What is your name and the name of your business? 
I am Cathy Crooker and my business is Crooker Consulting.

How did you get to Sandwich, NH? 
Mine is one of the typical Sandwich stories – I spent my summers here as a kid. As a family we hiked, played tennis, went canoeing, and performed together in the 70’s versions of the Sandwich Players Gilbert & Sullivan productions under the legendary Bob Bates!
 
When my parents, Charlie and Lib Crooker, retired here in 1980, this became “home base,” the place I came back to for family visits.  I lived in Oregon all those years, primarily working for nonprofits doing fundraising, but treasured my visits to see family and get back into the mountains I love. 

When my husband, Griff O’Brien, retired a few years ago, I had the flexibility through my business to live anywhere, so we chose to return to Sandwich full-time.  And we are so thrilled that we did!  We love this community and are honored to be a part of it.

What got you started in this profession?  
After graduating from Oberlin College with a Soviet Studies degree I migrated to Oregon.  Like many fundraisers of my time, I happened upon an opportunity in development with no notion that this would be my career. When an entry-level job at the Easter Seals Society showed me how donors could help improve the lives of children with disabilities, I was hooked! 

From there I went on to run all the special fundraising events for The American Heart Association in Oregon, and my path in fundraising was set!  I went on to work in healthcare and higher education fundraising in and around Portland, Oregon, with a detour during the 1990’s running a business exporting food to Russia (another topic for another day!)

Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? 
Crooker Consulting helps dedicated nonprofit leaders achieve bold visions.  I help volunteers, boards and staff learn how to raise more money, I help them develop strategies & visions that will resonate with donors, and I help boards grow and evolve.

I have a passion for improving our community.  It is a gift to be in a profession where I help connect committed donors with organizations that are creating positive change, whether that is curing cancer, housing the homeless or enhancing the cultural fabric of the community. And I know that anything is possible when we align our energies in common purpose!

How did this business get started?  
In 2015 the wonderful woman I was working for at Community Action in Oregon was set to retire.  I decided at that time I was also ready for a transition to the next phase of my life and was ready to launch out on my own to offer what I could to a range of clients.

My experience in both very large and very small organizations lends me a unique set of skills.  I am trained in the best practices of major fund raising inside large capital campaigns and I use my creative abilities to bring those vital tools to organizations with small staffs and limited budgets.  I have learned that budget and size are not a hindrance to creating breakthrough fundraising strategies.

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
When I see a board and an organization pull off a big dream that they weren’t sure was possible, I get a lot of satisfaction.  The size of the budget doesn’t matter that much – for example, it was just as exciting for me to help the small arts cooperative raise the $100K they needed to repair their gallery as it has been to help the $55M arts center raise the money they needed.  The joy comes from  helping these incredibly dedicated volunteers achieve what they set out to do for their community.

What is the hardest? 
I wouldn’t say it is hard, but it makes me a bit sad when an organization turns out to be “un-coachable.”  It doesn’t happen often, but I have had a few instances when organizations paid me to give them advice, to help guide them, and then they decided not to listen and learn. I have come to understand over the years that when this happens, I need to sever the relationship as early as possible, and not take any more of their precious money, most of which was usually given to them by donors. I have to recognize when they are just not ready for the next step.

What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? 
At the start of the pandemic my business did drop – several capital campaigns that were underway or about to start stalled or didn’t launch.  But after a few short weeks of mild panic and some readjustment, I found new projects with some long-term clients who needed extra support during the crisis.

 For example, one of my very first clients, a food bank in Portland, Oregon, was raising MORE money than they ever had and needed a lot of help navigating through their busiest fundraising year ever!  I was inspired to see how the community stepped up in unprecedented ways to give to this organization that was right on the front lines of the crisis, and it was also amazing to realize that with all our modern technology (bad internet in Sandwich aside…) I could be just as helpful to them from our little village as I could have been had I still been in Portland.

Griff & were also able to adjust our lives so that during COVID – and now moving forward – I don’t have to work a hard as I did!  So, I am taking more time for tennis, hiking, fiber arts, and spending time with friends.  

What are your goals and hopes for the future?  
My goal is to continue to be of service to the clients I have the privilege of supporting, and to balance that with plenty of time for all the richness that life in Sandwich has to offer – and to add more travel back into the mix!

What else can you tell us about yourself?  
I am an avid hiker and active with the Over the Hill Hikers.  I am also an addicted fiber artist - my new home studio holds my nine spinning wheels and multiple looms!  Since moving to Sandwich, I have also enjoyed getting more involved in a formal way with some volunteer work, including serving on the Broadband Advisory Committee.

