Arts Alive, Falmouth’s three-day celebration of the arts takes place June 15 to 17 on the Falmouth Library Lawn, Shore Street Extension, and Peg Noonan Park. Hosted by ArtsFalmouth and the Falmouth Village Association, the festival is a colorful festival of handcrafted arts and crafts from around the Upper Cape and an extravaganza of performances from singer/songwriters to belly dancers, puppet shows to rock bands, something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Hours are 5 to 9 PM Friday evening, June 15, 10 AM to 9 PM Saturday evening, June 16, and 11 AM to 4 PM, Sunday, June 17. The vendors will be there on Saturday and Sunday only.
Chalk drawings by veteran and budding artists will once again decorate the sidewalk in front of the Library and raffle baskets will be offered from local businesses. Special events include the Town Dance with the Puffy Elvis Friday night from 7 to 9 PM, Painters on the Lawn on Saturday, a children’s activity tent, exercise class demos, exotic foods from the Wild Game Sausage Man and ice cream from Perry’s Ice Cream Truck.
Over 50 artisans will display their wares: potters, jewelers, photographers, wood crafters, fiber artists, glass artists, and much more.
The potters each have a distinctive style. Amy Eldridge makes functional and decorative pottery inspired by the earth and the sea. Richard Seamen creates whimsical pottery figurines, funny mermaids, birds, animals, and flowers.
Hog Wild Pottery artist Susan LeBlanc Brum offers hand-built and wheel-thrown birdbaths, yarn bowls, garlic keepers, butter keepers, and berry bowls. Deborah McCarty of Cove Lane Pottery makes decorated plates for children and plates inspired by sea creatures. Morgan Marie Pottery will have pottery and ceramic jewelry.
Adams Art and Design’s Corine Adams, the ceramics teacher at Falmouth High School, will show her functional and decorative ceramic art. Some of her students from the National Art Honor Society will sell their work, too: pottery soap dishes, mugs, and bowls, handmade bags, cards, and other items.
The beauty of the Cape attracts many photographers, and several will be at Arts Alive. Joe Goodman’s photographs capture people and boats and nature, but he often turns them into painterly abstracts of light and design.
Robert Manz offers fine art photography in natural light. Don Fleet, of Fleetwood Photography, shares images of Cape Cod—its beaches, harbors, and cranberry bogs.
Don Parkinson of Cape Glass/Cape Photos is another photographer who captures the nature of Cape Cod, but he is also a glass blower who makes wearable glass art, ornaments, and ocean life-inspired sculptures.
Jennie and John Elias of Elias Studio offer multicolored handblown glass hummingbird feeders, tumblers, ornaments, vases, pins, and pendants.
Donna Andrews-Maness of Swing Lane Studio makes her own glass beads, from which she creates original necklaces, earrings, and pendants. Susan DiNatale of Driftwood Designs handcrafts necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
Scarabocchio Silversmiths uses wire, sterling silver, and gold to make earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and sterling silver gift items. Laura Bouton of LjBj Jewelry works in silver, copper, and brass and uses natural stones and beads in her rings, bangles, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings.
Helen Mancini of Unique Jewelry makes decorative plates with beaded handles. Lucia Moon Designs creates jewelry from quahog shells, conch shells, abalone and other shells from around the world, often combining them with gold or silver.
Marilyn Rowland of Marisol Cape Cod makes fun and festive beach-inspired jewelry using beads, metal, and paint. Ellen Barol of Big Hearted Mutt Designs uses brightly color beads to create funky original designs in bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
Laura Bergeron at Old Nouveau creates Victorian era jewelry assemblages using antique buttons, typewriter keys, tintypes, and antique jewelry remnants. Also invoking the feeling of a bygone era are the tiny books and butterfly wings that carry secret messages created by Raelinda Woad at Storyteller Jewelry.
Hannah Reidy’s Acid Earth Shop offers nature-inspired acid-etched jewelry made of copper and brass sheet metal and wire-wrapped crystals and stones. Carlah Kramer of Cape Cod Artworks creates ocean-inspired jewelry and framed scallop shells featuring pen and ink sketches.
