News & Views
Photo of Sandwich Village by Joe Janis
 The Gallery, photo by Reed Gowey What is your name and the name of your business? Patricia Carega (Patsy), Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery  Bob Mueller (husband of gallery artist Margery Thomas Mueller) and Patsy at a Gallery Opening. Gallery photo. How did you get to Sandwich? Sandwich found me. My brother lived in Moultonborough in a wonderful house with a view of the Sandwich Range and the best cold-water pond ever. I fell in love with the White Mountains. I was at a juncture in my life and in search of a new adventure for the next phase. My four children were in college or beyond, and I wanted to get back into the gallery business that I had left behind in a move from Washington, DC to Miami. A barn in New Hampshire would allow me a life in the mountains and the challenge of selling contemporary art in New England. I left Miami and moved north to Center Sandwich. I have never been disappointed that the barn on Maple Street screamed, “Buy me” during the summer of 1999.  Sunshine Farm in 1999 What got you started in the business? A long relationship with art, and art history followed me from childhood throughout my life. I spent a year in Florence studying art history at the University while also trying my hand (not very successfully) at sculpture. After my marriage to Paolo Carega , Roman, we moved from New York to Rome. Paris followed. My interest in art increased with long walks around these cities, their amazing museums and the exhibitions of contemporary artists against a background of living art history. The gallery bug really bit hard when we left Paris. I missed the art scene I had known abroad and decided to create my own. I began a gallery career in 1983 in Washington DC. Ten incredible years there taught me a lot about the business. The economy shut us down in 1993. I joined my husband in Miami with the idea of opening a gallery there. No gallery, many soccer games and fundraisers later, I packed up and moved to Center Sandwich.  Patsy seeking inspiration in Venice, 2018. Photo by Marco Carega Tell us about your business. I sell contemporary art, figurative or abstract in all media. Facing four college educations I couldn’t afford to buy the work that I would have liked to own. Therefore the direction of my gallery has always been to show the best work I could find for the best prices I could offer. I look for excellence and innovation in ideas and technique. But I also search for something deeper that I cannot quite explain. This could be an underlying peace, a strong social comment or simply a whimsy that delights the soul. Art should never grow old. A piece of art should be even better ten years after the day you bought it. I show a very eclectic collection of work, as there is no one style or technique that governs my choices. The other fascinating part of the art business is education. Artist’s talks, workshops and demonstrations have always been a part of the schedule. Over the years topics have included the Book as Art, Inspirational Kites, sketchbook journaling, and heart maps as well as many conversations with painters, sculptors and photographers. I should also mention the year I was quite taken with creative shoe decoration. This workshop yielded some unique creations.  Kites in the Gallery. Gallery Photo. I am happy to say that over thirty some years in business, I have been able to give a start or a boost to artists beginning their careers. The art business is not an easy one and it is a real thrill to know when one of my artists has made it to a museum collection, an international exhibit, or a corporate venue.  An artist’s talk. Gallery Photo. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your job? Studio visits, finding new work, and best is giving a client the happiness of taking a great piece home. I love meeting people who come to the gallery and the conversations that ensue. People and art are an exhilarating combination. I love installing exhibits and I love creating new shows in the barn’s vast space. What is the hardest? The economy and political scene can be difficult. People’s thoughts and emotions are elsewhere. Days when no one comes into the gallery are the hardest. The periods of no sales when you begin to think its time to close the door are the very worst.  Patsy and her favorite clients. Gallery Photo What has happened to your business during this last Covid Year? The pandemic was a challenge. Instead of opening in May as usual we waited until July 1st and then the question was how to show art safely and more than that how to make people want to come to the gallery. Creative barnstorming resulted in Drive Buy shows. Pam Urda made a wonderful Drive Buy car sign for the driveway and we strung a clothesline between the trees in front of the house where we hung her floor mats. The trees were covered by mostly chickens in all forms of their silly adventures. It was a rewarding experience to have people come by the gallery and thank us for being open and more than that thank us for making them smile.  