Community Day | Holiday Celebration & Maker's Market

Don’t miss the NBMAA’s annual holiday cheer event! Shop local artisans’ handmade and homemade creations, marvel at the decorative wreaths and inclusive holiday displays, and explore the galleries to the sounds of carols by Dr. Violin with family-friendly scavenger hunts.

Meet the Makers:

Meet local artisans and shop for top-notch, handmade gifts, including pottery, jewelry, skincare products, clothing lines, and accessories.

This year's vendors include:

Khonda African Arts LLC- Vernon, CT

Edith Mwenelupembe

Sells handmade art, ladies jewelry, bags, accessories, knits and crochets, paintings

Cecilia Imports- Bristol, CT

Terese Maineri

I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala. In 2014, I started an import business, called Cecilia Imports which sells fair trade Guatemalan artisan crafts in Connecticut.

The items I sell are made by friends I met during my Peace Corps service. Through Cecilia Imports, I work to expand the market for the artists in Guatemala. The money made from the sale of the Guatemalan art is reinvested to purchase more merchandise from the artisans I know.

Blackrose Designs- Hamden, CT

Nicole Brown

Blackrose Design is a clothing brand which seeks honor of the late bloomers in life. Whether your growth may be mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally or financially. As our motto states “Grow in the dark and bloom in the light.” You are celebrated! Blackrose is a unisex brand, which is inclusive of all race, sizes, religion and creed. The aim is to have customers as comfortable in their clothing as they are in their skin.

Laurie Lynn’s Jewelry- Meriden, CT

Laurie Lynn Zlotowski

I love working with clays and collecting vintage beads as well. My designs are fancy to funky, but most of all uniquely eye-catching. After my clays are fired or cured they are waterproof which makes my handmade jewelry & hair accessory line durable for the everyday and for those special moments in your life. Due to this durability, I have expanded to create non-wearable items to my collections such as wine stoppers and bottle openers which are decorated with my handmade beads. These clay bead wine stoppers can also decorate olive oil bottles instead of screw tops!

My inspirations come from modern everyday fashion, flea market finds, nature’s colors and seasons as well as challenging art palettes of other artisans and chefs.

Originals by Cyn- Cromwell, CT

Cindy Koniushesky

My education background is in Business and Art Education. I taught in the Berlin, CT school system for over 30 years. I work in clay, metal and soft goods. As a young child, I always found the gift of finding beauty in what surrounds me in nature. I was taught to appreciate the elements of form, color, texture, and value. Whether I am working with fiber, metal, clay, music or cuisine, I combine these elements, tap into my soul and create. It is a mystery how and when it all happens, but the magic begins with my mind, heart and hands.

With Heart By Hand- Middletown, CT

Jean Rill-Alberto

I work with color, balance, and composition. I love fitting pieces of color and design together in a harmonious way, I find it to be a wonderfully creative source of energy for me. I am inspired by nature, modern design, and the Japanese sense of simplicity which is reflected in my work. I look around me everyday and see art everywhere, in everything, and I realize the possibilities are endless. I find that so exciting.

Mountain Tree Studios- West Hartford, CT

Rachel Shuler

I’m a British-born jewelry artist, based in CT.

I work mainly in copper, bronze, pewter & wood, and draw inspiration from many things: artifacts from history, geometry & symbolism, nature and the elements. Each interest influences one of my series.

Studying sculpture and jewelry design in San Francisco introduced me to multiple techniques and materials and allowed me to incorporate my favorite crafts to create each piece of jewelry. Using both original and established metal and wood-working techniques, I develop new designs fluidly and spontaneously — allowing the materials themselves to help determine the final piece.

Jodi Cup of Health- Hartford, CT

Jodi Cup of Health beauty line manifested from the sheer desire to relieve my niece, Daisy Lee skin irritation caused by eczema. As a Jamaican born child I witnessed my grandparents and great grandparents heal their ailments with natural remedies from the land they farmed. Having this knowledge in me, I started to formulate mixtures for Daisy that ultimately was shared with family and friends. Soon after orders from strangers followed and before I knew it, I was in my kitchen crafting mixtures of various scents and textures.

