With dozens upon dozens of Granite State businesses taking part in New Hampshire Open Doors, we couldn’t possibly mention everything that’s going on in these pages. Instead, we’ve pulled together a big package of various businesses from across the state – mostly ones in the Monitor’s coverage area – that have something noteworthy or out-of-the-ordinary going on.
While there are many businesses getting in on the N.H. Open Doors action, not every place is necessarily planning anything big or special for the weekend. That’s why we sort of cherry-picked some of the places that we felt had the most exciting demonstrations and other events to highlight.
The list will begin with Concord and gradually work its way outward from the city. You might see a stray town here or there that seems out of place, but don’t worry – pages 17 through 21 contain listings of phone numbers, addresses, websites and email addresses for every participant, arranged by region. We’ve omitted one region – Great North Woods – due to it being so far away from us here in Concord. All listings, however, are available at nhopendoors.com.
Now, get out there and take in as much art and culture as you can this weekend!
Concord
Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co.
Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co. features curated collections of designer apparel, jewelry and accessories. Gorgeous colors, fabrics and styles abound the store. During N.H. Open Doors, the store will be offering 15 percent off one item (please mention Open Doors) and serving wine and treats.
League of N.H. Craftsmen
The Gallery at League Headquarters – the League serving as the host to the whole weekend – will be open Saturday. See “Head to Toe,” an exhibition of wearable art. This exhibition highlights one-of-a-kind wearable pieces such as clothing, jewelry and accessories such as belts, bags and hats.
Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden
The Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden has a variety of wonderful fine art and fine crafts for you to enjoy and bring home. There is an annual outdoor sculpture exhibit and three indoor gallery spaces with paintings, indoor sculpture, pottery and handmade jewelry. Set in a rural setting of perennial gardens, field and pond, it becomes a hidden treasure for you to enjoy.
Handmade jewelry by Pebble and Pearl will also be highlighted during the weekend. Plan on getting a head start on shopping for the holidays.
Tom Weston Hand-carved Wooden Spoons
Tom Weston has been making hand-carved wooden spoons from New Hampshire hardwood for just over five years. He likes finding branches, brush and logs and discovering the spoon shapes within. Join Weston for conversation around the fire pit and maybe roast a marshmallow on a glorious fall afternoon this weekend.
Canterbury
Brookford Farm
Brookford Farm is a family-owned, year-round, diversified farm. Its products include 100 percent grass-fed dairy, farmstead cheeses, seasonal organic produce, lacto-fermented products, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, eggs and more.
During N.H. Open Doors weekend, the farm will be offering free samples, farm-made food and farm tours.
Cold Garden Spirits
Cold Garden Spirits is a farm craft distillery that makes corn whiskey and fruit brandy from local grains and fruits, some of which are grown across the street from the distillery. You can get a bird’s-eye view of the distilling equipment, which may or may not be in use, and learn all about the distilling process. Cold Garden will offer gallery tours, tastings and products for sale during the weekend.
Fox Country Smoke House
Fox Country Smoke House is in the business of taking already tasty cheeses and meats and making them even tastier by putting them in a smoker. Stop by this weekend for a full tour of the facility, which includes a description on how everything is made. They will show off the smoke house by stepping into a 2,000-pound oven used for producing all the treats. The best part? You’ll also get to enjoy a taste of many delicious samples, and you can’t argue with that.
Boscawen
Cornerstone Design at Twiggs Gallery
Twiggs Gallery is a unique venture conceived by New Hampshire artist and calligrapher, Adele V. Sanborn. The gallery space exhibits local and regional artists on a rotating basis. The store features Duffy’s Attic, full of shabby-chic antiques, and shelves filled with fun “uniquities.” Classes are offered along with Cornerstone Design’s calligraphy services and, of course, Sanborn’s calligraphy can be be found throughout the space.
On Saturday, Sleighbell Studio, a curated holiday showcase of fine art and craft, will open with an artists’ reception from 1 to 3 p.m. All of the work is locally made and affordably priced for gift-giving.
On Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Twiggs has teamed up with the Payson Center for Cancer Care of Concord Hospital to create “heARTwarmers,” which are tiny works of art the size of trading cards. Everything needed to make the art cards will be supplied. Drop in anytime to make one or several cards. The nurses at the Payson Center will give them out to patients receiving treatment to give them a caring and fun boost to their day.
Matthew Mead Style Decor
Matthew Mead is a nationally known lifestyle guru who provides décor and DIY ideas for national magazines and catalogs. His studio occasionally sells a variety of home décor items and vintage finds like furniture, ironstone, farmhouse decorations, Christmas ornaments, wreaths, flowering plants and more. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at his studio, see firsthand his handcrafted items and have a chance to purchase from his large inventory of published books and magazines.
Chichester
Hampton Pottery
Hampton Pottery offers a vibrant display of pottery sculpture and wall art. Tour the studio this weekend, check out the kilns where the pottery is dried, and take in a relaxing weekend.
Contoocook
Julie A. Schroeppel
Julie Schroeppel will offer a studio tour and demonstration in glass cutting, shaping and fusing. A display of her fused-glass jewelry, plates and bowls will be set up in the front part of the studio. Her jewelry and larger pieces will be available for sale. And, perhaps most importantly, refreshments will also be available.
