Friday, November 1, 2019

Jane McBride Orzechowski Awarded 2019 Governor's Arts Award for Folk Heritage

Governor Chris Sununu, Jane McBride Orzechowshi, and
Sanborn Mills Farm Executive Director Andrew Ingram at the 2019
Governor's Arts Awards. Photo by Abbigail Saffian.
On Monday, October 21, the arts community gathered in Concord to celebrate the state's breath of artistic energy and people who, through personal decisions and commitment, make a difference to the quality of life in their communities and the state. The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, in cooperation with the Governor's Office, biennially takes the opportunity to acknowledge these contributions through the presentation of the Governor's Arts Awards.

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is pleased to announce Jane McBride Orzechowski as the recipient of the 2019 Governor's Arts Awards in Folk Heritage. The Folk Heritage Award "recognizes a New Hampshire traditional folk artist who has made a significant contribution to his or her art form and the cultural community, reflecting a lifetime of achievement." The 2019 Folk Heritage Award was sponsored by Sanborn Mills Farm.

Jane is a fiddler of exemplary talent, skilled in Swedish, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish, and New England musical genres and history. She is an integral part of New Hampshire’s folk heritage and well-respected by her peers. Throughout her career, Jane has sought to bring new talent to these traditional music disciplines, supporting and mentoring younger performers in their quest to preserve and expand these musical works and their heritage. She has been playing the fiddle since she was a child and was inspired by attendance at the New England Folk Festival. Jane has been a member of two long-standing groups: Old New England and The Sugar River Band, where she plays with her children. Jane’s nominator describes her style of playing by simply stating, “It’s full of integrity and grace.” Jane has recorded two CDs with the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra and one with the Sugar River Band. 

A total of 7 awards were presented by Governor Chris Sununu at the ceremony and reception at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord.


The 2019 Governor's Arts awards winners are:
  • Arts Education: Theo Martey, Manchester
  • Creative Communities: Town of Mason
  • Distinguished Arts Leadership: Bente Torjusen, Lebanon
  • Folk Heritage: Jane McBride Orzechowski, Newport
  • Individual Arts Champion (two awards): Stephen Duprey, Concord and Robert O. Wilson, Concord
  • Lotte Jacobi Living Treasure: Sylvia Nicolas, Mont Vernon

To see photos from the ceremony and reception (photos by Abbigail Saffian), please click HERE!
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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Day for the Arts



Photo: A sculpture installation of tiny houses by Patricia Woodbridge
 in between tents for viewers to see. Photo by Bynn Shen.
League of NH Craftsmen, Sunapee, NH 
   
As a summer intern for the NH State Council on the Arts, I had been in the office every day from 8:30AM–4:00PM working on various projects assigned to me whether they dealt with the grant panels or designing for conference graphics and bag designs. While I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the council and designing work, I jumped at the opportunity to attend the League of NH Craftsmen fair in Sunapee, NH. Just for a day, I could stroll around and see what the artists had to offer with my parents. It was a break from work which you all could probably sympathize with me.






Photo: This copper pizza oven provided many people with good
looking pizzas during the beautiful weather. Photo by Bynn Shen.
We went Monday, August 5 which was a nice sunny day at 79 degrees Fahrenheit. As we arrived at noon at Mount Sunapee and parked the car, there was a shuttle bus taking people to the entrance/ticket booth. However, we had just missed it, so we walked for a few minutes to the gate ourselves. Before we walked around, we ate lunch at the lodge. Per my supervisor’s advice, we started from the very back tent and worked our way towards the tent closest to the gate. Since it was my first time attending, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was surprised to see how large the fair was and how many tents there were as we made our way to the end of the fair. There was a nice breeze, so it didn’t seem too warm when we were walking from tent to tent. Throughout the fair, there were blacksmithing, glass blowing, pottery, and basket weaving demonstrations as well as live music playing which made for a great and enjoyable atmosphere. In the center of all the tents, there were multiple food tents set up. The line for the pizza was very long and I could see why! 

 

 
Photo: This hand woven basket naturally aged over a span of
35+ years which became very informative for
the people visiting Jeffrey Gale's booth. Photo by Bynn Shen.

