The Artists At Salmon Falls Mills
Usher in a Collective Cultural Economy
It’s often impossible to trace
just how the momentum for a movement started, but in the case of the Salmon
Falls Mills in Rollinsford, New Hampshire – just across the river from South
Berwick, Maine – the spark for what would become a central arts hub began with
a simple request.
“ We never started the renovations
with the intention of renting to artists,” remembers Leanne Cutter Pellerin,
general manager of Cutter Family Properties that bought the nearly deserted
pair of brick mill buildings in 2000. “We had no idea there was such a local
demand for studio space. We actually had
an artist approach us with the request that we create an artist studio for
her. Once we started and word got
around, the Upper Mill quickly filled with various artisans.”
The Mills at Salmon Falls, www.millartists.com, these many years later remain a hive
of cultural activity, with more than 100 artists and artisans, both full-time
and hobbyist, established and emerging, working out of 110 studios. A dizzying
array of artists that includes painters, performers, jewelers, furniture
makers, photographers, fabric artists, woodworkers and craftsmen of every
stripe populate the Upper Mill, as do two martial arts studios, a troupe of
African drummers and a gregarious group of belly dancers. The Lower Mill houses
commercial and light industrial tenants as well as artists, plus the Elysium
Arts Folk Club, a café, dance studio and Rollinsford Public Library.
In early May and again in
November, Mills artists fling open their doors for Open House events that
attract throngs of visitors out to shop, watch a performance, observe a
demonstration or talk to a variety of artists. On just one floor, visitors may watch a glass
artist create a one-of-a-kind window pane, admire a wall of paintings created by
two artists sharing the studio, marvel at futuristic comic book illustrations
peppering a wall in the lobby, take in a photography exhibit or gawk over
hand-made clothes.
“For us, the Open House provides
positive exposure that allows us to educate the public,” says Ron Tuveson, a
gilder (who specializes in a 3,000-year-old technique called water gilding),
frame-maker and restorer from Kittery who works out of the Lower Mill with his
son, Jared.
At one time, Tuveson operated four
separate studios on the fourth floor of the Upper Mill. “The artists were
calling me Ronald Trump because of that but what it really meant was that I was
walking six to eight miles a day between studio spaces.” A recent move to a
spacious, 2,000-square-foot studio in the Lower Mill has meant “more working
and less walking” and continued involvement in “a wonderful, creative
atmosphere that allows us to get input from other artists.”
Noted painter and teacher, Stan
Moeller, of York, (www.stanmoeller.com) sings the
praises of the Mills; with the natural light pouring into the studio spaces and
the mellifluous sound of the river lead the list. “The whole place has a buzz
of creative energy,” he states emphatically, detailing his work routine: “I love my 600-square-foot studio where I can paint large, stretch
canvases, frame my paintings, store my frames and paintings. I have my large
art book collection at my disposal. I can get in there in the morning, put on
some coffee, turn on my music, an iPod full with 3,000 songs hooked up to my
stereo, and paint for hours and hours and just get lost in the process.”
On occasion, he hires the Tuvesons
to build custom frames for his paintings, and like them, embraces the
experience of being surrounded by other hard-working artists. “I have made good friends with other
creative folks. Brad Auger and Dale Vigent at Vigent Custom Finishes make the
panels I paint on and Allan Breed made my heirloom quality paint box I use when
I paint on location. All have become friends, especially Allan, and his son,
Sam.”
The
name Allan Breed (www.allanbreed.com) is synonymous with the
finest in reproduction period furniture and cabinet making – anywhere. This
South Berwick resident, restoration prodigy and famed Furniture Master operates
studios and The Breed School at the Mills where students learn the particulars
of making American 18th century furniture by hand using traditional tools and
techniques.
Like
most at the Mills, longtime fabric artist Wen Redmond, communicates her regard
for the Mills fervently: “There are a variety of people that use the Mills for
studios, business and even storage. For me, it can be a gallery, a place to
hold workshops, to make art in an atmosphere of a creative community.”
Adds
Pellerin: “I think
bringing the mills back to life positively impacts the surrounding communities
in many ways. Of course it brings
revenue to this area just from having all the extra people eating lunch and
whatnot, but I also think it adds character to this area.”
The Mills at Salmon Falls are owned by Cutter Family Properties (603-749-8879), located on the 4th floor in the Lower Mill. To find out more about the mills or to make an inquiry about renting, contact leannecutter@comcast.net or (603) 749-8879.
The Mills at Salmon Falls are owned by Cutter Family Properties (603-749-8879), located on the 4th floor in the Lower Mill. To find out more about the mills or to make an inquiry about renting, contact leannecutter@comcast.net or (603) 749-8879.
