Contact: Lynn Barrett, prime@svcable.net
Putney Craft Tour Breaks Out of the Mold Creates Weekend of The Arts
Open Studios, Stage Performances, Culinary Specials, Photo Contest, Demos in 16 studios
Benefits Putney Foodshelf
PUTNEY, VT—November 11, 2016—The 38th Putney Craft Tour is the oldest continuing craft studio tour in North America. It’s a Top Ten Vermont Winter Event named by the Vermont Chamber, and is an Official Year of the Arts event named by the Vermont Arts Council. The tour traditionally takes place on the long Thanksgiving weekend November 25, 26 and 27, 10-5p and gives shoppers, visitors and collectors another reason to be thankful.
“Every year that goes by it’s a challenge to keep the tour current to draw arts lovers, shoppers and the curious,” says Ken Pick one of the founders of the tour. “By partnering with other arts organizations and local restaurants in Putney, we’re not only bringing more people to Putney with a 3-day weekend of the arts, but benefiting a local non-profit.
Putney Craft Tour, Next Stage Arts Project and Sandglass Theatre have joined forces to present this special Thanksgiving Weekend of Arts. Area restaurants also participate by creating a Putney Craft Tour lunch or dinner “special.” The tour also raises funds for the Putney Food Shelf.
This year also features the second annual photo contest with winners receiving a $50 gift certificate toward an item from one of the studios and a night’s stay at the Four Columns Inn in Newfane, VT. Instagram users simply follow @putney_craft_tour and then post photos with the hashtag #putneycrafttourphotocontest. For those attendants who are not Instagram users, photos can emailed directly to putneycrafttourphotocontest@gmail.com. There is a limit of three photos per person.
With four new artisans on the tour, including a custom bicycle maker, two ceramists and a furniture maker, there’s a lot new for folks to experience including demonstrations in 16 studios.
The Putney Craft Tour artisans are a diverse group sharing a passion for creativity. Some made the decision early in life to pursue their dreams of making art, others found their way after spending years in other careers. Some are following in familial footsteps.
They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Jesse Fox helped build robotic musical instruments displayed at the National Gallery of Art; Dena Moses worked on optical filters that are in the Hubble Telescope; Josh Letourneau is a local organic produce yoda; Caitlin Burch has been following in her families tour footsteps for years, while her brother Ryan is debuting on this year’s tour; Parish Hill Creamery propagates their native cultures from the milk of Helga, Clothilde, Abigail, and Sonia – all of whom are fine cows making milk at the Putney School.
Stage performances include Main Streets Arts production of “Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead at Next Stage on Friday and Saturday nights, November 25 and 26. Tickets are $15. For reservations contact MSA at 802-869-2960 or info@mainstreetarts.org. Sandglass Theater features “Autumn Portraits Side by Side with Eric Bass and Shoshana Bass. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30p. Tickets and information at sanglasstheater.org, 802-387-4051.
The 22 artisans on the tour include blacksmiths, glass blowers, potters, jewelers, weavers, woodworkers – even artisan cheesemakers, a custom bicycle maker and winemaking. Part of the fun is meandering through the beautiful Vermont countryside, following the map to find these prominent craftspeople and view the works where they are conceived and created. Visitors may start at The Gleanery, 133 Main Street, Putney for info, maps, and a preview exhibition of the artisans’ works. www.putneycrafts.com
New on the tour this year:
Rodrigo Nava creates sculpture, prints, drawings, and furniture. His sculptures and prints
have been shown throughout the United States in galleries and museums. A teacher at the Putney School, Nava made a one-of-a-kind chair based on a design created mid-century by a student at the school, Sam Resnick. The early Putney Chairs were sold to raise money for the school. Since the first Putney Chair, there have been several adaptations of the design – Nava found several of these chairs. His he crafted from stretched leather, bent steel and maplewood, an intersection of design and comfort that also informed his own new furniture line. www.rodrigonava.com
