Meet the Makers of the Putney Craft Tour

Every Thanksgiving Weekend, Southern Vermont transforms into a landscape of open doors and glowing studios. The Putney Craft Tour, now celebrating its 47th year, turns the hills of Putney and Westminster West into a self-guided exploration of craftsmanship and community. More than two dozen makers invite visitors into their creative worlds, offering an authentic glimpse into Vermont’s artistic heart.

🎨 A Legacy of Craft and Community

The Putney Craft Tour began in 1978 when a group of artists decided to open their studios to the public. What started as a local experiment has become a model for open-studio events nationwide. Vermont’s long tradition of handmade excellence — from fiber and wood to clay and glass — finds its truest expression here. The state’s history of craft runs deep: in 1938, Aileen Osborne Webb convened artisans in Shelburne to form what would become the American Craft Council, cementing Vermont’s role in the national craft movement.

Today, that heritage lives on every Thanksgiving weekend, when visitors trade busy stores for dirt roads, cider mugs, and one-on-one conversations with artists at work.

🗺️ 2025 Studios & Artists

1. Putney Mountain Winery and Spirits – Kate and Charles Dodge craft award-winning fruit wines and liqueurs from local produce, bottling the taste of Vermont’s seasons.
2. Kate Dodge Photography – Landscape photographs exploring light, memory, and emotion through changing seasons.
3. Green Mountain Spinnery – A cooperative spinning natural and organic fibers since 1981, sustaining Vermont’s textile traditions.
4. Lindsay Saunders – A painter and muralist whose vivid, layered oil paintings and whimsical murals reflect a deep connection to the natural world, Lindsey transforms her observations of Vermont’s landscape into vibrant, transcendent works that balance realism, color, and emotion.
5. JaJa Laughlin / Solder & Fuse – Sterling-silver jewelry inspired by nature’s textures, blending metals, stones, and playful design.
6. Nick Ellison – Large-format film photography in luminous palladium prints, capturing Vermont’s meditative landscapes.
7. Susan Jarvis / Overhills Studios – Mosaic and mixed-media paintings weaving history, intellect, and color into timeless works.
8. Joshua Gold Pottery – Wood- and soda-fired ceramics where rhythm and asymmetry meet fluid motion.
9. Blake Johnson / HeartSpark Arts – Imaginative furniture and sculpture merging craftsmanship, storytelling, and curiosity.
10. Nancy Calicchio – Oil landscapes radiating Vermont’s light and warmth in vivid color.
11. Annie Quest – Painter and printmaker whose process-driven work embraces humor, imperfection, and experimentation.
12. Judy Hawkins – Expressive oil paintings of sky, water, and weather filled with movement and bold color.
13. Jeanne Bennett – Handcrafted sterling-silver jewelry inspired by nature, blending refinement with personal meaning.
14. Parish Hill Creamery – Rachel and Peter’s raw-milk cheeses, aged naturally to honor Vermont’s dairy heritage.
15. Josh Letourneau Glassworks – Vibrant blown-glass vessels celebrating color, heat, and the dance of molten glass.
16. Julia Brandis Glassworks – Stained-glass lamps and panels that combine sculptural energy with organic form.
17. Kathleen Kemp – Assemblage artist transforming reclaimed materials into soulful, layered compositions.
18. Ryan Burch Ceramics – Functional pottery balancing form and philosophy, designed for everyday use.
19. Robert Burch Glass / Brandywine Glassworks – Five decades of glass mastery expressed through elegant, timeless forms.
20. Caitlin Burch Glassworks – Colorful jewelry and glass art inspired by motion, rhythm, and joy.
21. Creations by Kerrianne – Whimsical hand-stitched felt and fiber creatures radiating warmth and handmade charm.
22. Laurie Alberts – Novelist-turned-painter translating storytelling into expressive oil and cold-wax landscapes.
23. Mucuy Bolles – A former Alvin Ailey dancer turned ceramic artist, Mucuy draws on her Mayan heritage and years of artistic exploration to create symbolic, hand-formed works that bridge ancient mythology and contemporary expression — vibrant vessels where ancestral stories find new life in clay.
24. Allison Korn Designs – Soulful silver jewelry inspired by resilience, nature, and precious-metal-clay artistry.

Each number corresponds to the official map, making it easy to plan your route and meet each maker along the way.

🗓️ Events in the Area

While you’re in town for the Putney Craft Tour, take some time to explore what’s happening around the village.

Make the most of your visit — catch a show at Next Stage Arts Project, stop by the Putney General Store for a bite, or take a short drive to nearby Brattleboro for live music and late-night eats.

🧭 See the Full Calendar: brattbeat.com/events

🚗 A Scenic Journey

Part of the fun is the drive itself. Visitors meander along quiet dirt roads bordered by stone walls and open fields, discovering not just art but Vermont’s landscape. Studios are tucked into barns, farmhouses, and workshops where cider warms on the stove and creativity hums in the air. There’s no rush — only curiosity and conversation.

You’ll see demonstrations, hear stories, and feel the continuity of a culture that prizes process over perfection. Every handcrafted piece carries the character of the place where it was made.

💫 Experience Vermont’s Creative Heart

The Putney Craft Tour endures because it reflects something essential about Vermont itself — a deep respect for independence, imagination, and community. Some artists have been part of the tour since its earliest days; others are newcomers bringing fresh ideas and energy. Together, they form a living portrait of a region where art and daily life intertwine.

Whether you’re a collector seeking fine art, a traveler drawn to authenticity, or simply a wanderer looking for inspiration, the tour offers a rare opportunity to connect — with the land, with the makers, and with the enduring power of craft.

Details

🗓 The 47th Annual Putney Craft Tour
📅 November 28–30, 2025 | 10 AM – 5 PM
📍 Studios throughout Putney & Westminster West, Vermont
🔗 Visit PutneyCraftTour.com

Visitors are encouraged to call individual studios for accessibility details. Admission is free, and every stop offers a welcoming space to experience art, craft, and community at its most authentic.