Dunbarton news : arts

Annual arts festival returns to Dunbarton

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:30:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Each year in early May, Pat Murphy has a few house guests over. Maybe more than a few.

The Dunbarton resident is using her house and yard to host the Dunbarton Arts and Garden Festival for the third consecutive year, bringing more than 40 vendors together over the two weekend event, which will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4, as well as the following weekend, May 10 and 11.

“The best part about the festival is the coming together of the artists and appreciators,” Murphy said. “Everybody comes here to present their works and people come to appreciate it, and it’s just a great energy.”

Artists and gardeners from across the state will come together to Murphy’s home on Route 13 in the center of Dunbarton to display and sell their creations.

“I spent a long time cleaning up for this event,” said Murphy with a laugh. “We’ll have entertainment and food, and it’s really nice. People like to come and stay for a while because it’s a pleasant atmosphere.”

Murphy balances her love for art and gardening, as she often creates concrete sculptures that are used in gardens. She said the two passions are easily combined.

According to Murphy, who graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, presenting artist creations is crucial to the creative process.

“Dunbarton has very much appreciated this event. It’s all positive for the community,” Murphy said. “It’s high-quality work, and people are really skilled and dedicated to what they do. People appreciate seeing things that people have dedicated their lives to making.”

In addition to taking in the vendors’ works, Murphy said customers can look forward to the car ride to the event as well. “For one thing, it’s a very nice drive to Dunbarton. It’s a scenic drive to a historic town. The quality of vendors is extremely high. I have some of the finest artists in the state coming here. It’s a nice way to spend the day,” she said.

To say the event goes on rain or shine would be an understatement, as two years ago the event went on despite the Mother’s Day floods, and Murphy said she still got a large crowd despite the weather.

“It was interesting because we still had customers come,” she said. “They came through flooded roads and their cellars were flooded. They were still here and still interested in the arts, and they were purchasing. It is important to people, they’ll come through a natural disaster.”

Cement creations – Dunbarton artist creates unique planters

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:31:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Though Patricia Murphy’s sculptures are fictitious characters created in her head, every once in awhile one just happens to look like someone she or someone else knows.

That is exactly what happened to Murphy when she created Dusty, one of her favorite pot sculptures.

“When I finished him, I called my husband and said, ‘Come see Dusty,’” she said. “When he saw him, my husband declared he looked just like the neighbor, Peter Weeks, across the street, and I guess it’s true. They all look like somebody, this one just happened to look like the guy across the street.”

Since then, she had another neighbor purchase one of her Dusty sculptures after seeing it, and even Weeks himself decided to buy one.

“But Murphy insists the correlation is unintentional, though she admits her subconscious memory may play a role in her creations.

“I like faces. I like expression. I like common faces,” she said. “I call this the lifting of the common man, because we’re taking regular everyday looking people and we’re making them fancy. And we’re making them special by putting gold paint on them and making them interesting.”

Murphy, who in her 30s, went to the University of New Hampshire to get a degree, took art as a general education requirement and decided she loved it so much she would make a career of it. She graduated with a bachelor of fine arts and sculpture degree and has been making head pot sculptures ever since.

“I have about 20 years working in nurseries with plants, so I had the landscaping background and ended up with my fine arts degree in sculpture, so I combined the two,” she said. “They’re pot heads – they’re pots and they’re heads, so they’re pot heads.”

Murphy makes the originals out of clay then makes rubber molds with outer plastic molds and casts her sculptures in cement to create a final product.

“It’s a long process and a lot of work,” she said of designing and creating her more than 30 different sculpture designs.

Recently, she began making leaf-peepers and sculptures with hats that come off, which transforms her creations from standard sculptures to more practical pots.

Murphy opened her two businesses, Dunbarton Arts and Gardens, out of her home on Route 13 five years ago.

“I needed to stay home, so I decided to do what I know, sculpture and plants, so we started this business here on nothing more than a shoestring,” she said. “It’s been building and building ever since.”
But her work isn’t always easy.

“One thing people think about artists is it’s very glamorous, but it’s not,” she said. “It’s very lonely spending hours and hours in your studio hammering out problems, technical difficulties, figuring out how things are going to work, and trying to create this idea. You have this idea and now you have to make it real. But when you finally get it, you want to share it with somebody.”

Which is one of the reasons she began The Arts and Gardens Festival last year.

“When you have the festival, all these artists come with all their creations that are beautiful and they’ve put all this work into, and all they want is somebody to come over and say, ‘Wow, that’s really nice,’” said Murphy. “It’s not so much to show it off. It’s to connect with somebody that understands and appreciates what you’re doing after all those long lonely hours.”

She described the process of thinking of an idea, creating it, having someone appreciate it, and gaining encouragement to go back into the studio to start the process all over again as the circle of art.

Ironically, Murphy and two other local artists combined their efforts and resources to create “The Circle of Art,” a week-and-a-half festival taking place at three separate locations.

“You have so much more power when you have other people helping you because you can get three times as much done,” said Murphy. “Between the three of us we’ve been able to pull in at least 100 artists, which is obviously very impressive and exciting for all of us. I just can’t believe the response that we’ve had by pooling our energies.”

The Dunbarton Arts and Gardens Festival will be located at Murphy’s business at 14 Stark Highway North (Route 13) just outside Dunbarton Center, on May 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13.