Summer 2020 drive-by art exhibit. Photo by Janina Lamb  Patsy and her gallery cohorts, CCWhite, and Lisa Heard. Gallery Photo. What are your goals and hopes for the future? I am looking forward to bringing a wonderful summer of creativity to Sandwich. I hope we can put Covid behind us and move forward with a renewed energy directed towards an interest in the arts in Center Sandwich. As always we will bring a collection of amazing talent with a smidge of whimsy to the gallery this summer.  End of summer, 2020. Photo by Janina Lamb What else can you tell us about yourself and your business? Like other businesses in Sandwich, we work internationally. I find it thrilling that a small business in a small town can have far flung clients across this country and abroad. The far reach of the Sandwich tentacles will forever amaze me. One never has to pass through Sandwich to get to another town, yet we are an invigorating island of creativity and nature.  The Gallery’s CCO (Chief Canine Officer) hard at work. Photo by Patsy Carega
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 The Museum, photo by Janina Lamb What is your name and the name of your organization? Jim Mykland of the Sandwich Historical Society. How did you get to Sandwich, NH? I first washed up on the ledges at the Pothole in July or August of 1956 when I was six months old. My parents were friends in New York with the Pohls and the Lungams who had bought houses in the Maple Ridge/Mount Israel Road area and we came up to visit them that summer. We came back summers after that, staying in the cabin that the Pohls had on Maple Ridge Road. In the mid 1960’s my father retired and, the North Shore of Long Island having grown up from the farms and pine barrens of the immediate post war years when they moved there, my parents decided to move to Sandwich full time in 1966. We moved here the October I was in fifth grade, just after the Fair. I went from a baby boom Town with three elementary schools (and building a fourth) of three or four classes of each grade to Sandwich Central School with a combined fifth and sixth grade class of about 16 students.  Jim, shortly before he first moved to Sandwich. What got you started working with SHS? I have always loved our little Town between the lakes and the mountains. All the old houses and fascinating people I remember growing up. I first visited the Museum probably the summer after we moved here. The thing that grabbed my attention at 11 years old, naturally, was the dugout canoe. And the model of Center Sandwich made by the Quimby School boys in the 1930’s. I came back often over the years to wander around the house. I was fascinated by Sandwich history.  The dugout canoe in the museum. Photo by Janina Lamb In the late 1980’s, in what I can only assume was an act of desperation, I was asked to serve as a Trustee of the Society. I’ve been here pretty much ever since serving as a Trustee and officer including four years as President. I came back in the 2010s as a Trustee and later Vice President. In December 2020 I was asked by the Trustees to serve as Interim Executive Director. Tell us about your organization. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? The Sandwich Historical Society has, in its hundred plus years, made a concerted effort to collect and preserve historic artifacts and ephemera that directly relate to Sandwich. It became evident that a building would be needed to house this collection and in the 1920’s the Society bought the Elisha Marston house at 4 Maple Street in The Center. Over the succeeding years, the Society has added other buildings to our holdings as the need became evident. We currently own the former Quimby School barn, which was moved across Maple Street and now houses the Transportation Museum of Sandwich-related vehicles, both great and small, including the magnificent Sandwich Coach that used to transport mail and people from Center Harbor to Sandwich and West Ossipee. We also own the former Mount Israel Grange Hall on Maple Street, the former Heard family barn off Skinner Street in The Center, and the former Lower Corner Schoolhouse on Schoolhouse Road.  The Transportation Museum, photo by Janina Lamb Throughout the year the Society sponsors programs, talks and walks that highlight features and people of our little hill town. One of the more popular programs is ‘Pictures from the Vault’, an hour or so sample of some of the thousands of images in our collections. Another day might find a walk in The Center or Lower Corner or The Notch highlighting architecture and people who have lived in the area in the past.  SHS promo for this winter’s zoom offering of 'Pictures from the Vault.' Perhaps of more lasting impact than artifacts and buildings, the Society, following its founding principle of collecting and sharing the history of Sandwich, has a unique canon of over a hundred years of written history of the Town in our annual Excursion Booklets. These Excursion Booklets cover the entire history of the Town from the very beginning until today. In the early years these were truly excursions to various neighborhoods in Town sharing the history of each area and collecting the precious memories of older residents before they slipped away. These booklets form an invaluable history of our small town between the lakes and the foothills of the White Mountains. In 1995 the Society published ‘Sandwich, New Hampshire 1763-1990’ a one volume history of the Town compiled by a number of talented writers who were also members of the Society.  