Griff & I just recently moved into our new, permanent retirement home, a project that has been in the works for a few years (and a challenge during COVID).  We are now enjoying settling into our completely off-grid home on Elm Hill Road.

Cathy Crooker
503-577-5448
[email protected]

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

What is your name and the name of your business?
Drs Casey and Adrien Cloutier, Sandwich Animal Hospital.

How did you get to Sandwich, NH?
We moved here in 2017 from North Dakota, after purchasing Dr. Dolan's practice and former residence. We had been looking to move closer to family - Adrien is from Stark, NH and Casey is from southern CT - and we missed New England. When Adrien found Dr. Dolan's advertisement in the back of a veterinary journal, it felt like it could not have been a more perfect fit for us and our growing family, with its distance to our family and the ability to have a small farm on the property.

What got you started in this profession?
Both Adrien and I wanted to be veterinarians since we were children. We met while attending veterinary school at Tufts University. We both worked on the school's farm for several years and enjoyed working with both small and large animals. I worked solely as a cattle veterinarian, working in local sales barns and in the countryside of North Dakota, for nearly two years before switching to mixed practice. Adrien has worked in mixed practice since graduating veterinary school. 

Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? 
We are a mixed animal veterinary clinic. We offer both in-clinic, farm and house call services, when possible, and see everything from guinea pigs to pigs on a farm! In addition to Adrien's surgical skills, we are able to have a board-certified surgeon in-house for some more complicated procedures and we recently have begun working with a mobile veterinarian who provides ultrasound services in-house, with advance appointment.

How did your business get started?
We were lucky enough to buy an existing practice from Dr. Dolan, who built the business over several decades of hard work and compassion. In addition to the excellent preventative and general practice care that Dr. Dolan provided, we have been slowly adding more services to the clinic - like basic large and small animal ultrasound capability and in-house labwork. We hope to continue to build our skillset and offer more to the community in the next few years, such as acupuncture and laser therapy.

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your job? 
Being able to care for the animals, the furry family members, of our community is the most satisfying - we love seeing happy, healthy, thriving patients around town. 

What is the hardest?
Medicine and health care is not one-size-fits all, both from a lifestyle and a financial perspective. We work hard to make treatment plans that adhere as closely to the established standard of care while taking into consideration the family's budget and expectations, as well as the animal's quality of life. This is hardly ever easy but it is one of the most important parts of our profession.

What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? 
Like many businesses, we have been operating as a curbside service since March 2020. While our clientele all took this in stride, and adapted to curbside care as we did, we miss the quality time we spend with owners inside the exam room. We have always felt strongly about working as a team with owners to guide care and we enjoy getting to know owners as more than just a person attached to a pet - this has been much harder to do with social distancing and curbside care. 

We have also halted our house call services for the time being. We were proud to offer house call service for our elderly/home bound clientele, as well as for our elderly patients. It was a much appreciated service and we know it is missed.

We are lucky to have remained open (and busy!) this past year but, as our children have remained home since March 2020, have been limited to one doctor in the clinic at a time. By the fall, we should be back to operating with two veterinarians in the clinic at least three days a week.

What are your goals and hopes for the future?
We hope to continue providing high quality personalized care for the animals in Sandwich and surrounding areas. 

What else can you tell us about yourself and your business?
People can't help but notice, whether they are driving by or visiting the clinic with a pet, that in addition to the clinic, we manage a small farm. We raise Angora goats and a handful of Shetland sheep, in addition to innumerable chickens, geese, pigs, Maremma sheepdogs, and the occasional bottle calf. 

Our kids love helping out with chores and are often running around the place, making mud pies or building fairy houses. We feel truly lucky to be able to both work and raise our family here in Sandwich and are grateful to this community for their support.

Sandwich Animal Hospital
477 Whiteface Road
North Sandwich, NH 03259
O: 603-284-6206
F: 603-284-6110

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 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 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.

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
Performing. touching an audience enough to make them laugh, cry, discover something new about themselves, or  inspire them to make the most of the brief time we have. 

What is the hardest?
Satisfying my need to do the perfect show. Someday I will do that. I'm pretty hard on myself. I usually follow the bows with the feeling that I could have done better.

What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? 
I have not started Club Sandwich yet because of Covid. We open July 2, 2021

What are your goals and hopes for the future?
Stay healthy. Sing better.  Play guitar better. Write more songs. Create the perfect musical performance. Welcome people back to my show again.

What else can you tell us about yourself?
I like people who are open, honest, and outspoken.  That's New Hampshire at it's best. I also like people who choose happiness.   

