Artist applications for the 2023 Festival are now closed and applicants have been notified by email. Mark your calendars: applications are available in March every year with an April 30th deadline and early May jury.
“Art is to the soul what garlic is to the palate.”
Just as garlic spices our daily food, art and craft spice our daily life. This festival brings together handmade treasures from the North Quabbin region and beyond from people working in local workshops and studios making beautifully crafted things by hand. Some are professionals who travel all over to sell their work in galleries and festivals. Others create in between their “day jobs”, and some enjoy only selling their work at the festival each year. The festival is the place to meet many of the artists and craftspeople of our region and to enjoy conversations and demonstrations with people who love to create.
Over the past many years, we’ve showcased all the creative vibrancy in the Quabbin region and beyond by supporting our exhibitors of the past who reside and work in the area. Check out our YouTube channel where we highlight all our previous exhibitors. Watch the playlist for Artists and Handmade Work here.
2023 Artist Exhibitors (listed alphabetically)
The Alchemy Studio – Mark Lattanzi – Montague, MA –Mark Lattanzi, The Alchemy Studio, creates one-of-a-kind jewelry from silver, stones, brass and gold.
Andrea Caluori Studio – Ashfield, MA – Andrea Caluori is an artist creating vintage & nature inspired brass jewelry and block-printed garments for everyday wear.
Andrea Lydick Ceramics – Clay by Dre – Amherst, MA –Andrea is a budding ceramicist and potter based out of Amherst MA. As a member of a community studio, she creates work inspired by nature with the goal of making functional, beautiful ceramics.
Art Bug Illustrations – Chaldea Deyman – Greenfield, MA –Chaldea has been working on organic farms for as long as she has been a professional illustrator. Her love of food, farming and community is apparent in the products she makes: cute and colorful watercolor illustrations, greeting cards, wooden toy blocks and more.
Cosmic Creations – Deva Skydancer – Wendell, MA — Deva upcycles silverware into beautiful jewelry.
Fashiopurse – Yevgeniya Karron – Orange – Handmade handbags out of cork fabric, designed and sewn.
Joy Friedman Pottery – Leverett, MA – Joy Friedman makes functional hand-made pottery to be used daily. She uses colorful, glazes that are decorative and often represent layered landscapes. All the pots are food- safe.
Ky’s Krafts – Kyla St. Louis – Orange, MA – Hand-picked and beautifully selected with care, these hand-pressed flower pieces are truly one of a kind. From jewelry to home decor, these unique pieces make the perfect gift for any nature lover
Laureen Shea Watercolors – Laureen Shea – Leverett, MA — Laureen is still having fun with watercolors after all these years.
Lydia Grey – Orange, MA – Figurative and functional works in clay. Inspired by nature and industrial curiosities.
Macle Designs – Melinda Nutter and Jonathan Pierce – Wendell, MA – Macle Designs creates unique sterling silver jewelry that focuses on natural gemstones, minerals and fossils. They make a variety of necklaces, earrings, rings, nose rings, suncatchers and other small gift items to choose from.
Marketplace at Stage on Main – Orange, MA – Stage on Main was founded in 2019 as place to showcase local performers and artists and for people to gather, enjoy the arts, and shop local. The Artist Group is an eclectic group of artisans who work in a wide range of media. This year Stage on Main artists are as follows:
Lynn Boudreau – Orange, MA – Lynn Boudreau is a local crafter and artist. One of her favorite activities is searching for the sea glass and shells she uses in her creations.
Magic Tree Henna – Carolyn Roust – Leverett, MA – Leverett based, all natural henna body artist with 15 years experience.
Moon on Mattawa Studios – Shali Sanders – Orange, MA – Moon On Mattawa art products are made locally and have been sold at the Garlic festival for 25yrs. We represent the beauty of our area with care and creativity.
New England Fiber Arts – Sandra Tobin – New Salem, MA – Sandy is a versatile fiber artist who’s work includes reversible aprons and bibs, coiled fabric bowls, balsam gifts made from recycled Christmas trees, patchwork wall hangings and runners and framed calligraphy. The hallmark of her work is fine workmanship coupled with fun and colorful fabrics that play well together.
