Button up for the Button Factory open house

NHLife — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:16:00 GMT

Open studios are the best way to get a peek into an artists' studio and take in the creativity that is captured within its walls. I recommend the Button Factory Open Studio because it only happens once a year. I'll share the details below.

Every year, the Button Factory, a mill building turned artists' studio co-op located in Portsmouth, opens its doors to the public one time before the holidays. Visitors will be allowed to wander the halls of this historic landmark. And those halls will be decked, the studios will be buzzing, and the artists will be on hand to share some of their skills and designs to them. Fabric Artist Sarah Minor, an artist who designs delightfully hand-painted canvas floor cloths that were fashionable in homes from the 1700's to the 1900's makes her home here.

Bookbinder Lynne Crocker is also in the building as well as wooden boat-builder Nathan Greeley. The other artists include photographers, a furnitute maker, a metalsmith and several painters. During the open house, there will be over 70 artists showcasing their work in many genres from toy makers and sculptors to jewelers and woodworkers.

The Button Factory really was a button factory from 1880, when James Morley invented a sewing machine that could be used to attach buttons to high button shoes. The business quickly expanded to become the largest manufacturer of shoe buttons in the world. The building was used for a variety of purposes over the ensuing years, until 1986, when Jim Buttrick and Peter Bowers bought the building with the intention of making the space available to local artists and craftspeople.

This year the 21st Annual Open Studio event takes place on December 1 and 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Don't miss this opportunity to purchase unique NH-made gifts for the holiday season.

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Button up for the Button Factory open house