Click to watch John give a tour of the new Club Sandwich.

Club Sandwich, 973-634-8149.
For tickets and information please visit johndavidson.com

What is your name and the name of your business?
My given name is Margaret Merritt, but usually go by Peggy. When I was a child in southwestern Ohio, my mother used my given name only when I was in trouble; i.e., “Margaret Merritt, you get in here right this minute!”

I started “Basket Street Papers” around the time my husband Ron Lawler and I bought our house on Basket Street and I began making paper there. My focus has now turned from papermaking to printmaking.

How did you get to Sandwich, NH?  
I first visited Sandwich in the early 1970s during an afternoon drive to explore the region around the Holderness School where I was attending a scientific conference.  

My real connection with New Hampshire began with a 1986 vacation, when Ron and I were living in Norfolk, Massachusetts. We rented a Lake Ossipee cottage from Betsy Rouner who soon became a close friend. She introduced us to a number of Sandwich folks, including her brother Lee and his wife Rita. We bought a camp on Mt. Israel Road, near Booty Farm, in 1989. Summer weekends and vacations in that camp led to our buying the Basket Street House in 1996 and becoming year-round Sandwich residents in 2002. 

How did you get started in your profession? 
I began taking evening classes at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art in Michigan when I was research chemist at The Upjohn Company and eventually found my art niche in printmaking. I left active printmaking when I began teaching at Wellesley College in 1982.  In my last two years at Wellesley, I taught  “Chemistry and Art,” a lab-studio course for non-science students and included a section on etching.   Parts of that course were expanded and included in a lecture series on the “Chemistry of Library Materials” that I presented to staff of the Harvard University libraries in fall of 2003. 

The beautiful papers used in printmaking drew me into my first New England art-making experience in 1998 when I took a course in Japanese hand papermaking at the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. That experience led to my making paper outside on Basket Street during the summer and in the bathtub in winter. While still at Wellesley, I was juried for papermaking in the Sandwich Home Industries and began to show and sell some of my paper art there and elsewhere.  My work, under Basket Street Papers, included cards, pulp paintings, and dyed and painted papers and grew in scope after my retirement in 2002.

One of the my most interesting papermaking projects was creating a piece containing recycled U.S. currency in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Crane Museum of Papermaking in 2005. The Crane family has made the paper for all United States currency since 1879. Composed of shredded discarded U.S. currency and Asian fibers, my contribution  “Strong as the Dollar” highlights the inter-dependency of world currency and is now in the permanent collection of the Museum. 

I painted with wet colored pulp in addition to making paper in sheet and sculptural forms. Such pulp paintings served as the basis for a collaborative piece, with lithographer Anita Dillman, that now hangs in the cancer research center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Suzanne Lee of Lakes Gallery at Chi-Lin, then in Meredith, helped facilitate this commissioned piece. 

Even when making art papers, I longed for an etching press. Etching processes require a fairly expensive, heavy press in contrast to the simple equipment used in Asian-style papermaking.   Shortly after refreshing my printmaking skills in a 2005 course at Plymouth State, I bought that much desired press. As with each sheet of handmade paper, most of my prints are now made—pulled—individually by hand, using my press.

Although I continued both hand papermaking and printmaking work for over a decade, my principal focus gradually shifted to the latter. I recently gave away most of my papermaking equipment; some will be used to establish a papermaking studio at Smith College. 

The experimental and collaborative nature of modern printmaking resonates with the scientist in me. Printmakers constantly seek new ways to translate their imagined images into reality and willingly share their discoveries. One of my most rewarding printmaking adventures came from collaboration with two other New Hampshire artists, Anne Garland and Wendy Ketchum. Together we produced twenty unique prints containing a distinct layer from each of us, and led to an exhibition at the Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in 2016. 

Tell us more about your work. 
The natural world provides the inspiration for most of my designs, ranging from realistic impressions to abstract interpretations. I make each of my hand-pulled prints individually by transferring inked images from one or more flat plates to paper. I often overlay different images by sequential printing of multiple plates with different inks to produce a single print.

Most of my early Sandwich prints were made from traditional chemically etched copper plates to produce black and white etchings.  

I have embraced other techniques and color in more recent prints. “On the Edge,” was included in a 2017 exhibition focused on climate change at the Carrega Gallery. 

Using printing plates constructed from dried plant material, I made the 2019  “Running Pine” print.

Scissors served as a model for the multi-colored 2020 “Rambling.”

I mainly show and sell my hand-pulled prints through galleries, locally at the Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Sandwich, and Artworks in Chocorua. I also exhibit my work through the New Hampshire Art Association, the Monotype Guild of New England, and Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, Massachusetts.  My own processes use “environmentally green” processes, pioneered by Zea Mays. All my materials and resultant prints are of archival quality. 