Loudon
Birds on the Wing Design Studio
Artist Julie Robinson’s love of the outdoors is woven into every piece she designs. From the felted scarves, collars and cuffs, to the silver, sea glass and semi-precious stone jewelry she creates, she’s always trying something new. This year, she has been making homemade lotions from her own beeswax. Come see what is new and different at the studio this weekend.
Warner
Kearsarge Area Chamber of Commerce
The Kearsarge Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to be offering a satellite location for artists participating in the N.H. Open Doors exhibition this year. There will be a Touch-A-Race Car, animals from the SPCA, a Red Sox ticket raffle and other raffles. Start your holiday season off by shopping at local vendors. The venue is the Northeast Catholic College gymnasium, and the event is Saturday only.
MainStreet BookEnds of Warner and Gallery
A gallery of local artists is attached to the bookstore, featuring watercolors, oils, acrylics, pottery and ceramic tiles, textiles, wood products, hand-blown and etched glass, jewelry and prints. During N.H. Open Doors, the store will be participating in the 2nd Annual Art Walk on Saturday evening on Main Street in Warner, to kick off the weekend. It will be the official opening celebration for a new show featuring local artists. The gallery remains open all year, every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
thisbirdisabsurd
Come visit the “chicken factory” at thisbirdisabsurd, where all the House Chickens are born. House Chickens are simply decorative chickens for your house, and they look pretty realistic, too. Logs and foxes will be there too, along with loads of Chicken Nuggets. While you’re there, don’t forget to enter the drawing for a chance to win your very own House Chicken.
Upton Chandler House Museum
Works by eight participating artists include baskets, jewelry, fine arts and wooden ware. Artwork and crafts and a large selection of quality, affordable gift items will be available for sale during the event. Featured artists are Mimi Wiggin; David, Laurette and Sean Carroll; Michelle Marson; Susan Parmenter; Denise Green; and Gary Young. The Upton Chandler House Museum store will also be open to the public. The museum has changing exhibits throughout the year.
Manchester
Art 3 Gallery
Art 3 Gallery presents the work of more than 75 local and regional artists who welcome the opportunity to distract viewers with art.
An opening and artists’ reception will be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in conjunction with N.H. Open Doors. New Hampshire artist Dustan Knight will be painting at Art 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., an opportunity to demonstrate her teaching style and offer insight as she paints. Visitors can register to win this painting – a colorful addition to any space.
Auburn
Dave Designs
Dave Brien turns segmented exotic wood bowls. These bowls are all naturally colored wood. He also makes cutting boards and a few coffee tables.
This weekend, he will be demonstrating turning and gluing up bowls. He does not have a studio, but a woodworking shop with samples of his work for sale.
There will also be cheese and wine for tasting.
Amherst
Follow The Quilting Bee
Follow The Quilting Bee is southern New Hampshire’s first mobile boutique quilt shop. The shop is based in Amherst, but the mobility allows it to attend street fairs, farmers markets, quilting retreats and truck festivals throughout the year. The 128-square-foot interior may be small, but you will be pleasantly surprised at the volume of premium products they carry. Their focus is on bold, modern fabrics, up-cycled gifts and locally made “bee” inclined gifts including soaps, lotions and jewelry.
The shop will have on display some of its up-cycled quilts as well as a demonstration on making Boomerang bags from repurposed T-shirts.
Bristol
TwinDesigns Gift Shop
TwinDesigns Gift Shop is owned and operated by twin brothers Brad and Jim Tonner. The store features the brothers’ original artwork. Brad and Jim have also written and illustrated 12 children’s books, which will be available in the store. The store is also home of 49-year-old Diane the turtle, who has been a member of the Tonner family since 1968. Harry and Grace the Persian cats are also part of the TwinDesigns staff. Head up there and meet them all this weekend.
Epping
Enna Chocolate
Enna Chocolate is one of a handful of bean-to-bar chocolate makers located in New England. The chocolate is crafted entirely by hand in microbatches using ethically sourced cacao and other fine ingredients. Most bars are made with only two ingredients: organic roasted cacao and organic cane sugar.
Visitors may sample chocolate from different geographic origins and see how chocolate is made from bean to bar. Products for sale include a variety of handcrafted fine chocolate bars and more.
Exeter
Seacoast Art Association Gallery
The Seacoast Art Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been encouraging artists and art supporters of the Seacoast for 40 years. The gallery displays works of committed artists, as well as Featured Artist and Theme Show Challenge walls open to members and nonmembers. It also houses a shop area for four artisans.
Throughout NHOD weekend, there will be a Members Awards Show, numerous small works priced for giving, and artists offering demos, hands-on fun and their passion for art. There will be snacks, too!
Stratham
Waterstone Art Studio
Artist Wo Schiffman, an encaustic painter, will showcase every step of the encaustic process, from how she makes her own colors from beeswax, resin and pigments, to how she paints on wood, stone and paper. This year, she will offer encaustic demos, raffles each hour and refreshments at her studio and gallery. Visitors can also purchase her encaustic paintings, small boxes decorated with encaustic tiles and hand-dyed silk scarves.
October 30, 2018
Just want to add that you can also see Stratham artist Wo Schiffman’s work at Art Up Front Street, an artists’ collaborative and gallery in Exeter. The gallery is also participating in Open Doors Nov. 3-4, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Schiffman is one of 9 Exeter artists participating in the event.