February's Featured Artist Spotlight: Stained Glass and Quilts by Suzan Cormier-Liu

This month, we are welcoming Windham multimedia artist Suzan Cormier-Liu to the Leach Library as our Featured Artist. She has assembled a vibrant display of her whimsical pieces in the display case right across from the circulation desk. Stop on it to take a peek at Suzan’s work through the end of February!

Suzan Cormier Liu’s display of stained glass and quilts at the Leach Library.

Quilting in Glass and Fabric

Suzan captures the joy and spirit of animals like horses, dogs, backyard birds, and bees in glass as well as the colors and spirit of our local area in fabric. She says:

I have lived in Windham for 49 years and have been active in all types of fabric art since I was 7 years. Stained glass has always fascinated me since I was very young. In 1988 I took up making stained glass (which is quilting with glass) and have been doing craft fairs and placing my pieces in consignment stores ever since. Now that I am retired, I would like to have a wider circle in which to showcase my passions. If you are interested in any custom orders, here is my contact info: Suzan.cormier@comcast.net

DISPLAY YOUR WORK

The Londonderry Arts Council has recently revamped their application process and guidelines for the Featured Artist program. If you’re interested in displaying your work at the Leach Library, please view these details (including which months are available) and apply here. To date, we have hosted painters, illustrators, photographers, writers, jewelry makers, and others, and are open to all mediums.

January’s Featured Artist Spotlight: “Then and Now” Historical Photos

As part of our Featured Artist program in partnership with the Leach Library, we are proudly hosting the Londonderry Historical Society’s display of images of historical sites in town. Titled “Then and Now,” this exhibit is visible on easels set up in front of the large windows along the perimeter of the large reading room. Thank you to the Historical Society and Sandy Dahlfred for curating this exhibit, which may be of special interest to lifelong Londonderry residents and fans of our beautiful local architecture.

Showcasing Our COMMUNITY’s History

Gray Goose Gift Shop, now Daycare Center on Young Rd (built 1890s, photographed 1980)

Have you ever wondered what our old buildings looked like in the past? Step into a time capsule and check out photos of town treasures like the Grange #44, Mack Barn, Morrison House, Coach Stop, and Mayflower Grange. Can you guess which of these buildings is the oldest? Hint: it’s an 18th-century farmhouse that is now a historical museum.

The Londonderry Historical Society has an extensive collection of old photographs, many of which have been published in books such as Images of America: Londonderry. The collection on display at the Leach Library through the end of January includes nine images of historic sites in town. All of them were taken in the twentieth century, and all of the buildings still stand today. Inset within each image is a picture of the building as it appears in 2023. 

The Historical Society hopes that these images will strike a note of familiarity with viewers and instill a sense of pride in our special places and a commitment to preserving them.

Apply to Display Your Work

The Londonderry Arts Council has recently revamped their application process and guidelines for the Featured Artist program. If you’re interested in displaying your work at the Leach Library, please view these details and apply here. To date, we have hosted painters, illustrators, photographers, writers, jewelry makers, and others, and are open to all mediums.

August’s Featured Artist Spotlight: Oil Paintings by Joshua Fitzpatrick

This month, LAC and the Leach Library are featuring an exhibit of nine oil paintings by Joshua Fitzpatrick, an 18 year-old artist from Londonderry. Josh’s original work meanders from the local to the galactic, and shows a wonderful use of color and curiosity about the world and universe. Stop in through the month of August to view Josh’s original work displayed on easels at the entrance to the library and in the reading alcoves around the perimeter.

Londonderry artist Joshua Fitzpatrick displays at the Leach Library Aug. 1-31, 2023

A LOVE FOR ART AT AN EARLY AGE

Josh shared his journey as an artist with us:

From scribbles on preschool papers to bathtime art with shaving cream, Josh started his creative career young. Art let him put his busy thoughts somewhere physical, and to hold them down.

In 2016 at age 11, Josh randomly decided he wanted to paint. Therefore, he asked his mom to find him a teacher for oil painting. Then, for the next 7 years, Josh developed his painting skills under various teachers, as well as on his own at home. Among his favorite subjects to paint were landscapes, and paintings of the night sky. As he continues to paint into the future, Josh hopes to further hone his skill and to spread his artwork to others.

We hope you’ll stop by during the Leach Library’s open hours and check out Josh’s art! His exhibit also displays his contact info where you can get in touch about his work (or send us a message through our contact form at the bottom of this page and we’ll put you in touch!)

DISPLAY YOUR WORK

The Arts Council invites local artists to display their work for a month at the Leach Library. We are currently revamping our application process, so if you are interested in displaying, please submit an inquiry using the contact form at the bottom of this page. To date, we have hosted painters, illustrators, photographers, writers, jewelry makers, and others, and are open to all mediums. Please note all months in 2023 are filled up but we are accepting submissions for 2024.