SHS gift shop. Excursion Bulletins, and much more, are available from the gift shop and the SHS website. Photo by Janina Lamb How did SHS get started? The Sandwich Historical Society was founded in 1917 by a group of full-time and seasonal residents who had grown concerned with the steady loss of artifacts leaving Town as old homesteads were sold and auctioned off as well as the loss of the unwritten Town history as older residents passed away and their stories and memories vanished with them. For a more detailed history of SHS, please visit: http://www.sandwichhistorical.org/society-history.html  Earliest photo of the Elisha Marston House, late 1800s. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? Working with our great knowledgeable staff Jennifer Wright and Lauren Hansen and our Trustees and Officers. The Society is truly a group effort and being able to interact with these smart, hard working staff and volunteers is exciting and intellectually challenging and very educational to me. What has happened to your organization in this last Covid year? The Society offers an annual exhibit at the Elisha Marston House Museum. Last year due to Covid our buildings were closed and the volunteers and staff created a virtual exhibit, both remote and online, with banners and QR codes around Town highlighting historic women of Sandwich and their stories. There was also a virtual Excursion during Old Home Week that provided a driving tour to all their houses.  Judy Coolidge, one of the Women of Sandwich featured on a poster in 2020. Photo by Janina Lamb This year we are planning to be back in the Elisha Marston House Museum with the exhibit featuring portraits by Susan Lirakis of Sandwich mothers and their daughters taken over the last forty years. There will also be an online exhibit again this year.  Doctor’s desk at the Elisha Marston House Museum. Photo by Janina Lamb What are your goals and hopes for the future? In the most immediate sense my goal is to get the Society back to its normal functioning level as quickly and as safely as possible. Our goal for this year is to have a summer exhibit and our annual excursion this August.  The Museum, late summer. Photo by Janina Lamb What else can you tell us about yourself and your organization?
The Society is still governed by a volunteer board of trustees with the assistance of a few paid staff members. It exists through the generosity of our members and donations from the public and the thoughtfulness of benefactors over the years. We are here to try and answer your questions about Sandwich and what went on here and what is happening here today. We offer our superb research library to writers and those doing genealogical research. For more information on when our buildings are open and to check a listing of upcoming programs and events visit our website at www.sandwichhistorical.org. Or you can contact us at sandwichhistory@gmail.com.  Cath and Gunnar in the vineyard. Photo by Kristin Berg What is your name and the name of your business? Gunnar Berg of Hill People Winery (Hill People LLC). Started in 2013 with Catherine Graham and 100 vines. How did you get to Sandwich, NH? In 1950 by train when I was 10 months old, then by automobile after that. I learned to walk and talk in Sandwich. I was born and grew up in Black River Falls, WI. My father’s side of the family was of Norwegian descent, and my mother’s Scotch/Irish. Her maiden name was Jane McCrillis. Her parents were Neil McCrillis and Marion Bullard McCrillis. The McCrillis family built on the Whiteface Intervale in 1789, so there is a very long history in Sandwich, which I discovered in 1972 when I moved here full-time because everyone seemed to know my business before I knew it myself. I was a student at the University of Wisconsin, Wausau and Madison, when the Vietnam war caused mass protest and disruption. I was an apolitical engineering major and switched to psychology for my last two years. After getting clubbed and teargassed for no reason I could see, I headed for the hills. Peace and quiet, clear water, clean air. I could not resist.  Gunnar in 1977, after moving to Sandwich. Photo by Pam Hitchcock What have you done since you came to Sandwich? I think my very first job was picking rocks from what was to become a clay tennis court. Come to think of it, that is an apt description of my 49 years in Sandwich- picking rocks. It is said—and I can verify this—that you can dig a big hole, separate the rocks from the soil, put the rocks back in the hole, and when it’s full you will have all the soil and a pile of rocks left over. After rock picking, I got a job at the original Sandwich Cabinet Shop. When the owner abruptly vacated to Colorado, I was left holding the bag with many unfilled orders. With a pathetically small SBA loan, I bought the equipment and set up shop. Over the next 35 years I specialized in custom woodworking from guitars to kitchens to resurrecting Tappan Chairs.  Gunnar turning Tappan Chair posts. 