Ryan Burch creates utilitarian objects that aid in the daily tasks and routines of everyday life has become the most direct method of articulating his value systems and philosophies to the world. In this sense, functional wares have the ability to bridge the gap and communicate between maker and user. Ryan comes from an artisan family. His father is a glassblower and one of the founders of the Putney Craft Tour. His sister is a jewelry maker and glassblower and also a participant on the tour. He remembers all the family dishware was hand-made. “For the most part we knew who made them,” he said. www.ryanburchceramics.com
Jesse Fox, founder of Seneca cycle Works, a custom bicycle shop, builds and designs bicycles that are made to order using the best available steel bicycle tubing, frame fittings and componentry. Seneca Cycle Works opened two years ago, the shop namesake a state park in Maryland with a beautiful trail network he enjoyed exploring. Each of his bicycles is tailor-made for its rider. Just like a pair of custom shoes or a bespoke suit, each bike is designed to fit the rider perfectly. With more than 10 years of experience designing and building custom bicycles, he builds each bike to serve the rider in every way possible. “Function is high on my priority list as is fit,” he said. www.senecacycleworks.com
Fiona Morehouse Porcelain will open her new West Hill Road studio space – a two-story, light-filled renovated barn – for the tour and will have a broad spectrum of work displayed for sale, mostly functional pieces such as cups, bowls, platters, trays, butter dishes and treetop angels. “Everything is porcelain,” she said. “It’s the purest clay body. It gives a unique texture and look that’s very soft and almost transparent.”Also an artist who works in oil, she’ll offer some of her paintings for sale. Morehouse was a high school art teacher for 15 years and operated a drawing/painting and clay studio for children and adults. She is focusing on producing her own work but plans to offer workshops and after-school programs. “I love working with other people in clay,” she said. “Everyone is an artist and can have a connection with it.” wwwfionamorehouse@gmail.com
Meet the other artisans on the tour:
Jeanne Bennett, Silver Jewelry. Her designs include intricate chaining, beads, cabochons, and faceted gems for necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and rings.
b_peter_2000@yahoo.com
Julia Brandis, Stained Glass. Her stained glass panels, lamps and firescreens become more than utilitarian as they release color and form into the spaces that you live in. Their colored lights add emotion to the atmosphere: golden warmth, soothing blues, or vibrant purples. They dramatize interior spaces by projecting onto existing floors and walls.
www.Jbrandisglassworks.com
Caitlin Burch Glassworks. I work in two related fields [offhand blown glass and lamp worked glass] that allow me the unique and challenging opportunity to incorporate individual techniques and skills of each into the other. Glass is binding. My father (Bob Burch) always talks about dancing with the glass and living with it. I believe I finally understand what he means. It is a part of me now, a part of everything I do. I love it!
www.caitlinburch.com
Robert Burch, Brandywine Glassworks. Demos. I have been working in blown glass now for over 30 years and I am still excited by and in awe of the inherent magic of the molten glass. I maintain a broad production line of perfume bottles, paperweights, vases and sculptural pieces and love the opportunity to do one of a kind pieces or commissioned work.
www.robertburchglass.com
Edel Byrne, Stained Glass. My stained glass panels and candleholders are bold departures from the traditional. My signature style is the use of what I refer to as “lace leadwork”. Every piece I create is unique and reflects a medieval style, which springs from my Celtic heritage. In the spring of 2001 I moved to Putney to accommodate the growing business and a desire to live in a vibrant arts and crafts community. www.edelbyrne.com
Nancy Calicchio, Oil Painting. I am intrigued by the transformation in the Vermont landscape: the play of light on trees and rivers, fields and farms, the progressive change of colors within each season and the fascinating transition from one season to the next. For me, the landscape is a wonder. I find a fresh approach to our rich natural environment through painting. I feel a true relationship between the expression of the beautiful landscape and the exuberance I take in the act of painting. www.nancycalicchioart.com
Ian Eddy Blacksmith Pleasant Valley Forge. Demos. Working with my wife Jenny in our studio/forge in Vermont, I have been a full time blacksmith since 1975. Our collection of decorative and functional items includes lighting, bathroom and kitchen accessories, fireplace and stove tools and door hardware. We also make custom orders, and offer workshops in blacksmithing for all ages from 12 on up.