Our very own Mack’s Orchards as painted by Josh Fitzpatrick

May’s Featured Artist Spotlight: Beading, Jewelry, and Crochet by Irene Kravstova of Bluett Arts

As spring blooms into bursts of color, we’re thrilled to welcome the whimsical, bright creations of perhaps one of Londonderry’s most multi-talented residents to the Leach Library. Irene Kravstova of Bluett Arts eludes definition–she seems to do it all, from beading and jewelry-making to knitting and crochet. She makes earrings, statement necklaces, and portraits of figures like Frida Kahlo. And she loves passing her skills onto others, enriching our community with workshops and classes.

Stop into the Leach Library at 276 Mammoth Rd. in Londonderry through May 31 to view her work in the display case just inside the entrance.

ABOUT IRENE

Originally from Minsk, Belarus, Irene discovered her penchant for crafts in middle school. After becoming a biology teacher and having her first child, Irene dove back into her first passion during her maternity leave.

Ten years ago, Irene moved with her family to the United States. This huge life change reignited her passion for crafting as a way of coping with anxiety and stress. She channeled her lifelong fascination with beads into learning seed bead crochet, weaving, embroidery, stringing, and many other techniques. 

Her work found recognition in her community–she is a two time finalist in the Fire Mountain Gems contest. And in 2017, she caught the eye of an owner of Manchester Craft Market, who invited her to become a vendor at her store, where she continues to sell her art to this day.

Irene has called Londonderry her home for five years. Like many artists in our area, she finds inspiration in our natural world (including our very own Rail Trail), calm way of life, and kind supportive community. She harnesses her bilingualism and curiosity about the world to constantly grow her repertoire of techniques and designs.

LEARN TO FOSTER YOUR CREATIVITY

After years of developing her art, Irene decided to return to teaching. She became a Certified Crochet Instructor and enjoys nurturing her students’ creativity while helping them relieve stress and boredom, improve motor skills, and boost imagination and focus. She believes that creative work boosts brain function among other positive benefits.

You can connect with Irene and view her upcoming workshop schedule on her Facebook page. Some classes fill up quickly, so we recommend securing a spot early.

DISPLAY YOUR WORK

The Arts Council invites local artists to display their work for a month at the Leach Library. We are currently revamping our application process, so if you are interested in displaying, please simply submit an inquiry using the contact form at the bottom of this page. To date, we have hosted painters, illustrators, photographers, writers, and others.

Encouraging Young Emerging Artists in Our Community

Giraffes. The Titanic. A pink couch. Martin Luther King Jr. From the whimsical to the thought-provoking, this year’s Youth Art Contest submissions displayed a wide spectrum of imagination and creativity from young artists in our community. Click through the slideshow below to see the winning pieces, all crafted around the theme “A Person, Place, or Time in History.” 

LAC launched the Youth Art Contest in 2020 as an outlet for creative young people who may have been feeling cooped up during school closures. LAC member Karen Giguere who co-founded the program, says “I have always wanted to get the general public interested in art. That is one of the reasons I started the student art contest. I hope the contest inspires young people to get involved with their creativity.”

Co-founder Cit Waters also wanted to expand LAC programming to younger people. “The Arts Council had a number of programs catered to the adults in our community,” she says. “But I wanted to inspire younger artists to get involved with our organization as well.”

Selecting winners from a talented group

Judges include experienced and practicing artists and photographers from Londonderry and nearby. Selecting winners is not an easy task when each submission showcases a child’s creativity and inspiration. Contest judge Kelly Jones tells us about her criteria: “I absolutely enjoy exploring each artist’s interpretation of theme, their creative approach, and individual style. Skill level, originality, and quality of work, are also considerations.”

Viewing the pieces at the Leach Library

All first, second, and third place winners received a gift card for art supplies and an opportunity to display their original work at the Leach Library as part of our Featured Artist program. We encourage everyone to stop in at the library through February 28th and tour the easels that line the perimeter–turn left after the circulation desk to start with the youngest artists and then walk counterclockwise. Notice the range of interpretations of our theme, from portraiture to realism to ecological imagery, and enjoy the young artists’ curiosity and compassion about our world.

On the way out, don’t miss Anna Nahlik’s striking and very apropos painting Pink Couch at the front entrance–and sign up for a library card at the circulation desk while you’re at it!

Looking forward to the future of young artists

Thanks to our sponsors and funding sources, LAC plans to continue holding the Youth Art Contest annually, possibly expanding and broadening related opportunities. Cit Waters says “My hope is to continue to grow the Youth Art contest in a way that would lead to additional events for local young artists in the future.”

Details for next year’s contest will be posted here in fall 2023. You can also view all of this year’s fantastic submissions.