2000 (approx). Photo by Gunnar Berg Microwaves and the lure of high speed internet intruded on my woodworking and I built a solar powered wireless internet network in 2003 to try and bring Sandwich up to speed so to speak. The next 16 years I devoted to keeping people online through everything the Northeast could throw at me. That was exhausting and I tried to think of yet another career that I knew nothing about that would allow me more time, in what should be my laid back retirement, to spend on the Hill, which was why I moved here in the first place.  Installing a 900 MHz antenna on Red Hill. 2013. Photo by Catherine Graham Tell us about Hill People. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? Hill People LLC is a mom and pop vineyard and winery located on a high southern slope of Flat Mountain in the Sandwich Range. We specialize in wines from northern cold-hardy grapes developed at the University of Minnesota by Elmer Swenson of Osceola WI. We also produce wines from local fruits and berries. The winery—and our home—is off-grid and solar powered, probably the only winery in the state that is. Sitting at 1300', it is also the only vineyard at that elevation. We sell through Farmer's Markets and directly from the winery. Our tasting room will be open by appointment once the novel corona virus becomes a minimal threat to public health.  The Winery, 2020. Photo by Gunnar Berg How did this business get started? In 2012, at the Vermont Pub and Brewery in Burlington, Cathy and I started talking about possibly starting a micro-brewery. Since it seemed that’s what too many people were doing, we nixed that and I floated the idea of hard cider and planting an apple orchard. Cathy simply said, “You do know how old you are- right?” And so the search for Northern cold-hardy grapes- which you could harvest at 50% in year 3- was on. In 2013 we planted 100 Marquette, Prairie Star and LaCrescent grapes- in 2014 another 100, and in 2015 another hundred. Growing grapes this far north is a real challenge, to say nothing of Japanese beetles, bears, turkeys and cedar waxwings competing with you. Given the limited amount of juice available from 300 vines, which is about the maximum that Cathy and I can manage, we branched out into other fermentable fruits and berries that were available locally. Our first departure from wine made from grapes was dandelion wine, which I made from my grandmother’s recipe. That was followed by blueberry, apple, honeyberry, pear, peach, tomato, and aronia berry. These non-grape varieties are now our staples.  Dandelion picking…it takes a village, or at least a group. Photo by Gunnar Berg  Cath tending the vines. Photo by Gunnar Berg What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your project? The most satisfying part is after the very lengthy process of growing or gathering the fruit, crushing, fermenting, racking, and bottling, ending up with a product you like and are happy to share.  Some Hill People Winery offerings. Photo by Rob Caldwell What is the hardest? The hardest parts are all the random variables that get flung at you out of the blue. Could be bears, could be black rot fungus. What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? Business was down 60% in 2020. What are your goals and hopes for the future? We would like to be known for very local and very homemade unusual wines that can be best in class. We need to spend more time marketing and getting our wines on many more palates. It wouldn’t hurt if we could turn a profit.  Young Gunnar, 1984. Photo by Martha Nichols.  Gunnar in 2010. Some things don't change… much. Photo by Shannon Caldwell Contact hillpeople@cyberpine.net, through our Facebook page at https://facebook.com/hillpeoplevineyard
or by calling 603-986-9769 (Gunnar) or 603-491-2004 (Cathy).  2021 Midsummer Fairies featuring (from L-R) Hanna Street, Julia de Avilez Rocha, Maryssa Wanlass, Ethan Fifield, J.J. Werner, and Hazel Dassori-Kaye. Photo by Rowan Heard What is your name and the name of your organization? Jessie Chapman (Executive Director), Advice To The Players  Jessie and daughter, Lenore. Photo by Kelli Towsley How did you get to Sandwich, NH? ATTP's founder, Caroline Nesbitt, was a guest Director at Plymouth State University while I was a student there. Caroline invited me to perform in As You Like It in the summer of 2007 and I fell in love with the town and the company. I returned many times as a teaching artist, stage manager, and performer and finally moved to Sandwich in the fall of 2019. What got you started in this job? I earned my degree in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College in hopes that I would be able to return to Sandwich someday and help the company that had meant so much to me thrive. I have always loved teaching, and working with ATTP has allowed me to share my love of teaching and theatre with this truly unique community. Tell us about your organization. Advice To The Players creates live theatre productions, Shakespeare based educational programs, and a myriad of other literary and performing arts opportunities for local teens, amateurs, and professional artists. We produce Shakespeare outdoors in the summer, working with area schools, performance venues and retirement communities—and even host an annual holiday production of Twelfth Night. We offer camps, workshops, and personalized mentorship opportunities for teens and early career theatre artists.  