How/why did your start your business? 
I use the name “Basket Street Papers” to describe all my work and provide a means for publicizing and sharing my artwork through organizations like the Sandwich Business Group. 

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
I love the technical details of printmaking as well as learning and experimenting with new techniques and materials. The rhythm and flow of printing by hand imparts a sense of timelessness and meditation to my daily work and, I hope, is reflected in my art. 

What is the hardest?
Beginning a new project.  I often start by exploring materials as well as constructing trial plates to get something that “feels” right enough to finish a print or a series of related ones. I make many false starts.  

How has this last Covid year affected your work?  
The Covid year has broadened the horizons of my art life with online workshops and weekly virtual lunches, through my membership in Zea Mays Printmaking. Although sorely missing the company of local folks, I have acquired new friends and artist colleagues from across the country, thanks to ZOOM and Zea Mays. I spent far more time in my studio than in a “normal” year and was able to experiment with many different techniques and subjects. My husband’s companionship transformed the Covid year on Basket Street into a productive retreat.

“Hampshire Hog” serves as an example of a 2020 print made using a sandpaper-covered plate. 

“Bits and Pieces” is one of my first attempts at collaging and printing on pieces of old prints. 

I devoted a good deal of the spring of 2021 on a series of woodcuts, like the one shown here. 

What are your hopes and goals for the future?
I hope that the experimentation that carried me through the Covid-year will continue to enliven my art life.  And I look forward to spending more time with the wonderful people of Sandwich.

What else can you tell us about yourself and your work as an artist?
The Sandwich community, including Sandwich Home Industries folks, helped my transition from chemist to artist.  I first exhibited my paper art at an Old Home Week Art Show, reborn now as Artisans on the Green.  Of the many people who have supported my efforts to “make art,” I would like to acknowledge a few of them: my husband Ron Lawler for his unflagging encouragement of my work; my late neighbor Bob Wright for his pithy advice; and Will Lehmann for his generosity in helping me frame my own art work. I especially thank Patricia Carega for her thoughtful critiques of my art, exhibiting it, and making her gallery a Lakes Region destination for all lovers and patrons of fine art.

Contact:
[email protected]
https://mvmerritt.com/home.html

What is your name and the name of your business?
My name is Molly Simmons and I own and teach yoga at 2 Basket Street Yoga in Sandwich. 

How did you get to Sandwich, NH?
My husband Paul’s family has been here since 1961. Sandwich was one of the first places Paul brought me after we met. That was Fair Weekend of 2010. I remember riding along the Holderness Road heading to Paul’s mom house and marveling at all the beautiful fall leaves. I had never been to Sandwich, NH and didn’t know what to expect. It was lovely. I also met many of Paul’s oldest friends when we went to watch the parade in town. We watched from one of Paul’s friends house. Many of the people I met that day are now dear friends of mine and also a big part of the community at 2 Basket Street Yoga.

What got you started in this work?
I started practicing yoga 20 years ago at a studio in Cambridge, Mass. I fell in love with the practice of yoga. Not only did it make my body feel stronger, but it also brought so much peace and healing to my mind. As fate would have it I started to work at the studio where I took my first class. I  continued on to teach at many different yoga studios in Boston and surrounding suburbs.

Tell us about your business. What do you make, do, or offer as a service? 
The studio is in our barn and offers beautiful views of Mt. Israel and the Sandwich range. This magical healing space was once used as an artist’s studio by the former steward of the property. It seemed fitting to give the studio a renewed look and create 2 Basket Street Yoga.

My style of teaching is a Vinyasa Flow, which means you will move from pose to pose. I also offer modifications if something is too challenging or you’re nursing an injury. You can rest also when you need. These are all-level classes; novices and experts alike are encouraged to come.

How did your business get started?
When my husband and I bought the property at 2 Basket Street here in Sandwich we were so lucky because the beautiful barn had a studio and I knew that I wanted to create a healing space. The setting is so lovely with the views of Mt. Israel and the Sandwich Range. With fine work of Chris Read, a local contractor and friend, we tailored the studio to fit its current need.

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work? 
I love teaching yoga! It is one of my favorite things to do and it doesn’t feel like work. I tell my students all the time that being able to teach yoga and bring yoga into the lives of others is such a gift. I love the community aspect of creating a yoga studio and bringing people together from the community to learn the practice of yoga and all of yoga’s amazing benefits. It is not about being able to touch your toes, it is about being present in the moment, taking care of you physical body and mind though the practice of yoga. The benefits of a yoga practice happen on and off the mat. 

