Last Day for Hadlyme Holiday Art Show on LymeLine.com

In this land of steady habits, Thanksgiving weekend in the hamlet of Hadlyme means that it’s time for the holiday art show. The 8th annual event, which is held in the Hadlyme Public Hall, runs from Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29.

In the first years of the show, only a handful of artists exhibited. But with each passing year, it has grown steadily. This Thanksgiving more than 25 artists will be represented. The idea is to showcase local artists and artisans and to offer works for sale in a variety of price ranges. The artists are asked to show items with holiday gift-giving in mind.

The featured artist this year is Mundy Hepburn of Old Saybrook (pictured left), who is known nationally for his luminous glass sculptures. You may remember his hand-blown “bouquets” of glass that were hanging from the trellises in front of the Florence Griswold Museum’s Krieble Gallery during the 2007 Christmas season. They provided a whimsical introduction to that year’s garden theme.

(And, if you’re wondering about his last name, yes, he is related to famed former Old Saybrook resident Katharine Hepburn—he is her nephew.)

Some of the others exhibiting include Leif Nilsson, whose painting, "Hamburg Cove" is shown above, Ron Olansen, the painter of "Pear" at right, Pat Barone, Linda Elgart (oil paintings); Maureen Tarbox and Thomas McLean (oil and watercolor paintings); Maureen Girard (mixed media); Laurie Alt (ceramics and sculpture, whose frog-inspired work is shown below ); Terry Bischoff (holiday home décor); Skip Broom (photography); Stephanie Kiem (stoneware); Bud Haines (carved birds); Stefanie Kihm and Cam Brown (jewelry.)

A portion of the proceeds from the art show will benefit the Hadlyme Public Hall’s building restoration fund. The intimate venue is almost a century old. The Luther family donated a parcel of land and townspeople chipped in to erect the building in 1911. Over the years it has been the scene of dinners, dances, plays, concerts, and even weddings.

But about 10 years ago, the structure was in a state of disrepair and a non-profit group was formed to save the building. Lisa Bakoledis-Welch, one of the persons responsible for spearheading the fundraising drive, described the building as “a true community hall that belongs to the people.”

Thanks to the restoration of recent years, the Hadlyme Public Hall continues to be a gathering place for the community and events held there are noted for their hospitality and homemade food. That this local treasure has been preserved is something area residents can be grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

Editor's Note: The 8^th Annual Holiday Art Show and Handcraft Fair at the Hadlyme Public Hall opens on Friday, Nov. 27 with a reception from 4 to 8 p.m. Many of the artists will be in attendance. Wine and refreshments made in neighborhood kitchens will be served. The show will be open on Saturday, Nov. 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours on Sunday, Nov. 29 are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hall is located at 1 Day Hill Road (Rte. 148) in Hadlyme, about one mile west of Hadlyme Four Corners.

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