www.ianeddyblacksmith.com
Dena Gartenstein Moses, Handwoven Garments, Vermont Weaving School. My primary line of work is in rayon chenille-scarves and shawls to drape around your body, fleece and silk lined hats to keep you warm and blankets for comfort. I also offer a line of lighter weight tencel scarves and shawls whose colors move and dance with the light. I especially enjoy the process of taking my color work one step further and helping customers find the perfect combination to complement their own colors, tastes and moods. www.vermontweaver.com
The Green Mountain Spinnery, Natural Fiber Yarns. The Green Mountain Spinnery produces and sells high quality natural fiber yarns, and classic knitting patterns that are easy to use and give excellent results. Our commitment to the environment is reflected in our business practices and in our products. Our identity as a worker-owned cooperative is an important part of how we wish to be viewed by our peers in the yarn industry and in the wider business community. www.spinnery@spinnery.com
Judy Hawkins, Landscape Paintings. My paintings are recollections of the rich and inspiring landscapes I see around me, interpreting and creating the mood and feeling of weather, skies and water. My paintings have luminous, rich quality created by laying down thin glazes of oil paint. Colors are bold with gestural brushstrokes and fine detail. Recent paintings explore water in varied dimensions, from the pond bottom through layers of water, to surface tension and reflection, to water splashes and ripples. Recent physical limitations from an accident and an illness with multiple surgeries have given me a new perspective and challenges in painting. I have adapted ways to paint. www.judyhawkinspaintings.com
Noriko Isogai, Fine Wood Carvings. Born in Japan, Noriko apprenticed carving and restoring Buddhist statues and temple ornaments. Except for the preparation of raw wood materials, she carves every piece by hand. It is a slow, meditative process, she says. My wish is that the inspiring and pacifying energy of nature is transferred to people when they see, touch, and use my hand-carved objects. I am also available to do custom woodcarving and workshops. Norikoisogai84@gmail.com
Deborah Lazar. I never know at the beginning of a painting what it will look like when I am done. Drawing is crucial, and I begin with a clear plan of how I will place my subject on the canvas. I decide what the dominant colors will be, and all the other colors I use must relate to the colors I have decided will dominate. I block-in the entire painting with a wash of transparent paint before I put in any details. The painting evolves like a photograph in a developing tray; as time goes by, gradually the image takes form. www.deborahlazar.com
Joshua Letourneau, Freestyle Hand Blown Glass. My work ranges from tumblers (stemless cups) and steins to lamp worked pendants and beads. There is nothing like alleviating the stress of a hectic workday by melting some glass. As much as I love creating with glass, I enjoy the reaction of someone who has never experienced it. Please come and check out the brand new shop I will be working out of this year. glassman77@live.com
Betsy MacIsaac, Crooked Fence Farm
Yarn, Knitted and “Eco-Dyed Accessories; Spinning and Dyeing Demos. A lover of textiles, I learned to knit and sew from my mother. In earlier days I did custom dressmaking, often with handwoven Irish woolens and lovely English and Indian cottons. Now, a dream come true, I now shepherd a flock of Merino and endangered CVM~Romeldale sheep, a herd of Cashmere goats, and numerous finely feathered chickens.
www.crookedfencefarm-vt.com
David Mischke, Decorated Functional Pottery. All the pots are hand thrown on a potter’s wheel and possess a wonderful sense of balance. The pots are created with the intention of being used and enjoyed on a daily basis, and range from simple mugs to elaborately decorated vessels. The clay is a highfire stoneware which has been selected for its durability and chip resistence. The pottery will last a lifetime. Customized pieces are gladly created, whether they are special dinnerware sets or pieces for a particular person or event.
www.davidmischke.com
Parish Hill Creamery, Peter Dixon & Rachel Fritz Schaal. Peter, Rachel, and Alex make cheese traditionally, simply, as near to home as possible, and with the highest quality ingredients.. Our starter cultures are made from the milk of 4 individual cows. Helga, Abigail, Clothilde, and Sonia were chosen for their health, their components, and their disposition. They were well chosen, and as a result we were able to make mother cultures that are truly an articulation their milk. Our cheese is a revelation of that milk, these cows, those pastures, the water and the land. www.parishhillcreamery.com
Ken Pick, Functional and Sculptural Pottery. Whether wheel thrown or hand built, my pottery draws on my experience of energy flow, abstract form and historical precedent. Award winning massive wall platters and one-of-a-kind art pieces are on display, as well as many functional pots including teapots, casseroles, serving bowls, vases and lamps meant to be used in our daily lives or simply to delight the eye. kenpick@sover.net
Putney Mountain Winery, Putney Mountain Winery makes award-wining artisanal fruit wines, liqueurs and sparkling ciders. We create our beverages from some of the best fruit grown in the Northeast – all from nearby farms. We use only fresh, whole produce – never concentrates or commercial juices. Our beverages incorporate local apples, blueberries, pears, peaches, ginger, maple syrup, rhubarb, black currants, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. www.putneywine.com