BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Vermont Crafts Council’s Open Studio tour will be held on Memorial Day weekend. This year, the annual statewide tour boasts 150 artists and galleries putting their studios on display throughout the state. The studios are open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., on Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28.
Bellows Falls will be hosting seven artists in their open studios, within walking distance from each other. Artists participating are glass blowers Nick Kekic and Chris Sherwin, the studios of painters and wood sculptors Phyllis Rosser, Robert McBride, and Mindy Fisher, watercolorist Joan Cannon, as well as the River Artisans Cooperative, and Canal Street Art Gallery. “We will be highlighting artists, events, shops, and restaurants that contribute year-round to the vital and cultural richness and economic stability of the community,” says Robert McBride, Founder and Director of The Rockingham Arts & Museum Project (RAMP).
Bellows Falls is a walkable community. It is a pleasant walk between the studios through downtown. Give yourself time to grab lunch or a snack at Moondog, Rockingham Roasters, or Flat Iron Cooperative Café. Village Square Booksellers and Arch Bridge Books, as well J&H Hardware and Halladays are all worth checking out. The Bellows Falls Opera House shows movies on the big screen with surround sound. Wunderbar offers fine dining in the evening.
Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance (BFDDA) is working closely with local businesses to engage residents and visitors to explore the work being created by local artists and to promote the “BF vibe.” BFDDA will post all community events participating in the May celebration on their website, www.bellowsfallsvt.org/things-to-do-in-the-bellows-falls-region. Bellows Falls artisans have also created a great source for sharing and finding art information in the area, http://www.facebook.com/ArtinBellowsFalls.
For more information about Open Studios in Bellows Falls, contact the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) by calling 802-463-3252, emailing ramp@sover.net, or visiting www.ramp-vt.org. The Vermont Crafts Council is online at www.vermontcrafts.com. For more information on Vermont Crafts Council’s Open Studio Weekend with 150 artisans and galleries participating, go to www.vermontcrafts.com/visit-open-studio.