Vicki Cartner of Funkenbeads will have handmade leather and metal necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, as well as stone necklaces and a kids’ jewelry table with choice of charms.
Valeri Leri of Rising Tides Artworks is both a jewelry maker and a painter. She offers acrylic landscape and abstract paintings and antique silver earrings with paintings epoxied on them. Betsy Gordon of U R in My Heart is a polymer clay artist who makes glasses, switchplate covers, boxes, and pens covered with clay, as well as clay pins, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and necklaces.
Another way to adorn oneself is with henna body art at JoAnn Whittemore’s Cape Cod Henna. You can also have your face—or your children’s faces—painted painted. Or indulge yourself when you get home with handmade soaps, scrubs, and beauty products from Marisa Dottore at Scrubs & Soaks and Liz Martin at Cape Coop Farm.
For a lasting souvenir of the weekend, head over to One Way, Inc., where Jason Carrier will create a caricature of you or a loved one.
Prints and cards are available from several printmakers. Sandra Faxon of Local Colors offers prints of her original collages of marine life, beach scenes, and local landmarks. M. A. Cooper Design has matted and framed prints of sailboats that are meticulous in detail.
Sarah Parmenter offers prints, matted prints, and some framed prints of seascapes and architectural subjects and warm fuzzy teddy bears, as well as live succulent plants.
Susan Hersey at Hersey’s Handbags makes quilted bags and accessories, including eyeglass cases, pouches, key chains, and string bags. Mermaids on Cape Cod offers “official mermaid gear,” including clothing, jewelry, and beach towels. Linda Jones of Yarn Over sells unique crocheted cowls and scarves.
Little ones can be well-dressed in nautically decorated screen-printed onesies from Nancy Sawyer at Tidal Effects. For slightly older children, Bzzyfingers and Mama Hen offer clothing in adorable patterns and prints made by Melissa Oliveira and Natasha Parker.
Wayne Sorel of The Black Leash weaves leather leashes and harnesses for dogs and Erika Hammer at Nautical Creations knots nautical rope for sailor’s bracelets, key rings, rope wreaths, wedding items, and pet accessories.
Jane Parhiala and Liz Henry weave beautiful cloth using a Japanese Saori loom that encourages free expression and spontaneity. Fiber artist Darcie Enea of Gratitude Juice creates macramé wall hangings and plant hangings, felt ball wall hangings and mobiles, and small macramé items, such as keychains.
Colleen Corson creates fish sculptures from natural materials, as well as painted floor cloths. Martine Bindler-Desbiens of Craft-Tine is a paper crafter, adorning intricate, small gift boxes with paper animals, stars, and marine creatures.
Ellen Lewis of EKL Designs is a woodworker who makes cutting boards, cheese boards, boxes, and other items. Serenity Bamboo Flutes creates walking stick flutes that can actually be played, as well as other types of bamboo flutes.
Robin Pierson, of Reflections by Robin, is a resin artist who creates decorative mirror and window art. Naomi Keeling, of Shoreline Designs, creates framed seascapes using shells and glass.
Beachouse Baking Company has baking mixes for all tastes and diets, including vegan, gluten- and sugar-free. Pies A La Mode is offering sumptuous baked goods. Rein’s Real Baking will have artisan breads and pastries.
Several nonprofit organizations will be on hand. The Falmouth Art Center will offer information on its art exhibits and classes. The College Light Opera Company (CLOC) will provide information on its summer musical theater schedule—and they will also perform an excerpt in the Performance Tent on Sunday.
People for Cats will sell T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hats, and bags to help fund the organization. The Woods Hole Film Festival will have information on their summer film festival and year-round events.
Highfield Hall and Gardens, the Falmouth Chorale, and the Dome at Woods Hole will have information on upcoming activities. Habitat for Humanity will have their annual raffle for a handcrafted wooden kayak.
For more information on vendors and performances at Arts Alive, visit ArtsFalmouth.org.
Notes on The Arts 