities will be available for kids. In addition, many artisans will show you examples of pottery making, needle felting, digital painting, and watercolors in their individual tent locations throughout the day. Every craftsperson on the green is eager and ready to answer questions while encouraging visitors to learn about the skills, materials, and production steps necessary to “do it yourself.” Everyone is encouraged to wander on the green, learn, have fun, and find unique crafts to own or gift. A founding member of the League of NH Craftsmen, Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery continues to support craftspeople from all regions of New Hampshire and to educate children and adults through its programs. The gallery of fine crafts is open daily from May through October. For a list of craft courses available during the 2021 season, see: https://centersandwich.nhcrafts.org/classesworkshops/ League of NH Craftsmen Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery
603-284-6831 centersandwich.nhcrafts.org Gallery Hours 10-5 Monday - Saturday 12-5 Sunday Please join us for an exhibit that bursts in color and joy from the palette of Margery Thomas Mueller. Large and small blooms painted in watercolor on Yupo paper will adorn the gallery walls beginning Saturday, July 24th with a reception to meet the artist from 5 to 7. Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery is located at 69 Maple Street in Center Sandwich. Visit our website for more gallery information. Margery Thomas Mueller lives and works in Alton, NH. Her large multi media paintings were first exhibited at Patricia Ladd Carega gallery in 2015 and at the Red Dot Gallery at Mueller’s studio. Drawn in India ink and gesso on Yupo paper, an unforgiving industrial plastic, these paintings talked of troubled souls moving through the thickets of life. The travails of others dominated Mueller’s work at the time. As we continued to soldier through Covid, Mueller added decoupage birds to her branches, a symbol of freedom and flight.
In her latest series of work on view at the gallery, India ink and gesso have given way to intense color. Fascinated by the effects of watercolor on Yupo, this new series of work shimmers with the happiness of a garden in spring. In Mueller’s words: “Liminal space…the world in between – between a world I live in and a world I listen to, that has always been what has driven my imagery.” Like all of Mueller’s work, the flower paintings are strong and energetic. Though color impacts the first view, a second glance reveals how delicate this work is. We welcome you to spend some time with Color Awakens. Does it awaken a reaction in you? Patricia Ladd Carega gallery is open from 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 on Sunday. We are closed on Monday but if the barn door is open, come on in. 603 284 7728. Patricia Carega Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery www.patricialaddcaregagallery.com 603 284-7728 What is your name and the name of your business? My name is Kathryn Field and my business is Field Fine Art. How did you get to Sandwich, NH? Sandwich became my home full time in 1999 when my late husband Philip Simmons and I moved here from Chicago. His family had a home here since 1961 and I first visited Sandwich in 1984. We were both teaching at Lake Forest College in Illinois and Rich Benton, Phil’s childhood friend, built our home on land next door to Phil’s parent’s home on Taylor Road in 1992. We called ourselves contemporary nomads and moved back and forth from Chicago as our academic calendar allowed, until 1999 when we moved here permanently with our two children, Aaron and Amelia. I taught as an adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State University for a number of years and spent 11 years teaching art at Holderness School. Leo Dwyer, my creative partner, husband and best friend moved from Sunapee a few years after we started dating. We married after a long courtship and many of you know him as one of our selectmen for 5 years. We are both active members of our community and think living in Sandwich is the best place in the world to call home. What got you started in this profession? I have been immersed in artmaking since childhood and started teaching at the University level after graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have always been interested in teaching all levels of art. In graduate school I got my start teaching children’s art classes. Throughout my career as a professor I continued to produce my own sculpture works and eventually moved into painting. Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? I started my business Field Fine Art in 2015. It is a professional teaching studio and practicing art space. The business functions on three levels. First, as a teaching studio. I want to provide a space for people to explore their creativity and learn new skills. Second, as a showroom/gallery space where I meet with clients to show them the range of my sculpture or painting works—models of completed commissions and works in process. And third, it is where I do my work. When not teaching or meeting with clients, I am a full-time practicing artist, painting and creating sculpture. My work is represented by Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Sandwich. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? Teaching people and guiding them to see the possibility of integrating creativity with their lives is the most thrilling and satisfying aspect of the job. Having students return year after year and sharing in their enjoyment of working in the studio space and sharing ideas with others is most gratifying. Students range in age from 4 to 93 and every age brings a new and different perspective to the art process. Working on commissions is equally fulfilling. Commissions are a collaboration of minds. A client brings a vision or idea of what they want. Seeing the joy they get when I can visually bring life to their concepts, feelings and thoughts making a tangible piece of art for them to enjoy. I work on sculpture commissions for both private homes and public spaces. I have over a dozen public sculptures located in the Midwest and East Coast at universities, churches, public buildings, and parks. This loon sculpture was designed for a private client for their summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee. The client wanted a sculpture of a loon. We talked for several hours in my studio where I showed him other sculptures of birds that I had created, we discussed material options, scale and cost estimates. During the meeting I drew some ideas out and discussed the idea of using the wind to make the sculpture turn. The next step was to make a life size scale model of the loon. I took the model to the client's lakeside property and made a video with my phone which I sent to the client who lives in Washington state. The final drawings were done with paper and pencil, then photographed and worked on in Adobe illustrator, turning the drawings into a vector format which then go to the fabricator. Once the pieces are laser cut I work in the shop with the fabricator on shaping and bending the pieces until it is finished. This part of the process is also a collaboration of several people, that's what makes it so gratifying. My paintings, and small bronze and stainless sculptures, are in over a hundred private collections in the USA, Australia, and China. My most recent commission will be installed in Betsy’s Park in Holderness, NH. Another bonus of working on commissions is that I get to collaborate and work with my husband Leo Dwyer who is a trained architect and is an invaluable part of my creative process. The three paintings below were created for an exhibition titled Sandwiched in Seasons, exhibited last summer at Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Sandwich. The inspiration for each of these paintings were from daily walks I take in our town and an exploration of the seasons. I always have my camera on my walks and there is an endless source of imagery in our own backyards.The scale of my paintings range from small intimate landscapes to large 3ft. x 6ft. canvases. I work in watercolors and primarily oils. I also paint with oils and gold leaf on my laser cut stainless steel works. I really enjoy combining materials and seeing how the different textures play off each other to evoke a unique surface. During the quiet of Covid I had time to experiment and began working on a series of large weathervanes combining landscapes and animal images. These new sculptural creations serve both form and function, a whole new twist for my business to explore. What is the hardest aspect of your work? As an artist the hardest aspect of running a small business is marketing and selling the work. That is a necessary and important aspect of the job but one I do not relish. Making art takes one set of skills and I am passionate about that aspect of the business, but marketing takes a skill that challenges me. That is why I am most grateful to the SBG and Janina Lamb for creating this opportunity for members like me to introduce ourselves to a larger community. What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? All classes in the studio were cancelled during Covid. I did some online teaching using zoom but primarily taught private classes to one student at a time wearing masks in a large open classroom space. I had been teaching art to the inmates at the Belknap County Department of Corrections and that had to be put on hold during Covid. The sculpture production was impacted by the cost of materials increasing and not always being available. But happily, my group classes will resume this July in the studio and at the Sandwich Home Industries where I also teach. What are your goals and hopes for the future? Now that Covid is behind us, I look forward to holding classes in the studio year-round. I am offering three new classes this summer—Material Madness, Making Cards, and Open Studio Practice—in addition to the range of painting and drawing classes that I have offered in the past. My flower and vegetable gardens will be in full bloom providing great inspiration for painting and drawing outside. I welcome commissions large and small, for gardens, homes, and parks. I am really excited to see the newest sculpture commission placed in Betsy’s Park in Holderness. Betsy’s Park will be a great gathering place for people to enjoy the beauty of our area, throughout the seasons. What else can you tell us about yourself and your business/organization?
I enjoy working with others to enrich our community especially in the area of the visual arts and education. I serve on the board of the Yeomans’ Fund for the Arts and The Sandwich Home Industries. Both organizations strive to bring creative educational opportunities to our community. I am a hiker, avid gardener, and enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. Visit my professional website at www.kathrynfield.com and my teaching website at www.fieldfineart.weebly.com. I CHING or BOOK OF CHANGES |
News & Views
News of what's happening in Sandwich and other items of interest. Meet Our Members
Please enjoy the Sandwich Business Group's 2021 project called Meet Our Members. Read interviews with fascinating people who live here and run businesses, organizations, and engage in other creative pursuits.
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