ArtsHub Holiday and Studio Sales 2021
By Carrie Kline
Do you find yourself wanting to cradle pottery in your hands? Do you like to meet artists, hear their stories, watch their hands at work with clay, turning fiber into fabric? Does your mood change when you hear a song performed live, or put on a piece of locally-made wearable art?
This fall, refresh yourself with Covid-safe, in person encounters with the healing power of art. As the leaves redden and the breezes turn crisp, autumn is abundant with local sales and studio tours. Art always means more when you have met its creator. It is the perfect armor against cold weather and isolation. And when you think of last year's huge postal delays, why not do holiday shopping early and mail gifts before the rush?
Giving affordable, locally made, hand-crafted art work is easy to find, requires no postal service delays, and supports the local economy.
The breadth of artists in this area is astounding, offering a very full and rich season ahead. For photographer Amy Thompson Avishai, one of a plethora of artists with studios at Eastworks in Easthampton, awareness of ourselves and our surroundings is a practice that governs all aspects of living. “Mindfulness photography is seeing things clearly without opinions and interpretations,” she says.
Not only will Amy's studio be open November 6-7 as part of the building-wide annual Open Studios weekend at Eastworks, but she is eager to take you on a mindfulness photography walk November 13 & 14. “It's something for everyone,” she says. “You don't have to be a photographer.” She says a cell phone or instamatic will do. Click here to learn more or sign up.
At Eastworks Open Studios, visit a music studio, potters, dancers, fiber artists, jewelers, and much more. Find dozens of artists on the ground floor and many others dispersed among three upper floors. Admission is free.
At Snow Farm in Williamsburg, crafters from across the United States come to take part in seasonal workshops in ceramics, glass, metalsmithing, woodworking, and more. The non-profit craft school will publish its full 2022 schedule of workshops in mid-December. In the meantime, don't miss Snow Farm's annual Seconds Sale fundraiser in November, which has been ongoing for 30 years. The extensive sale is held in several buildings on their grounds. Offerings include pottery, fiber arts, jewelry, glass, woodwork, paintings, photos, cards, journals, and notebooks—And “Seconds” can just mean “one of a kind.” Registration is required. Space is limited.
“People enjoy being able to see peoples' work spaces, and in some cases ... people are working directly with products from the land.”
Al Ladd, a fine woodworker taking part in the The Crafts of Colrain Open Studio Tour, says he “made a pact with [himself] to make better and more interesting work every year.” His ornate, fine woodwork is compelling indeed, from bureaus to jewelry boxes. Visit Al, along with his partner Marilyn Beal, a fiber artist producing silk scarves with intricate patterns colored with natural dye. Also opening their studios or meeting you outdoors on their farms in Colrain are metalsmiths, brewers, musicians, photographers, calligraphers, jewelers, and basket makers, along with other fine woodworkers and textile artists. “People enjoy being able to see peoples' work spaces, and in some cases ... people are working directly with products from the land.” says Ladd.
Opportunities to visit studios and purchase local art abound this fall. December 4th , 5th and 11th, visit the 28 artists at Cottage Street Studios in Easthampton who work in wood, clay, paint, lighting, etching, photography, bridal wear, glass, steel, and print making. At the Arts & Industry Building in Florence, Brushworks will offer great wearable art and other pieces by 40 artists at its Open Studios & Holiday Sale, in person and online November 13-14. In Greenfield, Hawks & Reed offers abstract paintings by Dawn Leahy, and the new art center, Madhouse Multi-Arts, will host an open house for its galleries and recording studio on November 28. Madhouse Multi-Arts boasts 4,000 square feet of creative space across three floors in this historic building on Greenfield's Main Street. Also in Greenfield, visit the pop-up sale at the Pushkin Gallery from December 10-12. While you're in Franklin County, enjoy Shelburne Falls including Shelburne Arts Cooperative and the Salmon Falls Gallery to see and purchase works from a host of the area's finest artists.
This is just a sampling of local studio sales and the ArtsHub welcomes Western Mass artists to share their events on the ArtsHub calendar to get listed. (Just fill out this form!) Keep your ear to the ground, and check back here, for much more this season.
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Ceramics Gallery - Snow Farm -
Costa Rica - Amy Thompson vishai -
Jewelry Gallery - Snow Farm -
Red Rover Clothing -
Terry Gomien -
Ceramics Gallery - Snow Farm
Visit the Studios!