Gifts from the Heart

“We are intensely local. Matt Brown Fine Art is a nice ‘oasis’ where you can go and see work from truly local artists, neighbors who live and work nearby.”

“You have to live or have lived in Lyme, New Hampshire, or Thetford, Vermont, to show your work in the gallery,” says Matt. “The residency requirement gives structure to what we are about. We are intensely local. Matt Brown Fine Art is a nice ‘oasis’ where you can go and see work from truly local artists, neighbors who live and work nearby.”

FOLLOWING A CREATIVE PATH Matt is a renowned woodblock artist and member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen pursuing a

GET TO KNOW THE ARTISTS Fred and Kate Pearce Fred and Kate have been making jewelry since the 1960s. Long-standing members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen (since 1968), they first set up in Lyme in 1978. In 1990 they were awarded Designers of the Year by the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of the Year 2001 by the New England Jewelers Association. Japanese style of woodblock printing called hanga. He has had a connection with the Upper Valley for most of his life. Matt’s family first moved to Lyme in 1960, and when the family moved to the Washington, DC, area in 1965, they still spent summers here. After Matt graduated from Harvard as an art major, he moved back to the Upper Valley and found a career as a carpenter and builder. Matt started making woodblock prints in 1993 and this creative path has been full-time work since 1995. Art runs in his family. His mother was an art teacher, and his sister Jennifer is an artist as well; she also shows in the gallery.

Above, from left: The pendant Plum Cove, a piece using a rose druse carnelian stone with multicolored sapphires. Asian Wings is a large brooch built with silver around a green agate stone. Right: A selection of pieces representing smaller investments.

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Amanda Ann Palmer Amanda moved to the Upper Valley in 2006. Making pottery has been her pursuit since graduating from college as a ceramics major in 2005. Formerly a resident of Thetford, she now lives and has her workshop in Hartland, Vermont. Amanda’s work is both functional and sculptural, and she uses glazes that allow her shapes and forms to stand out.

Amanda makes her pieces to accomplish tasks. Shown are fruit bowls, garlic boxes, mugs, and a dishwasher-safe “Tippy-toe Serving Dish.” They are also reasons for her to explore possibilities of shape and color: the way penetrated cut forms intersect and interact, the way a developed handle can convey a feeling for its manufacture and potential use.

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Susan Arnold Susan paints floorcloths on canvas sailcloth using attractive hand-printed and stenciled designs. Decorative work in her own house got her started developing the artform, and with time she developed a technique of printing and hand-painting to produce floor mats that are extra rugged and rich in depth and texture.

Right: Lemon is a 34x24-inch floorcloth that doesn’t have to live on the floor. Below: Elephants and Chickens are also 34x24 inches.

“Recently we launched a new database-driven website where we can show the artwork and allow people to see the many pieces in the gallery without coming in. We are COVID adapting to create a virtual gallery.”

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Roger Thrall A former land surveyor, Roger pursues woodworking with a special focus on wood and paper lamps inspired by a Japanese aesthetic. From his shop in Thetford, Vermont, he makes furniture both speculatively and on commission. His soft mood-light lamps are his passion.

Matt entered into his role as gallery owner by accident. “Starting the gallery came about three years ago, when I made an impetuous decision to take over the lease for the space, which had been a gallery for about 30 years, in the middle of a phone call,” recalls Matt. “Sometimes you come to a fork in the road and you just choose a direction; in a spur-of-the moment decision, I took it over. I sell my woodblock prints online and through other galleries throughout New England, and I also frame in-house and ship here. That usage allows me to have this gallery double as a place where local artists can connect and show their work.”

Matt continues, “The gallery has become so much more than just for my own work. It’s been fun to represent so many different forms of art. For years I enjoyed membership in the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and connecting with so many other

Top: Roger’s pagoda-style lamp. Small photo shows an Asian-inspired standing lamp available in oak or cherry. Alongside this lamp are wooden spoons carved by Lyme resident Glen Latal, both individual spoons and paired salad serving sets. These are perhaps the most local items in the gallery: Glen’s shop is only a two-minute walk from the gallery.

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Holle Black Holle currently lives and makes art in Hanover, but she has lived in Thetford and spent many years in Atlanta, Georgia. Holle takes a personal and intimate approach to her image-making: drawing and painting on plaster on board. Birds, animals, and impressions of light on the water are among the subjects she enjoys developing using her delicate technique.

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Kim Meredith A resident of East Thetford, Kim began making her polymer jewelry a few years ago and has been having fun continually coming up with new designs and colors. No two pieces are the same, and it is a pleasure to see the permutations and variety she has worked out so far.

Above: Holle Black’s Hummingbird (6x6 inches) represents a sweet little captured moment. Her larger piece, A Sheep Outstanding in its Field, is 12x18 inches. Both are mixed media on plaster on panel. Below: Kim’s heart pieces are perfect for Valentine’s Day or celebrating the spirit of the day year-round.

GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Jennifer Brown Jennifer has been making art since childhood. She currently lives in Strafford, Vermont, but grew up in Lyme. She teaches painting, designs puzzle and book illustrations, and works predominantly in watercolor. Jennifer’s imagery focuses on the world around her: the hills, farms, and houses of the Upper Valley, impressions of her travels, and intimate portraits of people in their environments.

Clockwise from top left: Pacific Coast Cove, an 8x11-inch watercolor from a trip Jenn made to California; View from the Porch, an 8x10-inch oil painting on panel from closer to home; and Harvest, a 16x24-inch oil on canvas piece that was built largely from her imagination.

creative people. Representing the creative work of others has offered me new insights into my own.”

A NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE ART Prior to the pandemic, the gallery was busy with events and exhibits throughout the year, but December has historically been Matt’s busiest month. “Many people want to buy something special over the holidays, and particularly something local and one of a kind. Because of this, every year we have had a Holiday Fair, where we have extended hours and an opening party. This year the Holiday Show will run from November 27 through January 30, 2021. While we are not able to have the party this year, we will be open for additional hours and we will also

Immediately inside the gallery are three of the main jewelry cases, time-tested wall-hung units that some say were built by John Von Bargen in his early days retailing jewelry. The displays include earrings, necklaces, rings, brooches, pendants, and pins at a wide range of prices.

encourage our artists to bring in more of their work to show the public. We are looking forward to having some of our artists on-site to meet the public and talk about their work.”

The gallery has had good turnouts at all the opening events for various exhibitions. Matt’s goal now under these challenging circumstances is to create new ways for the public to experience the gallery and the art.

“Recently we launched a new database-driven website where we can show the artwork and allow people to see the many pieces in the gallery without coming in. We are COVID adapting to create a virtual gallery. If you cannot make it in, the new website will still be a positive shopping experience. This is a major project we have worked on during the COVID closure time, and we are thrilled to make it public. This new site allows us to keep artwork, pricing, and descriptions up to date easily. We see it functioning as a handy catalog for us, for the artists,

and for visitors. Although this is not a full e-commerce site, if you are interested in purchasing you can buy things remotely by email or phone, and we are set up to ship.”

Items in the gallery start at less than $10 and include everything from handmade soaps and lotions, cards, felted figures, and jewelry to substantial pieces like paintings and decorative pieces like lamps, floorcloths, and furniture.

“What’s key for me with the gallery is creating quality connections between the artists and their audience,” says Matt. “Art is a way we connect with each other, like music or theater, and to have a retail space like this gallery is a way to make connections, to have that conversation on a truly local level.” H

Matt Brown Fine Art

1 Main Street, On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 791-4855 mbrownfa.com

Ramunto’s Brick & Brew

Here at Ramunto’s Brick & Brew we are dedicated to the highest quality New York pizzas. Our handcrafted pizzas, calzones, and stromboli require the freshest dough, which is made daily along with our signature sauce and freshly grated, premium whole-milk mozzarella. Our authentic wood-fired and seasoned slate ovens finish the process with our skilled cooks monitoring the process. Come join us for a real pizzeria experience in a fun, family atmosphere.

9 South Street Hanover, NH (603) 643-9500 www.ramuntospizza.com

The Gilded Edge Visit Us at Our New Location

An award-winning custom picture framing shop offering options for every budget, from ready-made frames and the new “Frugal Framing” line to full custom, hand-finished frames that are works of art themselves. Voted “Best of the Best” picture framers in the Upper Valley 11 years running!

69 Hanover Street Lebanon, NH (603) 643-2884 www.gildededgeframing.com Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am-5pm by appointment only

My Brigadeiro

We specialize in brigadeiros (bree-gah-day-ros), luscious, handcrafted chocolate truffle balls that consist primarily of local ingredients from the beautiful farms of Vermont and New Hampshire. Chocolate brigadeiro towers! A perfect treat for your guests and your holiday table.

33 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 277-2187 www.mybrigadeiro.com

Pentagon Bowl, a Nerikomi-style hand-built ceramic by John Quimby, 5” high by 12” diameter.

Griff & Company Boutique

Women’s fashions to express your holiday cheer. The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes frosty mornings, clear crisp days, and the promise of snow. We embrace this magical time of year and invite you to join us in person, online, or by appointment. Explore our little luxuries, cozy cashmere, and holiday sparkle. PowerHouse Mall West Lebanon, NH www.griffandcompany.net See website for holiday hours.

Matt Brown Fine Art

The MBFA gallery features artwork, crafts, and books by past and present residents of Lyme, NH, and Thetford, VT: paintings, prints, and photographs; pottery, jewelry, fiber arts, and floorcloths; cards, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction; clocks, woodenware, soaps, and syrups. Our Holiday Show runs from November 27 to January 30 and features new work by many of our gallery artists, along with winning selections from our Wild About Watercolor fall show. Visit our newly reworked website for more information about online offerings and to see a comprehensive and up-to-date selection of what we offer in the gallery.

1 Main Street, On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 795-4855 www.mbrownfa.com Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 10am–3pm Or by chance or appointment

Norwich Knits Yarn & Craft

Norwich Knits offers a carefully curated collection of yarn and fiber, with one room dedicated to national brands and one room dedicated to local fiber farms, spinners, and dyers. We offer classes, craft nights, and knitting help as well as the Green Mountain Yarn Club, a monthly box club featuring yarn from Vermont farms and other goodies from the Green Mountain State.

289 Main Street Norwich, VT www.norwichknits.com Please check the website for our current hours.

Carpenter & Main

Chef/owner Bruce MacLeod has cooked in San Francisco, South Carolina, and Virginia, but his loyalties lie here in Vermont. Carpenter and Main features carefully prepared local ingredients in the French tradition. Two intimate dining rooms provide elegant dining, and a lively bistro features casual offerings and a fully appointed bar.

326 Main Street Norwich, VT (802) 649-2922 www.carpenterandmain.com Dinner is served Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm Closed Mon and Tue

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