North Quabbin Photography – Dale Monette – New Salem, MA – Dale Monette photographs scenic landscapes and local wildlife in the North Quabbin Region. He also has published 3 books of some of his favorites of these photographs.
Nuthatch & Bluet Studio – Susie Secco – Northfield, MA – At Nuthatch & Bluet Studio, usefulness of the products are as important as the art and design. Susie takes inspiration from the natural world and Scandinavian designs to create block printed fabric pieces for table, kitchen, bags, pillows and more.
The Rainbow Rack – Kelly Surprenant – Wendell, MA – Kelly Surprenant of The Rainbow Rack creates sustainable upcycled clothing and accessories for all genders and sizes. Drawing inspiration from western wear and vintage aesthetics, her designs are both fun and functional for everyday fashion.
RootsStones&Bones – Hilary Graves – Gill, MA – Hilary Graves of RootsStones&Bones has been a wildcrafter of Garlic Braids and Brooms for over a decade. Her pieces originate in her expansive gardens, are made with love in her home studio, and are shared soulfully with people around the nation.
Sam’s Wooden Bowls – Sam Scherer – Orange, MA – Sam lives and works in Orange and makes bowls from local wood — cherry, walnut, maple, and birch – which are hand-turned on a lathe. He has been turning bowls, large and small, for over 5 years and learned his craft on Vashon Island in Washington State, mentored by David, Jim, and Curt.
Sarah Adams Art – Orange, MA – Sarah Adams is a Western Mass based artist, specializing in acrylic paintings and photography. Her paintings consist of abstract works, portraits, and landscapes using vibrant/saturated colors and textured brushstrokes and her photography is mainly of vibrant wildlife and landscapes.
Shir Glassworks – Madeline & Ori Shir – Greenfield, MA – Shir Glassworks is a husband-wife team where Ori and Madeline combine their two styles to create a wide range of functional and decorative glassware.
Shire Arts – Mary Martel – Conway, MA – Mary Martel has a passion for watercolor. She paints in her studio in Conway, MA, and en plein air, with a focus on capturing the natural world in an atmospheric style.
Snowflake Mittens – Leticia Hebert & Raenette Kramer – Athol, MA – Lettie and Raenette are sisters who have been making recycled sweaters into mittens for over 15 years.
Stones End Boutique – Karen Saunders – Templeton, MA – Karen loves using the natural resources that have been provided to us via Mother Nature to create and design one of a kind sustainable pieces of jewelry for all.
Swift River Glass & Soap – Ina Peebles – Wendell, MA – Ina has been making beautiful nature inspired jewelry for almost 20 years! In addition, she is now making organic artisan soaps, beeswax candles and luminaries and an assortment of organic body care products.
Wee Things Fiber Arts – Rachel Beaupre – Montague, MA – Fiber artist Rachel Beaupré believes that the best toys are handmade with love from the finest natural materials. Her Wee Things creations include hand-crafted soft toys and DIY sewing kits that bring together the magic of imaginary play and the joy of making.
Wild Child Tye Dyes – Jodi Levine – Pelham, MA – Jodi has been playing with color and fabric since 1989, creating bright, color-fast clothing for the whole family with fiber reactive dyes and sweatshop-free garments. She lives in Pelham, where she’s the town library director, with her husband, kids, and many critters.
Wild Edge Floral – Kate Stafford – Greenfield, MA – Wild Edge Floral creates wreaths and other botanical decor from locally grown and ethically gathered plants. Each piece is uniquely beautiful, long lasting, and a celebration of our flora, farms, gardens, and seasons.
Woodcuts Margot Made – Neige Torrey Christenson – Montague, MA – Margot Torrey was a prolific woodcut artist based in Putney, VT. Her daughter Neige continues to spread her artwork by hand-printing from her original woodblocks and designing postcard versions, drink coasters and pillows based on her designs.
Wyrd Sisters – Liz Smith and Heather Clark – Millers Falls, MA – Wyrd Sisters is a creative collaboration of Liz Smith and Heather Clark, both natives of Western Mass., who each draw on an appreciation of the rural beauty around us to design and create jewelry and stained glass pieces.