What is the hardest?
Marketing my business is sometimes challenging because of the time it takes and also needing to be creative to spread the word, that is why I am grateful to SBG offering this platform to share.

What happened to your business in this last Covid year? 
Luckily, I was able to keep my things going by offering my yoga classes on Zoom, which was fantastic. I also held some classes outside late summer/fall last year. I am really excited to be offering in-person classes again here at the studio. For now, I am asking all students who attend in person to be vaccinated. I am also still offering classes on Zoom.

What are your goals and hopes for the future?
My goals and hopes for 2 Basket Street Yoga are to add more classes to the schedule, to continue to create a space for people in the community to come together and practice yoga, feel the healing benefits, and enjoy the beauty of the mountains.

What else can you tell us about yourself and your business?
I am also a Reiki partitioner and own powersofhealing.com which I founded in 2007. I provide Reiki healing to clients in my Cambridge office. I also offer Reiki healing sessions here at 2 Basket Street Yoga. 

I am a twin. I love hiking, biking, skiing and running the trails & the roads with my sweet husband Paul and our dog Penny!

Molly Simmons
[email protected]
617-461-9512
2basketstreetyoga.com

Artist, Elizabeth Nelson, has often been inspired and guided by the ancient Chinese divination text, I Ching or Yi Jing, one of the oldest of the Chinese Classics. It is studied as a book of wisdom throughout the world and provides guidance to religion, literature, art, psychology, science, diplomacy and business.  I Ching uses hexagrams to reach solutions. Nelson has painted 64 Symbolic Landscapes representing the I Ching texts that make up each hexagram. Twenty-seven of these are on exhibit at Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery. 

Nelson will give a talk at the gallery on I Ching, the paintings and her book on June 12 at 4 p.m. A reception to meet Elizabeth Nelson will follow the talk.

I Ching is a big subject with a history of more than 3000 years of interpretation.  The texts and hexagrams have been used by many to find solutions to questions or problems. I Ching uses coins to determine these solutions.  A practitioner will toss three coins six times to create a new hexagram related to his or her question.  The response is determined by looking up the meanings of the hexagram in the I Ching text.  
 
Elizabeth Nelson has long been interested in Chinese painting. An early childhood memory reveals a fascination with scrolls her father brought back from Shanghai, India and Europe after his service in WWII.  Chinese and Asian art have remained a ‘foundation of her aesthetic.’
 
It was during a “fallow” period in her painting career that Nelson asked I Ching for “advice and inspiration.”  The answer was hexagram #2 Natural Response (K’un).  At first Nelson was puzzled by the response but the next morning as the moon was setting over her snow-filled pasture, the answer was clear.  She “would paint 64 hexagrams and choose the sequence at random by throwing the coins.” The entire symbolic landscape series took 6 years to complete. The oil paintings on cradled birch panels are 20 x 20 inches. 
 
I Ching is a fascinating subject especially for those interested in systems of divination and astrology.  There is much more to be studied and learned but for now join us for an enlightening talk.

Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery is located at 69 Maple Street in Center Sandwich.
The Gallery is open for the summer.  Gallery hours will be Tuesday – Saturday from 10 to 5.  Sunday 12 to 5 and Monday by appt.  www.patricialaddcaregagallery.com or 603 284 7728.

Please enjoy this edition of Meet Our Members in which we learn about Derek and Linda Marshall, wonderful artists and craftspeople, who have lived and worked in Sandwich for decades. We are extremely fortunate to have so many fascinating and talented people in our midst.

What is your name and the name of your business?
Derek Marshall. Currently we operate as Derek Marshall Lighting, but before that, we operated as "The Sandwich Kiln " starting in 1971. Basically, it is the same business except we work more with glass than clay...but all comes under the rubric of ceramics.

What got you started in this profession?
 After graduating from college in 1965 Linda and I were married. We were then whisked off to Japan where I was to join my ship, the Destroyer Henry W. Tucker, DD875 to serve as her first lieutenant. This was the real start of the American involvement in Vietnam and the Tucker was utilized almost continually for shore bombardment with our 5" guns. 

Tucker also worked in carrier operations, running interference against possible enemy submarines and also as a decoy in the Gulf of Tonkin to lure the North Vietnamese to attack us to justify President Johnson’s Tonkin Resolution, the sole justification for our increasing presence in this war. That attack never happened.

How did you get to Sandwich, NH?
As it often happens, winding up in Sandwich was a random process. While we were in Japan, Linda's parents had left Connecticut for NH to open a gift shop,The Towle Hill House, in Meredith. 