2019 Shakesperience! Camp production of As You Like It. Photo by Janina Lamb How did your organization get started? Caroline Nesbitt founded Advice To The Players in 1999 after training with Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. ATTP originally produced performances with Community School students and professional actors at The Barnstormers Theater in Tamworth. What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your job? The best part of my job is seeing teens and young adults who have worked with ATTP grow up and discover how they'd like to engage with the world. There are many adults who now perform with the company or work as Teaching Artists who were students of mine in ATTP's camps or at Plymouth—and there are many others who do not continue in theatre but are making remarkable contributions to our world.  2019 pre-covid rehearsal for The Taming of the Shrew. Photo by Diana Evans. What is the hardest? The most difficult aspect of my job is the hard decisions I need to make when income for a program falls short, or unexpected expenses arise. There is a level of personal sacrifice involved with running a small nonprofit that can be challenging—thankfully the boundless joy involved outweighs this almost every time. What has happened to your organization in this last Covid year? We saw tremendous support from the community, which allowed us to survive, despite losing over 80% or our anticipated earned revenue. We created theatre in new and innovative ways and were able to safely provide a full season. While we were able to provide lots of opportunities to local artists, many of the professional artists and emerging artists we hire rely on lodging in the community in order to come here, which was not possible last year because of Covid, so there were many artists who could not work with us due to these circumstances.  Shakesperience! Camp Zoom performance of As You Like It in 2020. Screenshot by Janina Lamb How do you see the future of this organization? I see a future for ATTP where we have a much stronger and more involved connection to the area schools along with further developing many of our budding partnerships with other local institutions.  Winter's Tale (2020) featuring (from L-R) Frederick Bickford, Lucy Randall-Tapply, Callie MacIntyre, Maddie Gadbois, Andrew Bemis, Ethan Fifield, Jessie Chapman, and Cheryl Fifield. Photo by Zach Glennon What else can you tell us about yourself and your business? Since we could not safely have an audience for our March production this year or tour in person to area schools--we created a unique filmed performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the beautiful Partridge Hill Farm Barn in Sandwich (a thousand thanks to the Hird family for generously offering their beautiful venue). This production will be available to all virtually from April 23-May 2 only. We hope you will enjoy this one of a kind offering featuring local talent and quite a bit of magic. Email contact@advicetotheplayers.org for the link!  2021 Midsummer Court featuring (from L-R) Em Judkins, Chris Boldt, Marion Posner, Alicia Edgar, Rowan Heard, Julia de Avilez Rocha, and Caitlin Cremins. Photo by Connor White Please enjoy the second installment of SBG's Meet Our Members!  Yoga teacher training at Dragonfly, photo by Katie O'Connell What is your name and the name of your business? My name is Katie O’Connell, and I am the owner of Dragonfly Yoga Barn Studio & Retreat.  Katie plays the harmonium, photo by Declan O'Connell How did you get to Sandwich, NH? My family moved to Center Sandwich when I was eleven and in the 6th grade. They had visited locally for years and loved the area, so we moved to Center Sandwich while our home on Wing Rd. was being built. Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? Dragonfly Yoga Barn is a yoga studio and intimate retreat center offering daily classes, as well as yoga and meditation retreats, yoga teacher training, workshops and series classes, seasonal concerts, and an occasional wedding. How did your business get started? Well, that’s an interesting story. I started practicing yoga 23 years ago, right after my daughter, Bridie, was born. It was love from my very first downward dog. I practiced regularly for about three years before one of my teachers suggested I get certified so I could come and teach yoga at her gym. During that time, my husband, Declan, and I had already disassembled and moved our first of three old barns (which some will remember as Edwin Elliott’s old barn across from the spring in North Sandwich). We put it back up as a barn on Bennett Street, about a mile from its original footings, and then started to look for another barn to move as our house.  Downward Facing Dog in the Studio, photo by Katie O'Connell While the search was on for the second barn, I completed my first yoga training and began teaching weekly yoga classes at the Benz Center, at a local gym, and at Inter-Lakes High School where I was an English teacher—getting my yogi feet wet, so to speak. It was back in 2003 that I named our business “Dragonfly Yoga.” I’d always loved dragonflies and knew the animal spirit of Dragonfly as the energy of transformation, and since I believe yoga has the power to transform us in all capacities: body, mind, and spirit, it became our namesake.  