For
the artisans who demonstrate their skills at the Heritage
Festival, the past is very much present, and there's nothing
they like better than sharing their passion for tradition
with festival-goers. All demonstrations are ongoing beneath
the Artisan Tent on Saturday (10 am – 5 pm) and Sunday
(12 noon – 5 pm) unless otherwise noted. These demonstrations
are supported, in part, by a grant from the New Hampshire
State Council on the Arts.
ARTISANS |
BEEKEEPER
Dick Dionne,
a perennial favorite at the Newmarket Heritage Festival,
explains all about bees. Watch busy bees at work. See
if you can spot the queen—and sample the sweet results
of their labor! |
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COOPER
Ron Raiselis
demonstrates the traditional art of barrel making. A cooper
at Strawbery Banke Musuem in Portsmouth since 1985, Raiselis
works on making oak pails, barrels and kegs in his shop.
(Photo: Rich
Beauchesne) |
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18th-CENTURY
ARTISAN
R. P. Hale
demonstrates harpsichord construction, printing and engraving,
paper marbling, calligraphy and more. Wearing period costume,
Hale will set up his cultural encampment for the weekend.
Festival goers can step back in time inside his tent,
watching—and in some cases trying—these traditional
arts. Hale is an interdisciplinary artist and musician
from a Mexican family that is noted for its long involvement
in the arts. Born in Tucson, Arizona, he is a sixth-generation
master calligrapher and illustrator, fifth-generation
musician and third-generation wood engraver, printer and
gilder. Mr. Hale is a harpsichordist, organist, builder
of early keyboard instruments and period-design hammer
dulcimers. He also makes and supplies marbleized papers
for bookbinders, other artists and of course harpsichords.
more |
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ORIGAMI
ARTIST
Michael LaFosse,
one of the world's origami masters, is back by popular
demand to demonstrate "the way of folded paper."
Festival goers can learn this ancient Asian art
from this expert teacher and make folded creatures to
take home. (Sunday only.) LaFosse is best known as
a paper maker and paper folding artist. He has been practicing
the art of Origami for over 40 years, and has been teaching
it for over 30 years. LaFosse is internationally regarded
as one of the top origami masters in the world today.Born
in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, he was fascinated by sea
shells and studied to become a biologist. This is evident
in his works - many of which have been shown in the Louvre
in Paris, and several of which are currently on display
at the Art & Nature Center's Idea Studios at the newly
re-opened Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. more |
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POTTER
Tim Christensen-Kirby,
a festival favorite returns with his pottery wheel and
samples of his award-winning work. Christensen-Kirby has
a BA from Colby College and is a member of the NHArt Association,
among other organizations. He has received many awards
for his pottery and sculpture, including those from the
Levy Gallery, the Currier Museum of Art and the National
Prize Show at the Cambridge Art Association. Tim has been
an Artist in Residence, demonstrated in schools, fairs
and Exeter Fine Crafts, and taught at the NH Institute
of Art. He and his wife Theresa own and operate Muddy
Bird Pottery in Milton. more |
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STONE
WALL BUILDER
Kevin Fife,
a professional specialist in stonewall construction for
more than 20 years, will demonstrate the process of building,
picking, sorting and moving stone at the 2004 Heritage
Festival. Stones for the demonstration are provided courtesy
of W.S. Goodrich. (Saturday only.) |
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QUILTER
Fabric
artist Merrilyn San Soucie
of the Silver Penny Patch Newmarket quilting studio returns
with a new community art project. Stitch your own page
into this year's Newmarket Heritage Festival quilted journal.
(Saturday only)
Merrilyn makes wall quilts that explore color, shape and
fabric, retain many traditional quilt elements, and interpret
the rhythms, textures and intricacies of the world around
us. In her teaching of fabric art and sewing, she encourages
students to explore the medium while they learn some of
the traditions of hand sewers before us. Merrilyn's work
has been exhibited locally and nationally. She was a classroom
teacher for over twenty years. |
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