1The Artisans in the Open annual holiday show and sale, featuring the works of 23 artists from across the Greater Newburyport area, will return to the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church tomorrow and Saturday.
This is the 13th year of the show and sale.
Spread out across the tables will be an assortment of artwork and handmade creations, from paintings and pottery to photographs, stone sculptures and sweaters, for customers to browse through.
Jewelers Judith Klein, Pam McKay, Kate Webster, Pam Farren, Leslie Ishihara and Joelle Guerard will exhibit, along with silk scarf painter Nina Lapchuyk, glass blower Aron Leaman, beeswax worker Mary Mansur and handbag creator Kim Pauley,
Photographer Kay Bice, of Newburyport, who is organizing this year's show, expects at least 800 shoppers to come through the doors over the two days.
"People really anticipate this show," she said.
While this is her first year as the main organizer, Bice has been involved with the holiday event for four years as an exhibitor and, later, as a co-organizer.
While offering residents a shopping opportunity, the show also is a night of community and a chance to help others in the spirit of the season, she said.
All of the artists bring a dish of food to share with each other during the festival and are invited to give a percentage of their sales each year to a local charity that has been selected by the Artisans in the Open group.
Last year, the show raised $700 for the Merrimack Valley Feline Rescue Society, she added.
As an added perk for attendees this year, Pettengill Farm will set up a table outside the show and sell garland, wreaths and window boxes, Bice said.
"We try to have a lot of different artists represented," Bice said. "It is a juried show. It's really fine crafts."
For Newburyport's Ingrid Regina, whom Bice dubbed "a jack of all arts," this year's event is a way to show off her new creations.
While Regina, a founder of Artisans in the Open 15 years ago, has long been known for her designs on furniture, this year she has given up that art form and now focuses on creating "recycled sweaters" and stuffed animals, she said.
Finding assorted sweaters and jackets of all sizes and styles at thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets, Regina takes the fabric and the yarn apart and creates new clothing or stuffed animals.
"She takes the sweaters apart ... she knits them and puts designs on them from other sweaters," Bice said. "They're just amazing."
Regina first got the idea after attending the summer sweater sale at Salvation Army. Purchasing 32 sweaters, she took them home and wondered what to do with them, Regina said.
"I always work with recycled materials," she said. "Something called me."
Rachel Kohn, of Amesbury, was also drawn to her medium — but inspiration struck her in the aisle of a hardware store.
Kohn creates electrical tape art.
"Back in college, I had some packages to wrap ,and I couldn't afford wrapping paper," she says. So, she improvised, using brown paper bags and stickers.
On a trip to the hardware store to buy more tape, she discovered the big rack of electrical tape in all colors.
As she tells it, she "went crazy," creating elaborate designs on all of her packages. The recipients enjoyed the presentation so much, they didn't even want to open the gifts, Kohn said.
"That was the start of it all," she added. "It's become more intricate."
From there, she began playing with other artistic images and designs, creating collages and pictures with the small pieces of tape.
And, over the years, her art form has grown and her technique has evolved. Kokoro Designs, her company, was born.
While she hasn't enrolled in any formal training, with the exception of one art class, she has received her graphic design certificate from the Museum of Fine Arts School, which allows her to take her designs to another level.
"It's just a fun process," she said.
Also entertaining is seeing the reaction of customers when they realize what her creations are made with an everyday household object that everyone has, Kohn said.
"They stop ... and try to connect what I've just said; that's kind of fun," she said.
IF YOU GO
What: Artisans in the Open Holiday Show
When: Dec. 3 and 4; show hours are Friday, Dec. 3, from 1 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport
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