Vermont Artisan Designs - along with the new, upstairs, Gallery 2 - is an extensive showcase of fine art and hand-crafted gifts.

In addition to the fine art and sculpture found in Gallery 2, the works of more than 350 American craftspeople are on display. Unique jewelry, blown glass, pottery, wrought iron, pewter, turned wood, jewelry boxes, clocks, chimes and the famed Vermont Folk Rocker, are just some of the hard-to-find items available.

You've found our new online gallery, www.BuyVermontArt.com, where you can purchase a wide assortment of American-made crafts and fine art from a regularly updated representative sampling of works displayed on Main Street in Brattleboro. Items made in Vermont will be designated by a colorful maple leaf.

This unusual gallery has been located in Brattleboro, Vermont, for more than 35 years. Owners Suzy and Greg Worden invite you to visit when you're in southeastern Vermont, please stop by our 106 Main Street location. If you've seen an item in the gallery that isn't online, please let us know. We're happy to get it for you. Special orders are welcomed.

We're open seven days a week. Our regular hours are 10-6 except Friday until 7 and Sunday from 11 to 4. Hours will be extended for the holidays. Please call for details. Our phone is (802) 257-7044 and e-mail is service@buyvermontart.com.

We also operate a gourmet kitchen store, Kitchen Sync, and a bath and body boutique, Melange, both on Brattleboro's Main Street.

Our home, Brattleboro, is nestled in southeastern Vermont alongside the Connecticut River in the Tri-State region of New England that nurtures the creative urges of artists, craftspeople and musicians. Some of the finest handwork found in the United States comes from the people living in these hills and river valleys of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Recently Brattleboro - population 12,500 -- was named one of the Top 10 Arts Towns in America with populations of 30,000 and under and to the Top 25 Arts Towns with populations of 100,000 and under. It's also home to the Vermont Jazz Center, World Learning, the Brattleboro Music Center, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Marlboro College's Technology Center and the Holstein-Friesian cattle registry.

by Joy Wallens-Penford

It's a work in progress.... With refurbishing being done in stages, Gallery 2 currently occupies less than half the upstairs at Vermont Artisan Designs. (This had been home to Mélange, an eclectic bath, body, and gift shop which recently moved across the street next to Baker's--Greg and Suzy Worden had been waiting for just the right spot to become available along Main Street to make the move and free their upstairs for a new gallery space.)

I met with Greg on the weekend after Thanksgiving to tour the premises and talk about the Gallery 2 project. As it happens, the concept had been quietly introduced during November's Gallery Walk, when one room at the top of the stairs was open to the public. Since that time, the former Mélange suite--a spacious central gallery with perhaps a dozen smaller rooms clustered around its edges -- had been undergoing a minor facelift. Doors to each side gallery were being removed, hinge holes filled in, shelving taken down, brick and painted walls readied for their new purpose. Artwork still waiting to be hung was arrayed along the edges of the room, tempting me to bend for a closer look.

The central service area--a large, open-square configuration of countertop display space--is ideal for setting out food and beverages for Gallery Walk receptions or other special events. There is also another shining baby grand waiting for JC Donelson or some other keyboard wizard to tickle out a tune. As I surveyed my surroundings, I was already imagining large canvases on the expansive brick walls near the far end of the room!

Each of the 8 to 10 side galleries will be devoted to work by a single artist, or may occasionally be shared by two. The art is easily visible from the central gallery through glass walls and open doorways. Standing there in the middle, I felt physically drawn into each space for a personal viewing of the featured artwork, like being welcomed by my neighbors one by one for a cup of cocoa and a pleasant chat on a cold winter day.

This inviting feeling is what Greg is counting on for the patrons he aims to attract. "This isn't meant to be just a museum," he said. "We want to sell art." To this end, there are plans for furnishing a viewing room in which to allow potential buyers a comfortable seat in an elegant but homey space with an easel on which to put the work they are considering.

Another benefit of this hanging gallery expansion is being able to offer larger-format work by some of Vermont Artisan Designs' mainstays, such as printmaker Sabra Field, photographers John David Geery (color) and Alistair McCallum (black-and-white), and metal sculptor Bill Heise.

Be sure to stop by Vermont Artisan Designs during Gallery Walk or anytime (they're open 7 days) to see these and other fine works of art being offered in Gallery 2 as it expands to fill the upstairs.... all in good time.

Joy Wallens-Penford serves as coordinator of Gallery Walk.

Copyright 2004, Gallery Walk, Brattleboro, Vermont

(http://www.thisisvermont.com/storystateofthearts.html)

The winding road that meandered through lush forests, past gurgling streams, and over grassy hills interspersed with ponds and traditional, red New England barns, contradicted an adage that came to mind as we made our way into historic downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. "Life is not a destination, it's a journey." Today, it was proving to be both. Descending into the center of town, the old-fashioned brick buildings, park benches scattered along the sidewalks and steepled churches gave a cozy, inviting feel to the southeastern town of Brattleboro. Housed in a three-story brick structure, Vermont Artisan Designs is a welcome change from the cookie cutter businesses that shape malls across the United States today. One step inside the attractive contemporary craft gallery, and the allure is evident in the extensive selection of fine handcrafted items. Established 30 years ago as a business to showcase American-made crafts, Vermont Artisan Designs has grown five times what it was originally. The shop currently carries the work of 350 different artisans; 6,000 to 7,000 crafts people a year vie for a spot to display their works of art in this gallery.

Owner Greg Worden visited friends in Brattleboro more than 30 years ago, and decided to stay. He and his wife, Suzy, purchased Vermont Artisan Designs nearly 20 years ago. The store features the work of predominantly Vermont-based artisans. Together with Kitchen Sync, the Worden's complementary, adjoining shop, this happily makes for one-stop shopping. From honey dippers and fragrant, hand-cut soaps to furniture and wearable art, Vermont Artisan Designs offers a selective variety that is sure to please travelers and natives alike.

Take Exit 1, 2 or 3 off I-91 to Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont. From Exit 1, follow Canal Street to Main Street. From Exit 2, go to Main Street and turn right. We're at the end of the first block on the right. From Exit 3, take Route 5 south to Main Street. We're at 106 Main St. next to Chittenden Bank. Parking within short walking distance is available on Main Street and also in parking lots directly behind the store and in the town's parking garage on Elliot Street.

Based in Hampshire, England with established links to an extended Rural Community in Vermont U.S.A., Countryside Connection advises small enterprises in Britain's Rural/Countryside Communities how to work together to thrive and prosper.