Earth Rhythms Jewelry- Killingworth, CT

Margie Rosenberg

Being an artist most of her life, she has been inspired in the arts by her mother who was a plein air fine artist and weaver. Her handmade unique jewelry is inspired by the beauty, colors, and textures found in nature. Her unique pieces are made by combining semi precious stones, shells, and pearls, but also includes glass, horn, bone, metal, polymer clay, wood, and quill beads. Margie has an amazing talent for combining textures and colors into intricate designs. She uses a variety of techniques including hand knotting, beaded lace, bead weaving, memory wire, stringing, kumihimo, and wire work. Styles include lariats, pendants, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and glasses holders. Prices range from $5- $120.

Naomi Nevo Ben Ari

Naomi Nevo Ben Ari is Israeli-born and Connecticut-based, an award-winning artist and arts educator who has shown extensively throughout the country. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as The Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, and Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven. As a finalist in the 2019 AXA Art Prize exhibition, her work was also shown in San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, and New York Academy of Art, New York City. Nevo Ben Ari has been featured in Artscope and The Connecticut Landscape Architect, is the recipient of Art Show International’s Still Life Merit Prize, and a recipient of the Jeffrey A. Shoham Purchase prize at the University of Hartford.

Frankie Baez aka “Mega Mok”- New Britain, CT

I'm a Puerto Rican artist, born and raised in New Britain. My artistic style was sparked by my interest in graffiti, and overtime I developed my style that fuses graffiti, cubism, and pop art. My mixed media work is inspired by contemporary artists, featuring bright colors and interesting figures and subjects.

Amanda Mendoza - New Britain, CT

Amanda Mendoza

Amanda Mendoza Art will bring festive hand-painted holiday ornaments to the Makers’ Market that can be great as gifts or to decorate your own Christmas tree! You will also have the chance to pre-order custom pet portrait ornaments in time before the holidays!
Other services include family portrait commissions, murals for home/office spaces, live wedding paintings, illustrations, and more! Looking forward to meeting you all at the Makers’ Market.

Mutts & Bolts- Avon, CT

Bonnie Santarsiero

Can a cheese grater, shoehorn, or old jello mold have a personality? They sure can! When assembled with creativity, humor…and a touch of bonkers, they magically come to life!

As a light metal sculptor, I have evolved a series of iconic upcycled sculptures that capture the essence of my animal subjects. The used parts and pieces are mostly kitchen tools and cool found objects. Some of the works are inspired from photos supplied by pet owners, for whom I create a custom caricature. Others “grow” solely from my imagination.

Welcome to my unique smashup world of grandma’s kitchen and the animal kingdom…laughter encouraged!

Red Horse Pottery- Colchester, CT

Cathy Grundmann

Cathy has beautiful, one of a kind pottery creations that will compliment your home or make the perfect gift for that someone special.

High Ridge Pottery- Berlin, CT

Steven Bernard

My pottery reflects the curves of Art Nouveau, and is inspired by natural shapes such as a clam shell or the delicate veins of a leaf. The elegance of my vase forms is further enhanced by crystalline glazes which resemble flowers blooming over each vessel.

SweetHouse Creations- Hartford, CT

Deirdre Brichhouse

A bakery specializing in vegan, gluten free, and other dietary alternatives. Simply elegant treats catering to your sweet tooth.

Aspenne’s Library- Newington, CT

Patricia Bellamy-Mathis

Aspenne’s Library is a publishing agency that curates books that feature Black and brown characters and provides positive Black and brown stories. The two children’s book collections that will be available for purchase at the event are “Down South for the Summer” and “Aspenne Colors the Neighborhood” both written by Patricia Bellamy-Mathis. Please see emailed links for more information about our books.

Rare Rose Gemstone Infusions- Windsor, CT

Janitta Ross

Gemstone jewelry infused with Reiki.

The Greener Gift- Manchester, CT

Lolly Nicol

The Greener Gift creates functional art in the form of eco-consciously produced textile goods designed to make greener living more fun, easy, and accessible. Some of our items include reusable snacks/sandwich bags and cutlery/straw bags.