BY RYAN O’CONNOR
After working in the transportation and warehousing industry for 36 years, Dunbarton resident Diane Terragni decided she was ready for a change.
Giving into her creative calling, Terragni retired and began to make jewelry with brightly colored beads.
But even that wasn’t enough for her.
“I decided I needed a little more, so I turned my jewelry making into a small business,” she said. “I took my jewelry around with me everywhere I went and basically pedaled it.”
Terragni doesn’t create and sell just any jewelry, however.
“I’m all about color,” she said. “Any time anyone travels to different areas of the country or the world, I always tell them to bring me back beads, so I can find new colors to use.”
Terragni, a member of the Manchester area Chamber of Commerce, soon began expanding her artistic horizons by embellishing jean jackets and teaching herself to create wall hangings.
Currently, she sells many of her items at Fabulous Looks Boutique in Concord and also sells her merchandise at Elizabeth’s on Elm Street in Manchester and at the Artisan’s Workshop at Peter Christian’s Tavern in New London.
Through her craft, Terragni said she has built a large following, which she is now using to help other area artisans.
Terragni and fellow Dunbarton artisans Pat LaBrecque of Black Brook Gallery in Goffstown and Pat Murphy of Dunbarton Arts and Garden, have joined forces to create the Circle of Art fair, which will take place in three locations, each with its own theme, the first two weekends in May.
Murphy will bring in many artists, LaBrecque will feature different forms of art depicting cats, and Terragni is focusing on live demonstrations, including woodworking and jewelry making.
“Many of my friends make wonderful artifacts and wares and we felt for a long time the local church craft fair didn’t offer the right atmosphere for some of the merachants to offer their merchandise,” she said.
So last fall, Terragni rounded up 26 local artists and hosted a three-day show, which attracted more than 300 paying customers, plus many who attended, but decided not to purchase anything.
“We really took the time to make sure people took off their jackets, got comfortable, stayed for a while and really made contact with the vendors,” she said.
The fair a success, the three women decided to organize one large event for the spring, when Murphy usually hosts her Dunbarton Arts and Garden’s Festival, to save money on advertising and marketing and bring more people into town.
“We’re getting some great publicity and keeping the cost to vendors very low,” said Terragni.
“I am so excited about this fair,” she continued. “I truly feel that we are going to have a festival atmosphere and people from all around are going to come and be totally amazed by what they see,” she said.
Terragni’s portion of the fair alone will bring 30 artisans and many local gourmet food purveyors with meats, herbal rubs and marinades, chips and salsa, and all-natural ice cream, among other eats.
In addition to having several artists outside exhibiting their skills, Terragni plans to fill her home as well.
“People will be encouraged to stay, take a seat, grab some lunch and watch somebody create a beautiful piece of work,” she said. “We’re bringing in top quality artists and I think people are going to find this to be truly entertaining.”
The Dunbarton Arts and Garden Festival will take place May 4 to 6 and 12 to 13 and will be located at Murphy’s shop, Dunbarton Arts and Gardens, at 14 Stark Highway North (Route 13); LaBrecque’s portion, the Cat Show, will take place at the Black Brook Gallery at 597 Black Brook Road in Goffstown; and the Artisan-A-Faire, Terragni’s event, will take place at 66 Long Pond Road in Dunbarton.
For more information and lists of participating artists and their crafts, visit www.blackbrookgallery.com, and click on the “Circle of Art” link.