Finding Inspiration, Rejuvenation and Escape at Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Maybe it’s the spirit of Fannie Clary or it could be the picture-perfect setting, or the highly skilled faculty or the super-motivated students or most likely all of the above. Whatever the mix, Snow Farm’s magic is evident to even a casual campus visitor. Snow Farm, originally Horizons, The New England Craft Program, was founded in 1983 by potter Jane Sinauer. Originally located in Maine, the program’s original mission was and continues to be providing high school students with a quality crafts education in a summer-camp setting. The teaching staff, comprised of highly respected craftspeople, soon drew young, crafts-focused attendees from all over the country. The availability of 50 acres, including historic eighteenth-century farm buildings, led to a move to western Massachusetts in 1986.
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There’s nothing as dull as a jury submission image of an unlit candle or lamp. A turned-off light doesn’t impress jurors or Web buyers. Realistically, craftwork that involves lighting sources (objects like candlesticks, candelabras, lanterns, table lamps, etc.) is often difficult to photograph. If you create work that lights up, this column is aimed at you.
Hats off to a young German designer who is making a successful transition from fine quality craft to high fashion. Birgit Sophie Metzger of Esslingen, an ancient town near Stuttgart, Germany, has been making beautiful hats for more than a decade, but her mind is set on something more. With perseverance and creativity, Metzger is working her way into the world of high fashion. 
Today, as people face job losses, salary cuts, or other economic woes, it’s worth examining whether or not you can do something extraordinary: make a living and support your family solely by the efforts of your home craft business. It sounds like a fantasy—but can it become a reality? Yes and no.
I’ve been purging my studio and attic the last few weeks. Partly because I have open studios coming up, and mostly because I couldn’t even move around in my workspace anymore. The reason we had to clear out the attic is because it was too full to stow anything else from my studio. I found interesting parallels between sorting through house stuff and my art stuff. Come closer and I’ll tell you. But here, take this box up to the attic while you’re at it.
It has been an amazing year for photography. While film will still be the media of choice for some, digital photography will open up all sorts of possibilities for artists. Just look at the Internet and the opportunities it offers for artists. Through it, they can reach a global marketplace and share their experiences and knowledge with other artists. With this year winding to a close, let me review some of the things I’ve explained over the year and expand on a few others.