When we returned from Japan in late winter of 1971, it was our intention to find a likely spot for setting up a pottery studio in Maine. A friend suggested that we look at Sandwich. A little investigation revealed that Sandwich was a delightful rural community with a long tradition of crafts and in fact was the birthplace of The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. The Sandwich Home Industries was one of several League shops selling New Hampshire art and crafts in the state.  

As it turned out, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is a unique organization, the envy of other crafts people around the country.  For several years I served as VP of the organization, headquartered in Concord.

How did your business get started?
We started out as potters which meant building a studio, a couple of kilns and all the associated gear necessary to what amounted to a small factory.  We made tableware, bowls of all sizes, plates, cups, and such like. It was a lot of work, going through about 8 tons of clay a year which I mixed in a repurposed mortar mixer.

One day we were approached by Norman Perry, a premier maker of table lamps for the architectural and interior design trade.  He asked if we would be interested in making some ceramic bases for his company to turn into table lamps. 

This we did for several years and became his bestselling line. We won the Roscoe award from the New York City Resources Council for one of our lamp’s designs. In 2019 we won Best of New Hampshire lighting from New Hampshire Magazine.

From this we found a lighting market which not only included table lamps, but also wall sconces. Eventually we incorporated elements of art glass into the sconces and then it was but a short jump to making wall sconces out of glass alone. 

What is the most fun/satisfying aspect of your work?
We always enjoy selling our art to interesting people and places.  We have sold our lighting in many places, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, China, etc. 

In 1976 we were commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts to design and produce a dinner service for a special luncheon for the senate wives hosted by the President’s wife. A single serving of this is now in Sandwich Historical Society.

We do not necessarily know about the interesting people as so much of that kind of thing is handled by third party professional designers...but we have made and sold various of our lights to Richard Branson for his private islands in the Caribbean. I am also delighted when I see our lights in movies and television shows, most of which I have forgotten, but include Friends, Seinfeld, Fraser.  

In 1978 we returned to Japan for three shows of our ceramic art with our two children in Kyoto, Kurashiki and Takamatsu.

What is the hardest?
Minor problems occur dealing with customers who have a hard time making decisions. Our job is to help them see clearly what they want.A challenging part of our work is conceiving a new design, reducing it to a two-dimensional draft, then taking that to a three-dimensional pattern from which a series of negative and positive molds must be produced to finish the design. 

Usually there is a period of trial and error where all the previous steps may need to be tweaked, or worst case, abandoned to start all over again. Going from an idea to a finished product can take up to a year or longer.

What has happened to your business in this last Covid year? 
Cautious people are slower to spend money and the people who produce the glass we love sometimes run out of product. These are typical problems that were exacerbated by the pandemic.

What are your goals and hopes for the future?
We are always coming up with new designs, finding interesting new glass and other related parts for our designs, usually metal, metal castings and even nuts and bolts with appealing finish and texture made from brass, bronze or stainless steel. 

Reaching our market is always a challenge when you live on a dirt road in the middle of New Hampshire.  We advertise in design journals such as New Hampshire Home and Interior Design and send out press releases to inform the world that we exist for their pleasure.

What else can you tell us about yourself and your business?
We stock about 4-5 dozen styles, textures and colors of the best art glass made in the world. The glasses have all the intrinsic charm of gem stones all being made from the same elements.  We have access to thousands of different colors, mixes and textures and can fulfill customers’ requirements for custom work.

All this information and more is on our website.  Please come and browse: derekmarshall.com

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.

[email protected]
603 284 7728
www.patricialaddcaregagallery.com 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

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.

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 [email protected].

For more information:  Kim Weeks, The Sandwich Fair Association,
7 Wentworth Hill Road / POB 161,  Sandwich, NH 03227
603 284-7062, [email protected] 
 

Contact [email protected], through our Facebook page at https://facebook.com/hillpeoplevineyard
or by calling 603-986-9769 (Gunnar) or 603-491-2004 (Cathy).

What is your name and the name of your organization?
Jessie Chapman (Executive Director), Advice To The Players

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. 

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.  

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.

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.   

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 [email protected] for the link!

Jessie Chapman
Executive Director
Advice To The Players
advicetotheplayers.org
603-284-7115

Please enjoy the second installment of SBG's Meet Our Members!