Our new logo, designed by Stacey Lucas, Veggie Art Girl, in 2020 The second barn went up as a house in 2003, we moved in during the fall of 2004, and in the summer of 2005, a friend of Declan’s was at a baseball game in Moultonborough and heard a man asking if anyone needed an old barn! Funny thing was, about a week before this, I had told Declan I would love to have a small yoga studio up here near our new “old” home on the edge of the forest… and literally the barn just appeared! We took the third barn down and stored it for almost two years while we started to make plans for building the studio.  The Studio comes into being...photo by Katie O'Connell I completed another yoga training in 2006, completed a final year of teaching English before I gave my notice, and in 2008 jumped into yoga full time! My Benz Center yogis actually came up to practice in the yoga studio when it was just a post and beam frame--they wanted to be a part of it from the very beginning. It was a magical time! We ran our first yoga retreats in 2009, and the rest is, well… a new piece of Sandwich history--all under the eaves of three old barns.  2007: First class in the Barn Studio, before completion! Photo by Declan O'Connell What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? I love sharing yoga with my daily yogis, my retreat yogis, and my trainees. It’s hard to pinpoint what the most satisfying thing is, but I would say it’s when a student has that “a-ha” moment and something shifts in their body or mind as a result of the practice. The recognition that yoga can support us where we are in our lives at that moment--as well as in our evolution as beings--is very inspiring to me. What is the hardest? Owning a business on the farthest outskirts of a small town can be pretty challenging. We’ve spent over a decade wondering how many students would make the trek to the Whiteface section of Sandwich for a daily yoga class. I have such an amazing and dedicated crew that have been rolling out the mat together for years--and they love the community we’ve created, but sometimes it’s not easy to complete with frost heaves in the winter and living in a place with so many amazing things to do outside in the summer.  The Yoga Barn in fall, photo by Katie O'Connell What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? Our last retreat at Dragonfly was 14 months ago. Thinking about how many events have been cancelled in the past year is a little overwhelming at times. But Declan has been my greatest help and biggest cheerleader. To give it some perspective, I left for India in early February 2020 to lead an Ayurveda and Yoga retreat--there were 16 of us in the group--and I fully expected to reopen my studio upon arrival home, but when I barely made it back to the States on March 16th after a series of cancelled flights and hold-ups in Mumbai, it hit me that life was changing for all of us. I came home to lockdown and had to pivot to online teaching. As much as it was nerve wracking to be in front of a live camera every day, putting my classes online has been something I’ve wanted to do for years. It has been so successful, I now think I’ll keep the online options even after we reopen to the public. What are your goals for the future? I can’t wait to lead international retreats once again... so stay tuned for adventures in Hawaii, Ireland, Greece, Central America, India, to name a few. It might take time to get back to some of my favorite spots and destinations, but I have faith we will have those wanderlust adventures again soon.  Retreat in Mexico, 2018 What else can you tell us about yourself and your business? I love to garden, cook, spend time with my kids and husband, and perform with my band The Starlight Honeys. I love to paddleboard, snowshoe, walk in the forest, and I could spend days beachcombing for stones and shells. Sunrise and sunset are perhaps the most precious moments of the day for me. I’m definitely a Nature girl. All of these things are woven into who I am as a yoga teacher and what I share with my students every single day here at Dragonfly Yoga Barn. It is a wonderful way of life, this Yoga pathway, and I’m so grateful to be here in beautiful Sandwich.  Declan and Katie, photo by Amy Corston. Katie O’Connell, E-RYT, AHP, HBM
Dragonfly Yoga Barn 280 Bennett Street, North Sandwich, NH 03259 (603) 707-7529, dragonflyoga@gmail.com https://dragonflyyogabarn.com In this year of Covid, SBG is not undertaking many of our previous initiatives, such as a marketing brochure. Instead, we want to promote our members and the Sandwich business community in new ways. Meet Our Members will be a recurring feature in which we learn more about the Sandwich folk engaged in local businesses and nonprofit organizations. These will be stories about our friends and neighbors, as well as their businesses.  Martha Nichols, outside Sandwich Home Industries, photo by B. Ulm What is your name and the name of your business/organization? Martha Nichols, Gallery Manager of The Sandwich Home Industries; aka League of NH Craftsmen Center Sandwich Gallery How did you get to Sandwich, NH? I have lived in Sandwich for 37 years! Before moving here in the early 1980s, I came to Sandwich as a child because my grandparents loved visiting the lakes and mountains of NH when they were young adults. They brought their family and rented a cottage on the lake and my parents continued that tradition every summer of my childhood. When my aunt and uncle bought an old farm in Sandwich in the 50s, I became a regular visitor to Sandwich. What got you started in this job? The manager job sort of fell into my lap when a friend told me about it. I had taken early retirement from teaching high school and was looking for a new adventure.  