Tour, Shop and Experience the Best of New Hampshire During the First-ever Spring NH Open Doors – a Statewide Shopping and Touring Event
NH Open Doors takes place Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10, 2016
(Concord, NH) — The League of NH Craftsmen is proud to present the first-ever Spring NH Open Doors; a fun-filled, weekend-long event showcasing the people, places, and products of New Hampshire. On Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10, artists, craftspeople, farms, retail shops and other businesses throughout the state are opening their doors and featuring special activities for all ages, including craft demonstrations, food samplings, special sales, and more. Spring is a great time of year to tour New Hampshire’s scenic highways and country roads, and to shop (tax-free) for New Hampshire-made gifts.
“It’s the personal touch that makes our annual NH Open Doors events in the Fall so popular. We felt people would enjoy an event in the Spring as the warmer weather is a great reason to hop in the car, explore new neighborhoods, and have an authentic New Hampshire experience,” said Kate Sussman, League of NH Craftsmen Operations Manager.
Here’s a glimpse of what visitors can see and do during NH Open Doors:
* See fine artists and craftspeople make one-of-a-kind art and fine craft in their studios while talking with them about their techniques and inspirations.
* Visit working farms and see and pet the animals, or stop by an apple orchard or maple sugar house to sample and purchase their natural sweet treats.
* Tour a brewery and sample locally-made, craft beer.
* Take home a part of New Hampshire while supporting local fine artists and craftspeople. You’ll discover a variety of New Hampshire-made art, craft, food, wine and other goodies that you can enjoy at home. Many participating locations are having sales or offering discounts for Spring NH Open Doors visitors.
* Meet and support local business owners. Spring NH Open Doors is a great way to connect with and purchase directly from farmers, producers, and artists in your community.
Spring NH Open Doors is managed by the League of NH Craftsmen, with support from the State of New Hampshire, as well as promotional assistance from other New Hampshire art, craft, and business organizations. The League also manages a Fall NH Open Doors event that is held in early November.
Adele Sanborn, a Spring NH Open Doors participant, will be demonstrating book making and paste paper at her studio at the TWIGGS Gallery at Cornerstone Design in Boscawen.
“People sometimes feel like they are bothering an artist or craftsperson by going into their studio. NH Open Doors eliminates the awkwardness–we want people to come in and see how we work,” said Sanborn, a League member juried in calligraphy and mixed media. “I like to involve people in some hands-on projects so that they can experience and appreciate what goes into making fine craft.”
Adele is participating alongside a pottery maker, jewelry maker, photographer, and other artists who will also be providing demonstrations. As an added attraction, Adele’s husband Roger will take visitors on a horse-and-buggy ride around Boscawen on Sunday, April 10, from 11 am to 2 pm, weather permitting.
Leather artisan Diane Louise Paul participated in the first NH Open Doors event and is excited to be part of the first-ever Spring event. Paul, a juried League member, creates pre-Civil War, museum-quality quality leather craft.
“I don’t have a studio, so each year I participate in a different NH Open Doors location with other artists and craftspeople. I benefit from the greater exposure for my work, and visitors see a variety of work from different people,” Paul said.
For the Spring event, Diane will be demonstrating her hand-stitching technique and selling her leather work along with contemporary jewelry maker Pamela Sullivan, and fiber artist Nancy O’Connor in the downtown Concord Arts District.
“Downtown Concord is the perfect location to visit – it’s a walking city, with lots of great restaurants, and many other Concord-based Spring NH Open Doors participants,” Paul added.
Plan a tour using Spring NH Open Doors interactive map
Spring NH Open Doors is a self-guided event; visitors create their own driving routes and visit the participants and locations that interest them. To help visitors plan their self-guided tour, the Spring NH Open Doors website –NHOpenDoors.com – has an interactive map that lists participants by region. Each listing describes what each participant will be offering, and a custom-designed Google map showing the location of each participant with detailed driving directions. The website also features recommended itineraries suggested by Spring NH Open Doors participants that highlight different areas of the state. Because Spring NH Open Doors participants are located all over the state, visitors have an opportunity to explore at least one part of the state that is new to them.
Passport Contest for Visitors As an added incentive, visitors are encouraged to enter the Spring NH Open Doors Passport for a chance to win great prizes. Passport forms can be downloaded from the NH Open Doors website. To enter the contest, you must visit five Spring NH Open Doors locations and have the participant sign and date your passport form. Those who visit five locations during Spring NH Open Doors will be automatically entered into a contest to win free gift certificates, gift baskets, fine craft, and more.
The League of NH Craftsmen (www.nhcrafts.org) is a non-profit arts organization that encourages, nurtures and promotes the creation, use and preservation of fine craft through the inspiration and education of artists and the broader community. The Fall 2016 NH Open Doors will take place on November 5 and 6.
To learn more about Spring NH Open Doors, visit nhopendoors.com.