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 O’Connell, E-RYT, AHP, HBM 
Dragonfly Yoga Barn
280 Bennett Street, North Sandwich, NH 03259
(603) 707-7529, [email protected]
​https://dragonflyyogabarn.com

Advice To The Players, Sandwich’s own Shakespeare company, is proud to kick off their 2021 season with a virtual performance of ​A Midsummer Night’s Dream​, available online from April 23rd- May 2nd. For this production, ATTP staged this production to be filmed and presented virtually for the safety of both their actors and audience.

The link to watch the performance will be available starting on April 23rd, Shakespeare’s Birthday and audience members can be sent the link by emailing ​[email protected]​. In celebration of Shakespeare’s Birthday, and the release of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ATTP is hosting their Bard’s Birthday Campaign- if they can raise $5,000 before the end of May, the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Foundation will award them with a $5,000 matching grant. These funds will allow ATTP to produce our 2021 Summer Season and continue to bring the literary and performing arts to our community.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream​ features everything from fairy mischief, a play within a play, and dramatic fights in the name of love! This production will not be one to miss, with wonderful returning favorites including Chris Boldt as Theseus, Ethan Fifield as Nick Bottom, and Lucy Randall-Tapply as Puck. Last season’s director of ​Winter’s Tale​ and ​As You Like It​, Maryssa Wanlass graces the stage as Titania, with her husband, Mark Vashro, completing this dynamic fairy duo. The lover quartet includes 4 returning artists who among them have a long and rich history with the company- Caitlin Cremins, Alicia Edgar, Rowan Heard, and Julia de Aveliz Rocha. And as always we have a wonderful group of teens and community members completing this remarkable cast, such as Tom Hyde and Marion Posner.

For more information, please visit www.advicetotheplayers.org/

Our third online exhibition celebrates the coming of spring. Branching Out speaks not only to new growth but also to new ideas, new horizons and new reaches. Gallery artists have come up with an array of work in various media to illustrate the theme. To view the exhibit visit
www.patricialaddcaregagallery.com/viewing-room.html.

Kathryn Field of Sandwich has painted an exquisite landscape. Melting patches of snow, birch trees eager to sprout leaves and a river still covered with ice make up a delicate and engaging composition.  We can smell the wetness and feel the end of winter.  The landscape beckons to us and invites us to linger in it’s misty light.  This very appealing painting is Kathryn Field at her best.  
 
Anna Jeretic is a painter, sculptor and printmaker who lives outside of Paris, France. Family connections in Sandwich led her to the Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery where we have exhibited her paintings and prints for many years.  Branches and Trees 1 is an example of Jeretic’s delicate hand.  Prints at the gallery include botanical renderings done against vivid color and wonderful animals based on her travels to Africa.

Though Margaret Barnaby lives and works in Hawaii, she has roots in Sandwich.  Her small edition, woodblock prints are greatly admired not only for their technical excellence but also for their vivid color and exotic subject matter.   They are large pieces each made from at least four hand carved wooden plates.   Barnaby uses both Japanese and western approaches and techniques.  Her work begins with the natural world around her.

Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery will open as usual in mid May.  We are looking forward to an exciting and innovative season. Rebecca Shultz will show her paintings inspired by her internship at Hubbard Brook.  Liz Nelson’s Symbolic Landscapes are  based on her new book I Ching or Book of Changes. Both artists will speak about their intriguing processes.  We welcome back our gallery artists as always as we continue to bring new ideas and innovations to the community.
For more information about the gallery visit our website at patricialaddcaregagallery.com.  

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. ​

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.

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.

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. 

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!!

When the Covid-19 pandemic ends, will we be able to put the children back in public school, give every child a standardized test, and continue school just as it was?  Martha Carlson doesn’t think so.  Founder and headmaster of a small progressive school in rural New Hampshire, Carlson thinks this might be the time for a national pause and some deep thinking about how school might need to be different.
​ 
Post-Pandemic School: When I do, I understand offers ideas and anecdotes from the private experimental school that Carlson and her husband founded in 1988.  They operated Sandwich Community School for almost 20 years, exploring new avenues of learning that Carlson thinks may be pertinent for public schools in a post-pandemic world.   Her book also examines several educational philosophers and how their abstract theories may assist our thinking about a new school paradigm. This book is for teachers and parents who know school will never be the same. Post-Pandemic School is available on Amazon.com in paperback and ebook formats.

 The 2021 application deadline is Friday April 16 at 5:00 pm ET. Please share this information with any students who could benefit from these scholarships for Sandwich students.

The Alfred Quimby Trust and the Doris L. Benz Trust both provide scholarships to Sandwich residents. These scholarships each have distinct and different criteria and processes.

