The League of NH Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries have gifts that inspire and delight, according to a recent press release by Carol Fusaro. The League’s seven galleries are located in Concord, Hanover, Littleton, Meredith, Nashua, North Conway, and Center Sandwich (open May-October). Each gallery features an exceptional variety of jewelry, pottery, glass, home décor, handbags, clothing, prints, sculpture and more in every price range – all are handcrafted and many are one-of-a-kind. Gallery staff can offer advice and gift-giving ideas to make shopping easier.
All fine crafts sold in the galleries are exclusively made by skilled artisans, juried members of the League of NH Craftsmen who have met the League’s standards for excellence and creativity. Every purchase at a League fine craft gallery supports the livelihood of a local craftsperson and contributes to the local economy.
Each gallery has holiday-themed items in a festive atmosphere, and many of the locations have special events and activities:
The Center Sandwich Gallery will open for 2 days only in December for the 37th Annual Christmas in the Village, a town-wide holiday celebration on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday there will be Breakfast with Santa at the Corner House Inn, a chowder lunch at the local church and a free horse -drawn wagon ride to various sites around the village.
During the Thursday, Dec. 18, Meredith Holiday Stroll, visitors to the Meredith Fine Craft Gallery, located on 279 Daniel Webster Highway (Route 3), can enjoy refreshments and a chance to win a 2014 Limited Edition Ornament, Whispers of Spring. The shop will be open until 7 p.m. that night.
Downtown North Conway is aglow with holiday decorations and lights. The North Conway Fine Craft Gallery, located on 2526 White Mountain Highway (Rte. 16/302), is a popular shopping destination at this time of year.
The League’s limited edition Annual Ornament has been a valued collectible since 1988 and is sold exclusively through the League’s fine craft galleries. The 2014 ornament is Whispers of Spring, a hand-formed cast pewter birch branch made by Kristine Lane and Paulette Werger, both juried in metal by the League. The ornament comes beautifully gift-boxed and sells for $23.Each ornament is signed by the makers, dated and numbered as one of a limited edition.
Lane and Werger created the ornament to pay homage to the official state tree of New Hampshire. The white birch is one of the first trees to come into leaf, celebrating the emergence of spring. It has a celery-colored ribbon for hanging on a tree or wreath. This is the second annual ornament that Lane and Werger have collaborated on; their first was the 2002 Annual Ornament, Snow Crystal. They have been working together collaboratively since 1998 creating one of kind jewelry, and both draw inspiration from the botanical world.
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Exposed Exhibit Explores the Craft Behind Traditional Darkroom Photography Gallery Talk and Reception Last Month.
Information provided by Carol Fusaro
“Photographybris the language of light, balance and harmony,” saysbrNan Scull, a photographer and juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen. Nanbris one of seven photographers whose work was on display in the League of NHbrCraftsmen’s current gallery exhibition, Gifts From Our Hands: What We DobrBest. The photography of juriedbrLeague members John Anderson (Campton, NH), Bonnie Edwards (Meredith, NH), Karenbrand Dick Hudnall (Nashua, NH), Susan Lirakis (Center Sandwich, NH), Nan Scull (Bedford, NH), CarolbrVan Loon (Dover, NH), and Paul Wainwright (Atkinson, NH) is part of a show within a show ofbrwork that was created in a darkroom. Also on display was a photograph by BillbrFinney from the League’s Permanent Collection. The use of traditional darkroombrphotography was explored during a gallery talk and reception called Exposed,bron Friday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. Photographic tools and equipment were also on display with demonstrations.
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In recent years, digital photography has become popular due to thebradvent of the camera phone. Photographybris an art, and both traditional and digital photography require anbrunderstanding and control of several variables involved in the process. PaulbrWainwright enjoys traditional photography: “The slow pace of working with abrtraditional wooden field camera, sheet film, chemicals, and photographic paperbrcauses me – forces me – to slow down and think.” Explains Dick Hudnall, “Photographybris more than the technical aspects of capturing light; it is using light as abrmagical elixir to capture a mood of things large or small.”
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