Sandwich Home Industries, photo by M. Nichols Tell us about the Sandwich Home Industries. The Sandwich Home Industries is a non-profit organization supporting local artists and the local economy by providing a welcoming gallery and educational programs for area residents and visitors to Center Sandwich. The gallery sells a wide selection of fine hand-crafted items, and offers classes in arts and crafts. Our gallery stocks traditional and contemporary fine crafts made by juried members of the League of NH Craftsmen. Our Education Program is the cornerstone of our mission – we create a varied curriculum for both adults and children. How did the Sandwich Home Industries get started? The Sandwich Home Industries (SHI) has a rich history of supporting the craft economy of Sandwich. The Industries began in 1926 when Mrs. J. Randolph Coolidge and a committee of local Sandwich women organized an exhibition of locally made rugs and brought an expert from Boston to give a talk on the practical aspects of making and marketing rugs. From this experience the committee decided to form a cooperative venture. The Sandwich Home Industries opened in the summer of 1926 selling locally made handicrafts to support the local economy.  Circa 1933. Ladies, and a couple of gents, look at handmade crafts. Photo courtesy of Sandwich Historical Society. It was such a success that, a few years later, Mrs. Coolidge went to the Governor of NH to request a state-wide arts and crafts organization. In 1931, NH Governor John Winant supported their idea, establishing and funding the NH Commission of Arts and Crafts. As a result, the League of NH Craftsmen was formed in 1932 with Mary Coolidge as their President. The League of NH Craftsmen has become one of the oldest and most recognized craft organizations in the country with seven galleries located throughout the state. For over 88 years, the nonprofit League has promoted fine craft, supported craftspeople, and educated and enriched New Hampshire’s communities.  Sandwich crafters, circa 1990. Counterclockwise, from left: S. Rowan, D. Marshall, L. Marshall, K. Pohl, B. Adriance, M. Gotshall, R. Rozelle, S. Lirakis, D. Little, R. Ayotte, R. Wetterer, unknown basketmaker, S. Zucarelli. Photo courtesy of Sandwich Historical Society What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your job? The manager job allows me to use skills I acquired in my career as a teacher. I find it most satisfying to collaborate with creative people, so setting up the gallery each season is quite fun. I am interested in Feng Shui and enjoy arranging the gallery so that it not only looks beautiful, but has the positive feel and flow of energy throughout. It is most satisfying to observe customers’ reactions when they visit the gallery. I also enjoy learning more about the many aspects of marketing and social media, which has been new to me! What is the hardest? The hardest part is schlepping inventory from League Headquarters! Many artists deliver their work to us (we take most work on consignment), but we will also pick up merchandise in Concord. What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? The beginning of the pandemic was nervewracking. We (the Board of Directors and myself) had no idea if it would be safe to open or if people would want to come out to shop. Ordinarily, we open mid-May, but we were in lockdown, so we waited to see what the State would decide. When we were able, we decided to open on a limited basis last year, which meant 3 days/week. We laid off staff and reduced my hours. We applied for the government grants and were able to stay afloat, thankfully. I was surprised at the number of people who came by to shop last summer. They were happy and thankful that we were open. Of course, we practiced safety measures recommended by the State, and the season progressed smoothly. This season, we are planning on opening mid-May with our usual 7-day schedule. We are also planning our 2021 education program.  Barbara and Katharine, properly masked and ready for closing inventory.Photo by M. Nichols How do you see the future for this business? The brick and mortar retail business is challenging these days since one can buy almost anything on the internet. SHI has even started selling some inventory through the League Galleries Webstore. However, I believe that seeing fine craft in person at our historic gallery and being able to touch it and pick it up as well as imagine it in your own space is critical. Our town, in the summer particularly, is a tourist destination. People enjoy stopping by and finding that special NH-made gift or item for their home. It is best to experience art with the senses and one can’t get that while online shopping.  Art class and Youth Art Show on the Green, summer 2020, photo by M. Nichols What else can you tell us about yourself and your business?
