For Immediate Release: Arts Alive Artisans Market and Special Events
Arts Alive, Falmouth’s festive three-day celebration of the arts, takes place Friday, September 10, through Sunday, September 12, on the Falmouth Public Library Lawn and Shore Street Extension. Hosted by ArtsFalmouth, the annual event is a colorful marketplace of handcrafted wares and a nonstop series of performances in two tents on the Lawn. There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
The festival begins Friday at 7 PM with the Town Dance featuring The Groovalottos. The band will get everyone on their feet and dancing—under the tent or on the lawn—with their unique Southcoast Thump & Soul musical style. The fun continues Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM Saturday and 11 AM to 5 PM, on Sunday.
Chalk drawings will once again decorate the sidewalk in front of the Library, but this year ArtsFalmouth is inviting children and adults to create their own chalk drawings celebrating the arts, summer and fall, Falmouth and the Cape. Plenty of chalk will be available for all to leave their creative mark. Special events include Painters on the Lawn on Saturday, a Story Walk, the Library’s Book Bike, and children’s activities.
Familiar and exotic foods will be available from the Wild Game Sausage Man, and ice cream from Frosty Friends Ice Cream & Treats. Additional food and treats may be purchased from shops along Main Street.
Over 40 artisans and nonprofit organizations, including many new vendors, will display their wares on Saturday and Sunday.
Glass artists include Jennie and John Elias of Elias Studios, who offer colorful handblown pumpkins, ornaments, vases, hummingbird feeders, tumblers, and jewelry. Cheryl Hunter makes fall, Christmas, ocean, and flower scenes in fused glass, and Jose Hernandez of Art in Glass offers spun glass ships, lobsters, and other decorative items.
Home décor items are popular this year. William Brown of Pine Island Studio makes cast cement planters, and macrame in classic and fun designs, complete with plants. The Brown Bowl Company offers wooden bowls and related items. Helen Mancini of Unique Jewelry and Gifts makes decorative plates with beaded servers, resin ornaments, and more.
Betsy Goren of Betsy’s Heart offers polymer clay wearable art and decorative/functional pieces for the home, while Scott Cooper Creations has polymer clay/mixed media wall art and home décor items. Sally Langlais of Exploring Cape Cod makes resin art suncatchers, ornaments, dried flower trays, and jewelry.
Erin Pierce, of Islands by Erin, arranges quahog shells in the shapes of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket, creating wall and table artworks. Camiron Lanoue of Three Sheets Design Co. offers soy candles in upcycled containers.
Seth Rainville Home creates imaginative ceramics for functional use. Anju Rajani makes pottery mugs, bowls, serving dishes and vases. Bernie Rivard of Cottage Accents has hand-built boat-shaped window boxes to decorate the outside of the home.
Jewelry is always popular, and Arts Alive has an array of jewelry artists to choose from, including My Creations, by Lee McNeaney, who makes watches, ID and eyeglass lanyards, and necklaces with sterling silver and semi-precious stones. Carole Ellis of Carole’s Jewelry Design uses wampum and sea glass in her necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, while Erika Hamer of Nautical creations offers sailor’s bracelets, manila wreaths, keyrings, and masks.
Ellen Barol of Big-Hearted Mutt, creates bracelets, necklaces, and earrings using brightly colored beads. Coastal Breeze Jewelry features the work of Kathy Chamberlain, who makes necklaces, earrings, bookmarks, angels, and more.
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. Julie Williams-Tinkman, of Speks of Glass, has sea glass earrings, pendants, rings, and bracelets.
Hailey Angione makes intricate porcelain forms, inspired by ancient architecture, which she transforms into eye-catching jewelry and vessels.
Arts Alive would not be complete without painters and visual artists. Patrick Laughead of Patrick’s Acrylics of Cape Cod offers acrylic paintings on canvas of local and exotic scenes. Justin LaRocca Hansen has original watercolors and prints of landscapes and sea creatures. Sandra Lewis of Caboodle Studio creates acrylic paintings, fabric art, and glass art.
A photographer, Laura Edson, will sell photo cards of the Cape.
JoAnn Whittemore of Cape Cod Henna creates art for the body with her traditional henna designs.
The Falmouth Art Center will be on hand to talk about painting, weaving, and pottery classes and exhibits at the center and will have FAC aprons and hats for sale.
The Falmouth Art Center Fiber Group will display a range of fiber art. Seven fiber artists will show their weavings, beadwork, felting, and sewn arts, offering wall hangings, pillows, hand towels, bags, baskets, scarves, jewelry, and more.
Melissa Oliveira at Bzzyfingers makes fabric baby bibs, burp cloths, reusable snack bags, lip balm keychains, wristlets, and zipper pouches. Shirley Henrikson sews and machine embroiders children’s clothes, doll clothes, towels, baby items, and fall designs.
Joyful Glorious, owned by Amy Riley, offers large art quilts, quilted jackets, silk scarves, and hats. Andrea Samgochian of Happy Knits has whimsical wearables and accessories: beanies, shawls, cowls, baby clothes, and lace shawls.
Roberta Sanford offers doll clothes and accessories.
Soaps and related products may be found at Seapoint Trade, where Kaley Ledwidge has soap and other natural bath essentials, lotions, leatherwork, and more. Cheryl McSherry of Mercy 3 Soaps, also offers an array of handcrafted soaps and other bath items.
Nonprofit organizations that will be at Arts Alive include Foster MA, a state agency seeking homes for foster children. People for Cats will sell T-shirts, tank tops, hats, and mugs to help fund the organization. The Falmouth Chorale will provide information about the chorale’s activities and sell CDs of past performances. Community Systems, Inc., which provides support services to adults with disabilities, will sell paintings, knitted items, sugar scrubs, soaps, and jewelry made by staff.
ArtsFalmouth will have information and sell soft drinks and water, Fair Trade items from around the world, and ArtsFalmouth T-shirts and tote bags.
In consideration of the ongoing COVID pandemic, face masks are encouraged inside the tents. Disposable face masks will be available in both tents, along with hand sanitizer and wipes.
For a full list of vendors, including some photos, and social media links, when available, visit http://artsfalmouth.org/arts-alive-2021-vendors/
For a schedule of performances, visit http://artsfalmouth.org/arts-alive-2021-performance-schedule/
For more information on vendors, performances, and volunteer activities Arts Alive and on ArtsFalmouth, visit ArtsFalmouth.org.
Notes on The Arts 