Doris L. Benz Trust
The Doris L. Benz Trust will consider scholarship awards to Sandwich residents who meet ALL of the following criteria:
(1)  Resident of Sandwich 
(2)  Graduated from Interlakes High School 
(3)  Enrolling in an accredited undergraduate post-secondary education program

Alfred Quimby Trust
Graduate and adult students or traditional students who did not graduate from Interlakes High School are not eligible for funding from the Doris L. Benz Trust.  
The Alfred Quimby Trust sponsors scholarships for residents who do NOT qualify for the Doris L. Benz Trust.  This means if the student is a Sandwich resident but did not graduate from Interlakes High School or is a graduate student or an adult student, they qualify for the Alfred Quimby Trust.

The Alfred Quimby Trust and the Doris L. Benz Trust scholarships are managed through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s online application. 

The 2021 application deadline is Friday April 16 at 5:00 pm ET.

To access the online application and to receive further instructions students should visit the Foundation’s website at www.nhcf.org.  For more information about the Quimby or Benz scholarships or other student aid resources, please contact the Student Aid Office at the NH Charitable Foundation at 1-800-464-6641 or [email protected].

An important message from Julie Dolan, chair of the Sandwich Broadband Advisory Committee:

Exciting news: Sandwich is one of 58 towns that has received a letter from the NH Electric Co-op’s new broadband subsidiary announcing its plans to move ahead full speed to begin building fiber-optic networks to serve thousands of rural residents who now lack good internet service.
 
The new nonprofit company, called NH Broadband, will make decisions by this spring about which areas will be first to get wired up. Altogether, the 58 towns involve hanging 2,000 miles of fiber-optic cable, so it can’t all be done in one go.
 
As chair of our Broadband Advisory Committee, I’m asking you to help us make the case that Sandwich should be among the first towns. If you’d like to tell NH Broadband you’d be interested in their broadband service, click on this link: http://www.sandwichnh.org/boards_and_committees/broadband_committee.php Even if you’re an Eversource customer, please fill out the form.  If you want to read the NHBB letter in its entirety, click on this: http://cms6.revize.com/revize/sandwich/NHEC%20Broadband%20Update.pdf   
 
An expression of interest does not obligate you to anything. But it’s the most important thing you can do to advance our cause. In making its decisions NH Broadband needs an idea of how many households and businesses might subscribe.
 
We may remind you again to make sure everybody who might want to register interest gets recorded. Please act now. And urge your neighbors who may not have seen this post. Each one of you can make a difference!
 
Thank you, 
Julie Dolan
[email protected]

Diane Johnson writes: Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for the Community Tree Party. The weather was amazing. Santa and Mrs. Claus were perfect and there were folks of all ages around the Library and Quimby Field and the Tennis Courts. Families and children were talking to Santa, leaving wish lists and letters, getting gifts, candy canes, and $10 family gift certificates to their choice of E.M. Heath Grocery and Hardware, Bayswater Bookstore, or Innisfree Bookshop. 

​Kids and families were sledding and sliding, building snowmen, XC skiing, and a group of middle school youths were hard at work building forts and a maze in one of the tennis courts. Some families tromped through the snow to read the Story Trail--Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall--which is set up on the Library lawn. Many thanks go to all the elves, generous donors , and families who came out to set a truly Currier and Ives scene. It was Sandwich at its best. Covid protocols were followed and didn't dampen the atmosphere. 

The Community Christmas Tree Party has been a Sandwich tradition since at least the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Even the oldest folks in town can't remember a year when this party didn't happen so it is likely been going on for nearly 100 years. In the 30's and 40's, the local girl scouts under the direction of Helen Ingles and others decided to make gifts, put on a skit, sing carols, and have a party for all the children in town. Fresh fruit was hard to come by in December so an orange or banana was a special treat. 

The Sandwich Woman’s Club was organized in 1928. It is a 501c3 civic and social organization that exists to do good in the Sandwich Community. In a normal (i.e. non-pandemic ) year, members meet four times a year for lunch, an interesting speaker or program, and a short business meeting. The ladies raise funds for book and supply money for college students from Sandwich and sponsor the annual holiday party for all children in Sandwich. Woman of all ages in Sandwich and environs are welcome to join.

The club is run by a membership of nearly 70 women and an executive board. Regular meetings, programs, and luncheons in are held on Wednesdays in March, May, September and December at local restaurants. Funds are raised by a summer raffle held during Old Home Week, a snack bar during the Old Home Week Art Show, and by dues and donations. Annual dues are $10. Donations are always welcome (Sandwich Woman’s Club, PO Box 485, Center Sandwich, NH 03227). Please consider joining and being a part of this wonderful group. For more information follow Sandwich Woman's Club on Facebook or email [email protected]