Each tent held up to 10+ artists with all varying focuses on painting, photography, woodworking, metalwork, ceramics, and many more. Among the tents was an Arts and Design Exhibition displaying work in one continuous space together. Throughout the tents, I noticed that there were many ceramic and woodworking artists like basket weaving, spoon making, and kitchenware. Some uncommon methods of working we saw were using Japanese wood blocks, utilizing copper etchings, and silk printing. As an artist myself, it was nice to be able to talk with the artists there about their process and interests. It gave my parents and I insight into the methods of art making that we hadn’t otherwise been able to learn in depth about. We neared three o’clock, so we took a quick snack and smoothie break. Afterwards, we finished up, we only had two tents left to go into. Overall, it was a really nice experience and we all enjoyed the wonderful weather. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the arts or looking, something to do in the summer, or taking a break from work. The fair lasted for a little over a week, so it accommodated people attending to make sure they had time to come. Be sure to check it out next year in August!

Blog Post by Bynn Shen,  NHSCA Intern


Photo: The view from a small incline towards the rear
of the fair's many tents and visitors. Photo by Bynn Shen.





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Friday, June 28, 2019

2019 New Hampshire Festivals, Fairs & Celebrations

Photo: NH Traditional Artist Garry Kalajian demonstrating
blacksmithing at the 2018 Traditional Crafts Days at Canterbury Shaker Village.
Photo by Kayla Schweitzer. 




Summer is here again in New Hampshire! Good weather coupled with great food, music, culture, arts and community- there are lots of celebrations, fairs and festivals to be excited about this summer! Below are some festivals, fairs and other celebrations in and around New Hampshire to enjoy! Make sure to check out area Old Home Days, music and food festivals  and agricultural fairs as well!

June 28-29
Portsmouth, NH
June 29-30               
Canterbury, NH
June 29-30
Washington, D.C.
The Social Power of Music
July 13
Exeter, NH
July 13-14
Warner, NH
July 14
Laconia, NH
July 24-25
Peterborough, NH
July 26-28
Lowell, MA
July 28
Loudon, NH
August 3-11
Newbury, NH
August 4
Nashua, NH
August 16-18
Manchester, NH
August 16-18
Lincoln, NH
TBA
Dover, NH
September 6-8
Salisbury, MD
September 7
Laconia, NH
September 7
Somersworth, NH
September 13-15          
Manchester, NH
September 14
Enfield, NH
September 15
Nashua, NH
September 20-22
Lincoln, NH
September 21
Keene, NH
September 21
Tamworth, NH
September 22               
Concord, NH
September 29-30
Portsmouth, NH
October 12
Portsmouth, NH
October 26
Canterbury, NH
November 2-3
Berlin, NH

If there are additional festivals, fairs and/or other celebrations not listed here, please feel free to let us know!


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Thursday, April 25, 2019

Discover WILD NH Day: The Legacy of the Outdoors on New Hampshire’s Living Cultural Heritage



Photo (L-R): Heritage & Traditional Arts Coordinator Kayla Schweitzer, Traditional Bamboo Fly Rod Maker Fred Kretchman, Black Ash Basket Maker Alice Ogden and Decoy Carver Fred Dolan. Photo by Shelly Angers.
This past Saturday, the Heritage and Traditional Arts Program (HTAP) participated in New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Discover WILD NH Day. As this annual community event explores New Hampshire's wildlife resources and legacy of outdoor traditions, this aligns with the mission of the HTAP Program "to identify, document, preserve, and promote traditional arts and artists in New Hampshire so they continue to be a visible and vital aspect of the state’s living cultural heritage."



New Hampshire has a strong legacy of stewardship of our natural and cultural resources so they will be available for future generations to benefit from.

 
Through this legacy and abundance of diverse natural resources, a wide array of traditional arts and folklife traditions have grown out of the love and relationship with our landscape- including decoy carving, timber framing, fishing, basket making, snow shoeing, stone wall building and dog sledding.



Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the NH State Council on the Arts and meet with traditional artists who were demonstrating their art forms: traditional bamboo fly rod maker Fred Kretchman, black ash basket maker Alice Ogden and decoy carver Fred Dolan.

Photo: Fred Kretchman  talking with attendees about
the design process for his bamboo fly rods. Photo by Kayla Schweitzer


Photo: Fred Dolan explaining the original
use and design of decoys to attendees. Photo by Kayla Schweitzer.
Photo: Alice Ogden showing
attendees her black ash baskets. Photo by Kayla Schweitzer



 
 





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