Description

The Great Bay Stewards have invited us to their home in nearby Greenland for our April Morning Mixer where you'll get a sneak peek at the Art of Great Bay fine art exhibit and sale! We've done this before, and it is a real treat! Learn more below.

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The Great Bay Stewards are pleased to announce the return of the annual Art of Great Bay fine art exhibit and sale, which will take place on April 9 and 10, 2022, at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center on the campus of the Great Bay Discovery Center at 89 Depot Road, Greenland. This is the 16th year of the very popular event.

More than 50 local and well-known artist and makers of fine crafts will be represented at the art show, which is a fundraiser for the Great Bay Stewards, the friends group for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. “We are thrilled to be able to bring back the show after two years of postponing it due to the pandemic,” says Allison Knab, executive director of the Stewards. “This is such a beloved event for our members, volunteers, participants, and all those who attend. Our artists truly seem to love being a part of the show, and we are so impressed by the quality of the work each year.”

The theme of the show is Art Inspired by New England, including works celebrating the culture, architecture, agriculture, and recreation of the region. In addition to painting and photography, visitors will be able to view and purchase pottery, jewelry, sculpture, fabric art and more. Many of the participating artists have also generously donated original works to be raffled off, from small paintings to jewelry to original weavings.

The show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A tea with live music is planned on Saturday, April 9, while on Sunday at 11 a.m., visitors will enjoy a casual brunch while they view the show. The entire weekend is free and open to the public. Thirty percent of the sales support the Steward's mission of education and conservation in the Great Bay Estuary, and while at the exhibit, visitors can also walk the grounds of the Great Bay Discovery Center and enjoy the boardwalk that leads out to beautiful views of Great Bay.

The Great Bay Stewards would like to thank its sponsors for supporting this important event, including Living Innovations, People’s United Bank, Bay Breeze Dentistry, Piscataqua Savings Bank, RiverWoods Exeter, Boldwerks, and Coastal Design Magazine.

About the Great Bay Stewards

The Great Bay Stewards, a non-profit organization established in 1995, play an integral role in a variety of programs associated with the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Through fundraising events, private donations, and educational programs, the Stewards provide critical support to supplement state and federal funding received by the Reserve.

To fulfill its mission to protect Great Bay for future generations, the Stewards also work with area organizations to raise awareness of critical issues and promote estuarine conservation. Our most recent initiative– Become a Great Bay Tide Turner – is an education program working with local homeowners to reduce stormwater pollution from residential properties.

To learn more about supporting the Stewards and our work, please visit us at www.greatbaystewards.org.

About the Great Bay Discovery Center

In 1993, the Great Bay Discovery Center was opened on the shores of Great Bay and serves as the education headquarters of the Reserve. Located in Greenland, the Center is a popular destination for thousands of annual visitors.

Inside the Discovery Center there are interpretive exhibits about the Great Bay estuary and the amazing creatures that call it home. Children can get their hands wet in an estuarine touch tank as they learn about lobsters, horseshoe crabs, and mud snails. There are also interactive displays about being a saltmarsh scientist, horseshoe crabs, tides, and research on the Bay. Outside there are interpretive trails, a boardwalk, a children’s play area, and other facilities. The boardwalk was rebuilt in 2016 – funded in part by the Great Bay Stewards.

About the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center

The Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center, site of the Art Show, is a modern education facility next door to the Great Bay Discovery Center that provides valuable meeting space as well as exhibits on the upland habitats of the Great Bay watershed. Built in 2005 as an old New England post and beam style barn, the building features several sustainable design features, including composting toilets and a geothermal heating/cooling system. On the lower level, the Special Collections room features artifacts of Great Bay and Seacoast New Hampshire with a focus on hunting and fishing.

For more information about the Reserve and its programs, go to: www.greatbay.org.