The Artisan-A-Faire, which will feature top area artisans and demonstrations, will be located at 66 Long Pond Road in Dunbarton the same dates as Murphy’s portion of the event.

And The Cat Show, featuring various forms of art depicting felines throughout the world, will take place at Black Brook Gallery, at 597 Black Brook Road, on the Goffstown/Dunbarton border right through from May 4 through 13.

Cat lover’s paradise – Artisan event focuses on felines

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:54:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Susan Jenkins will paint or draw on just about any surface she can get her hands on.

A self-taught artist since her early elementary school years, Jenkins has been creating colorful depictions on canvases, slates, mailboxes, trays, furniture and many other paintable surfaces.

Most recently, Jenkins, a Dunbarton resident, has developed an affinity for painting on birch bark, which she has been doing for five years.

“I just look at a piece of bark and I get excited,” said Jenkins. “Sometimes I’m just driving down the road when I see a piece on the ground and I pull over to pick it up.”

She and her husband David often hike the North Country of New Hampshire, picking up usable scraps of birch bark off the ground, bringing it home, soaking it to eliminate living organisms, then drying and pressing it to prepare it for painting.

In addition, Jenkins has a particular passion she likes to focus most of her art on.

“My real inspiration has to do with the interaction between humanity and nature,” she said. “I grew up loving animals.

I had a pet skunk, I had a baby porcupine once, and I’d just bring these animals home because I love wildlife and nature, and that’s what most of my paintings are.”

During the Circle of Art fair in Dunbarton and Goffstown, she will be taking part in The Cat Show portion of the event, which focuses on felines of various shapes and sizes, depicted through many forms of art.

She will be selling many of her creations as well as smaller sized prints of her work.

Though she was born in Littleton, Jenkins grew up in Goffstown, moved to Bethlehem for 10 years and recently moving back to the area, took up residence in Dunbarton.

Recently she met Kate Dalpra, of Iris Custom Framing in Goffstown who got Jenkins involved with a group of local artists, which ultimately introduced her to Pat LaBrecque, who is running The Cat Show.

In fact, LaBreque saw a painting of Jenkins’ mother and a cat and insisted that the artwork be in her show.

“I said ‘I want that painting,’” said Lebreque. “What struck me about the painting is that it’s kind of unusual in that is shows the woman and the cat from behind. It’s really a warm and sensitive portrayal of her mother and her cat that is very simple, but very nice.”

In addition to being self-taught, Jenkins also educated others on her passion for many years.

She started teaching private groups and one-on-one painting lessons in 1984.

“I love the interaction with people, so teaching fits right into that,” she said.

The Cat Show will take place at Black Brook Gallery, 597 Black Brook Road, on the Goffstown/Dunbarton line, May 4 to 13.

The fair will include two other portions the same days.

The Artisan-A-Faire, which will feature top area artisans and demonstrations, will be located at 66 Long Pond Road in Dunbarton and The Dunbarton Arts and Gardens Festival will be located at Dunbarton Arts and Gardens at 14 Stark Highway North.

Stained-glass artist to exhibit work at Circle of Art event

Bow Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:15:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

When Donna Edwards discovered the art of stained-glass making, so did her family and friends.

“I accidentally stumbled onto it one day when I was watching a craft show on TV and saw this woman doing a mosaic design behind her bathroom sink. I thought to myself, ‘I can do that.’ So I got a book, picked out a project, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since,” said Edwards.

“For the first three years I inundated my children and my grandchildren with stained glass, and I think they finally ran out of spaces to put it.”

At the suggestion of a friend, Edwards began selling it on her own roughly a year-and-a-half ago.

Currently, Edwards belongs to the Contoocook Artisans. She marketed and sold many of her creations at a December craft fair, sponsored by the group, and now looks forward to offering some of her more advanced work at the Circle of Art Fair in Dunbarton and Goffstown, from May 4 to 6, and 12 to 13.

There, she will set up at two of the three locations taking part in the fair, the Dunbarton Arts and Gardens Festival in town center on Route 13, and at the Artisan-A-Faire at 66 Long Pond Road.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find people that make real good stained-glass,” said Patricia Murphy, who owns Dunbarton Arts and Gardens. “It’s very labor-intensive, so I appreciate the dedication and hard work artists like Donna Edwards put into their craft.”

For Edwards part, making stained-glass creations is often challenging, but always enjoyable.

“It’s fun to work with and I like the the end result, which is always very nice. I’m always trying something new,” she said. “I like color coordinating and working with lots of colors and different textures of glass.”

Included in her various creations are vases, small boxes, window hangings, mirrors, picture frames, garden stones and table tops, among many other items.

The most difficult projects, so far, have been making lampshades.

“Cutting curves is pretty challenging,” she said.

The next step in her progression as an artist, said Edwards, is working with more whimsical creations.
“I want to get into using bottles with my glass, dishes and old silverware,” she said. “I’m always

so busy doing the standard things that I never get a chance to work on whimsical stuff, so after the show I think I’m going to take a little break and try something new.”

Before picking up the art of stained-glass making, Edwards focused her artistic talents on creating greeting cards.

“I just did it for fun. I still have a lot of my supplies, but right now most of it is just sitting there right now,” Edwards said.

Edwards purchases her supplies from, attends classes and works one day a week at Detailed Stained Glass on Main Street in Concord.

Circle of Art – Fair to feature many local artisans

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:57:00 GMT

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.