Finding Art in Meredith
The group of gallery owners planning the Winnipesaukee Art Walk.
By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper
Meredith is among the most popular summer destinations in the Lakes Region. This is because there is a lot to do and see in the charming lakeside town: a wide range of shopping, dining and music experiences all within walking distance to Lake Winnipesaukee.
There is a definite “creative” feeling in Meredith and lots of artists live within the area or seek out the streets and waterfronts for great places to paint. Add to that the popular Meredith Sculpture Walk which is a project of the Greater Meredith Program, featuring first-rate sculptures peppered throughout the town, and Meredith has it all.
To add to these many aspects that make Meredith an art community, eight galleries in the town have banded together as a collective to support one another.. The galleries include: Art of Turning at 5 Main St.; Jeremy Noyes Gallery at 23 Main St. Unit 1; Acacia Coll Gallery and Art School at 30 Main St., Suite A; Bleu Waves Art Gallery at 38 Main St.; Artistic Exploration at 51 Main St., Unit 6; Hale & Moreau Gallery at 4 Water St., Store 2; BayView Artisan Gallery at 285 Daniel Webster Highway and Meredith Fine Craft Gallery/League of NH Craftsmen at 279 Daniel Webster Highway.
The gallery owners meet once a month for collaboration and support. They also work on ways to bring art to the Meredith community and beyond. An effort is currently underway for the Winnipesaukee Art Walk, an ongoing event that is just what its name says: a way for visitors to Meredith to access all galleries in the town and get a bonus treat of something delicious from a group of participating restaurants.
Part of the effort of the group will be the Winnipesaukee First Friday Art Walk on the first Friday of each month from 4 to 7 pm. The monthly event will offers visitors a chance to go to all the galleries with the added enticement of a raffle. The First Friday Raffle (held each month with all galleries open) will include a $100 gift certificate as a first prize and a $60 gift certificate second prize. Raffle winners names will be drawn at the First Friday event reception. (To kick off the art receptions, the First Friday Art Walk is scheduled for Friday, June 5 from 4 to 7 pm.)
Says Fabiana Walsh, owner of the BayView Artisan Gallery, “Those who participate in the Winnipesaukee Art Walk can pick up a stamp (punch) card at the first gallery they visit. Each gallery will have stamp cards available so it doesn’t matter which place you visit first. You will just start your visit there and as you go to each Meredith participating gallery, you will get your card stamped. You will have two weeks to get all eight galleries to stamp your card. Then, you will hand your completed stamped card to the restaurant of your choice for a special offer.”
The restaurants currently participating (with more to be added) include Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant, Frog Rock Tavern, and The Breeze, all located in Meredith. Specials, for example, offer such things as Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant, where you can purchase an entrée and after showing your stamped card, get a free dessert. Other restaurants will have their own stamp card specials.
“Our main goal,” explains Vinnie Hale of Hale & Moreau Gallery, “is to increase awareness of art in the area. I got the original idea for the Art Walk by visiting ocean towns where there is a big art presence and influence. I saw there was a lot of collaboration going on in those towns. In Meredith, there is the Shop Main Street effort. It isn’t competitive, but rather a way for businesses to help each other. We can do the same with the art galleries in Meredith.”
Agrees Acacia Coll, owner of Acacia Coll Gallery, “There is a definite renaissance happening in Meredith and we want our galleries to be part of that. The culture walk we are doing will give visitors eight galleries full of varied art from which to choose.”
Agrees Fabiana Walsh, “Meredith and the Lakes Region is a beautiful area full of visual possibilities for artists whose work we feature in our galleries. I see visitors at BayView Gallery from all over the world and in this country. Bringing the galleries together for an art walk makes sense because visitors will see the full list of places that are in Meredith. Our community might be a smaller town, but there is big interest in art here with a big artist concentration.”
Visitors to Meredith will learn about the Winnipesaukee Art Walk a number of ways: cards and flyers will be available at information centers, and a website is in the works. Alternately, should a visitor be in one of the eight participating art galleries, they will see or be told about the stamp card which helps creates an awareness of the walk.
\“We want visitors to take time to browse the galleries,” adds Denise Kirk of the Meredith Fine Craft Gallery/League of NH Craftsmen. “The Meredith League shop has been in town for over 60 years. We have, for example, a wide range of handcrafted items ranging from pottery, jewelry, glass, fiber art, metal work, hand-turned wood, garden sculptures, stained glass, prints and much more.”
Another participant in the Winnipesaukee Art Walk is Andrew Eaton, woodturner and owner of The Art of Turning at 5 Main Street in the heart of downtown Meredith. His business offers something different for the Art Walk, and visitors will find all sorts of handmade wooden items in the gallery shop. He is enthusiastic about the Art Walk and says this summer will be just the beginning. “This is just Phase One and we hope to continue doing the Art Walk year round. Phase One will run until around October with more to come,” he explains.
Each gallery offers something different, from the style of paintings, prints, photography, sculpture and more. Also, individual galleries feature a variety of artists who paint their own versions of landscapes, portraits, still life and more. If there is an interest in owning art of the Lakes Region, it is surely among the galleries on the Art Walk.
Those who want to immerse themselves in the fine work at Meredith art galleries are in for a treat this summer when they pick up their stamp card and step into the world of creativity and beauty at each location.
Topping this off, after a day or more of gallery browsing and shopping, participants can stop at an area restaurant for a meal with the bonus of a special when presenting a completed stamp card.
Meredith is among the most popular destination towns in the Lakes Region. The creative spirit in the area only adds to the diversity of things to do and see and a great reason to visit this summer.