New Art Fest celebrates pets and farm animals
Art and animals are brought together at the first-ever Art Fest at Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, happening Saturday, June 26. The outdoor event will feature booths with local artists and animal organizations, live animals, a make-and-take craft and more.
“We’ve always had small things at the gallery, like an artisan who comes and sets up a little booth, or some sort of make-and-take craft for people to do,” gallery director Laura Morrison said, “but this is the first time we’ve really expanded everything into one big full-day event.”
Six New Hampshire artists and craftspeople will show and sell their work at the Art Fest: Melanie Deshaies, who creates watercolor paintings focused on nature; leatherworker Diane Louise, whose work includes belts, dog collars, leashes, bracelets and more; Cheryl Miller, a textile artist who crafts machine-stitched fiber collages with hand-dyed fabrics and paper; jewelry maker Jo Shields, who specializes in organic sculptural jewelry inspired by nature; Keira Chin, a glass artist who makes glass whimsical beach scenes; and Ty Meier, a pen-and-ink artist.
Meier, of Hopkinton, will be selling his greeting cards, which feature unique animal designs like a squirrel playing the violin, two crows in love and a snail with a fairy house on its back, and he’ll be taking orders for custom pet portraits, a service he started offering during the pandemic that has received a lot of demand, he said.
“I’ve developed a style with pen-and-ink and watercolor, doing almost tattoo-y kind of designs, so it’s a little bit different than your typical pet painting,” he said. “I especially love to do ones where the pet is doing something cute or is flopped over or in some weird pose.”
Two local animal nonprofits will have information booths and pets for people to meet: Pope Memorial SPCA will be there from 10 a.m. to noon and will have a donation bin set up on site collecting canned dog food, dry cat food, soft dog treats, cat toys, small animal toys and durable dog toys; and For the Love of Dog Rottweiler & Pitbull Rescue of New Hampshire will be there from 1 to 3 p.m.
Additionally there will be free draft horse cart rides on the field by the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m., as well as a demonstration by the 4-H Steer Club.
Inside the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. visitors can do a free paper pet make-and-take craft. Using one of the pet portraits provided or a small picture of their own pet’s head (about 1.5 inches wide) that they bring, they can create a paper doll version of their pet.
“We have pictures of different dogs, cats and birds that we cut out … and old paper doll patterns to match them up with, so people can dress up their pet in a fashionable wardrobe,” Morrison said. “It’s a fun little craft.”
Attendees can also take part in “Route 3 Art Trail – Rocks!” a community art project organized by Twiggs and Concord arts organizations Making Matters and Kimball Jenkins. The project invites people to paint “kindness rocks” that will be placed randomly throughout the community. Rocks painted at Twiggs will be put on display in an installation circle outside the gallery until they get distributed this fall.
The Art Fest coincides with the gallery’s new animal-themed art exhibit that’s on view now through July 18.
“We tied it all together,” Morrison said, “and I think that will give a good boost to the exhibit.”
“Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws” showcases paintings, drawings, prints, photography, jewelry and artist books by nine local artists reflecting on the world of domesticated pets and work and farm animals.
“For about a year now, I’ve been thinking it would be fun to do a pet art show, and to expand it to also [include] other domesticated animals people have at home, like farm animals and work animals,” Morrison said.
Meier has two of his works in the exhibit: one depicting a chicken under a sunrise, and the other a goat against a backdrop of a sun-and-moon symbol.
“I love drawing goats because there’s a lot of crazy mythology … and history behind them,” he said. “I put a lot of that ancient mythology-type symbolism and stuff like that in my art.”
“[The exhibit] is definitely quite an eclectic mix of styles and mediums,” Morrison said.
In addition to the exhibit, the gallery has on display “Our Village Square … a Celebration,” an accordion-style sculptural artist book created collaboratively by members of Artists’ Meeting Point, an artists group that normally meets at Twiggs, over virtual Zoom meetings during the pandemic.
“They did it all together; each artist took one panel in the book,” Morrison said. “When you fold it all out, it looks like a little village.”
Morrison said she’s looking forward to having Twiggs engage with the community on a larger scale.
“We just love connecting and sharing local art and artists with people,” she said. “If all goes well, we hope to continue to do the Art Fest every year.”
Art Fest at Twiggs Gallery
Where: 254 King St., Boscawen
When: Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Cost: Free
More info: Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
“Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws” exhibit
On view at Twiggs now through July 18. Regular gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Featured photo: Art by Ty Meier, on display in the exhibit. Courtesy Photo.
