Saturday and Sunday, May 23 to 24, at 10 a.m.—BELMONT — Seven Mount Holly artists will come together for the first time during the Vermont Craft Council’s Spring Open Studio Weekend, transforming the Mount Holly Community Association Community Room into a shared gallery and creative space this weekend.
The exhibit, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at 26 Maple Hill Road in Belmont, will feature a diverse range of artistic styles and mediums, from oil painting and quilting to handcrafted wood carving and mixed-media work. Participating artists include Susan Presson, Della Thompson, Madeleine Fay, Chad Farrar, Carl Mitchell, Linda McGrath, and Zhena Dickinson Hadar.
Throughout the weekend, the artists will rotate attendance, speak with visitors about their creative processes, and in some cases demonstrate their work live.
The collaborative exhibit highlights not only the variety of artistic talent in Mount Holly, but also the strong sense of community among local creators. Several of the artists regularly gather informally to work together and share ideas.
Susan Presson, who describes herself as someone who enjoys “the intersection of painting and photography,” is part of a bi-weekly creative gathering with artists Madeleine Fay and Zhena Dickinson Hadar. Presson jokingly refers to herself as a “rank amateur and erratic creator,” though her work reflects a thoughtful blend of visual experimentation and observation.
Fay, meanwhile, has spent years developing her still-life oil paintings after working across multiple artistic media throughout her life. In addition to participating in Open Studio Weekend over the years, she has taught basic drawing classes for older adults.
Woodworker Chad Farrar brings a different tradition to the event through his handcrafted spoons carved from native Vermont green wood, including apple, birch, and cherry. Farrar’s work is rooted in the Scandinavian woodworking philosophy of “sloyd,” a method emphasizing craftsmanship, skill-building, and personal growth through progressively challenging projects.
At 85 years old, painter Carl Mitchell continues a lifelong dedication to depicting Vermont landscapes, a subject he has pursued since childhood. Quilter Linda McGrath will display works inspired by the changing seasons, inviting visitors to determine which quilt represents spring and which reflects summer.
For self-taught painter Zhena Dickinson Hadar, the landscapes and people of Mount Holly remain an endless source of inspiration. She began painting in 2020 with the goal of capturing scenes from the community.
“I still haven’t run out of inspiration,” Hadar said. She describes her artistic mission as an effort “to infuse her paintings with joy, gratitude and admiration.”
Hadar also organizes the Mount Holly Community Association’s local art group, which meets every other week as an informal gathering designed to foster creativity and strengthen artists community connections.
The exhibit is part of the statewide Vermont Craft Council Open Studio Weekend, an event that encourages visitors to travel Vermont’s back roads and villages while meeting artists in their studios and creative spaces.
“It takes you through small towns and backroads, with the yellow Open Studio signs and the Vermont Studio Tour map easily guiding visitors to the studio location,” said Vermont Craft Council Director Martha Fitch.
Founded in 1990, the Vermont Craft Council supports the state’s visual arts community through programs including the twice-yearly studio tours.
For more information and studio maps, visit: vermontcrafts.com.