We have amazing talent and dedication on our Board of SHI Directors and are working on strategic planning for the future. We maintain the historic character of the building while making necessary repairs and updating displays. Collaboration with local businesses is also important to us. Last summer we held an Artists on the Porch series where we invited local crafters to sell their work. We are always looking for new ways to engage our community and would love to hear more ideas from Sandwich folks. I am looking forward to Spring and starting our annual opening process. This year marks our 95th season and we are working to keep SHI going strong through its 100th Anniversary and beyond. Martha Nichols, Gallery Manager League of NH Craftsmen Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery PO Box 164, 32 Main Street Center Sandwich, NH 03227 603-284-6831 Open mid-May to mid-October Shop our gallery online!! |
News & Views
News of what's happening in Sandwich and other items of interest. An archive of blog entries from May, 2015 to May, 2018, is available here. Categories
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Lexi Townsend, the new owner of the Corner House Restaurant & Bar, is proud to be a sustaining sponsor of the Discover Sandwich website.
It was Lexi's childhood dream to have a restaurant which was a journey to get to and a historic hidden gem once you've arrived. Corner House is precisely that. |
Lexi’s mission for success comes from an intense passion to create beautiful dining memories that last a lifetime. She invites you to explore the lovely town of Sandwich and then enjoy the Corner House Restaurant & Bar. The Corner House serves dinner nightly from 4:30 pm, and is closed Tuesdays. Monday Trivia Nights, live music, storytelling and specials. Tea Room daily From 8:30 am. 22 Main Street, Center Sandwich, 603-284-6219
cornerhouserestaurantandbar.com
cornerhouserestaurantandbar.com
Jon Greenawalt
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Personal Mastery Programs, a Sustaining Sponsor of this website, is proud to support the Sandwich Business Group in its efforts to promote small business in Sandwich and enrich the community through events and initiatives.
To learn more about Personal Mastery Programs, see the listing under services on this website, or go to www.pmpcoach.com |
Jon Greenawalt, of Personal Mastery Programs, writes:
Those who visit Sandwich, NH, often find themselves planning to return. Some even return here to live. What makes Sandwich such a prized destination? An invigorating atmosphere, friendly people and quiet streets. Clear waters and scenic views in the White Mountains. Plenty to see and do embedded in the vibrant spirit of an historic New England town. I am grateful to be part of this exceptional community.
Those who visit Sandwich, NH, often find themselves planning to return. Some even return here to live. What makes Sandwich such a prized destination? An invigorating atmosphere, friendly people and quiet streets. Clear waters and scenic views in the White Mountains. Plenty to see and do embedded in the vibrant spirit of an historic New England town. I am grateful to be part of this exceptional community.
Grateful thanks to the Alfred Quimby Fund, the Town of Sandwich and Wedco for their support.
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Many thanks to the Sandwich Business Group and all its members for supporting Sandwich's vitality and well-being. To join the group, please visit SBG membership 2019, or if outside of Sandwich, SBG Associate Membership.
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Sandwich Business Group • PO Box 116, Sandwich, NH • 03227
©2020 • Sandwich Business Group • all rights reserved • website designed and maintained by Lamb & Lion Studio
©2020 • Sandwich Business Group • all rights reserved • website designed and maintained by Lamb & Lion Studio