Artisans at the Harbor (formerly the Falmouth Art Market) features the 41st Street Band on Thursday, July 31. The arts and crafts market takes place every Thursday from 11 AM to 4 PM, through August 28, at Falmouth Marine Park, 180 Scranton Avenue, in Falmouth. The event is free and open to the public.
The 41st Street Band will perform at the Lin Whitehead Bandshell from 1 to 3 PM. The band, comprised of four members of the 82nd Street Band, interprets songs by Bruce Springsteen and plays songs by other artists, including traditional tunes in Springsteen’s style. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars with bass, and violin produces a blend of folk, rock, blues, and soul music. Band members are Jim Fitzpatrick, Bob Nelson, Linda Dias, and Frank Carotenuto.
Bring folding chairs and/or blankets to best enjoy the show.
Artisans at the Harbor features about 25 local artists and craftspeople, including Libby Bell, owner of Libby Bell Ceramics. She creates hand-built and wheel-thrown functional pottery. A retired art teacher with a master’s degree in sculpture, she worked on large sculptures and installations, bronze casting, wood carving, and stone sculpture while she was in graduate school.
“I have been dabbling in pottery on and off for probably the last six years,” she said. Her interest was sparked after taking an enjoyable ceramics class at the Falmouth Art Center. “Other than that one class,” she said, “I am largely self-taught. “
She pivoted toward functional pottery: vases, platters, bowls, and mugs, using diverse glazes and specializing in sgraffito, “I also do some more artistic pieces,” she said, “but those don’t sell as well at art markets.”
Ms. Bell is particularly drawn to sgraffito, a decorative technique that involves scratching through one layer of glaze to reveal the clay underneath, creating drawings or pattern. Her background in carving and her collection of wax work carving has been helpful in developing her sgraffito technique.
Before moving to Falmouth a few years ago, Ms. Bell lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, for many years, but had been vacationing on the Cape. “We had a cottage in Falmouth Heights. This is home to me because I was born and grew up in the Berkshires and went to school in Massachusetts,” she said.
“We are so enjoying retirement in Falmouth. Every day I wake up and have to pinch myself because I feel that we are so lucky to have landed here. We walk on the beach. I just look around—the wide variety of arts, music, theater, the people; it just couldn’t get any better.”
For more information about Artisans at the Harbor, visit artisansattheharbor.com.
Notes on The Arts 