Transformations, a three-day craft show, returns Nov. 6-8 to the Hopewell Train Station, 2 Railroad Place, Hopewell, for its 42nd year.
Hours are Friday, Nov. 6 (noon–8 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.–5 p.m). There will be a wine-and-cheese reception on Friday at 6 p.m.
Connie Bracci-McIndoe, a well-known clay artist and teacher in Hopewell, is one of the founding artists of Transformations, which was named by the craft cooperative because, as members saw it, they were transforming materials into beautiful objects.
“The show has many loyal customers,” she said. “Would you believe that there’s a woman from Princeton who has attended our show for the last 38 years? She knows she can find something high-quality and unique that you can’t buy at the mall.”
To that point, Ms. McIndoe stresses that there’s something special about seeing the artist’s fingerprints in their work.
“It should be personal and expressive, not perfect and smooth, the way machine-made items are,” she said. “There is something wonderful about drinking your morning coffee out of a handmade mug.”
The show has many artists who return to sell every year, but there are enough new crafters to keep the show fresh.
One of the returning artists, Susan Nadelson from Lambertville, has been in Transformations for the past 12 years, where she sells her own hand-spun yarn and knitted sweaters. Knitting started as a hobby, making gifts for her family. One day, she sold a sweater to an acquaintance.
“It meant so much that someone liked that sweater enough that they would actually pay for it. That got me started,” she said.
When she couldn’t find the yarns that she wanted, Ms. Nadelson began spinning and dying her own. As she sits and feeds the raw wool through her spinning machine, she becomes a teacher and storyteller.
She said, ”This yarn-making process is intriguing to people and I’ve noticed how my spinning wheel draws them in to my booth, which might lead to a sale — or not. In any case, I’m proud of my work and I like to talk about it. What I do has value. ”
Despite the hard work as a professional crafter, Ms. Nadelson finds it rewarding.
“A crafter is always creating and solving problems,” she said. “Inventing, stretching yourself as you take each step. It’s playful, it’s fun. This is about self-expression, so, ultimately, we get to know who we are by the things that we make.”
Transformations participating artists are:
– Ms. Bracci-McIndoe, ceramics, jewelry & felted scarves;
– David Duthie, hand-blown glass;
– Karin Hope Geoghan, origami flower sculptures and accessories;
– Bernard Hohlfeld, turned wood;
– Susan Nadelson, colorful hand-spun yarn;
– Teri Nalbone, fiber art; Peter Pearson, stained glass panels and boxes;
– Ellie Rock, handmade children’s items;
– Sandra Schmitz, felted handbags-art for your arm;
– Sally Stang, pressed flower mosaics and jewelry;
— Mindy Trost, handmade books and boxes;
– Amy Turner, handwoven shawls and scarves, and
– Sandy Webberking, sculpture for the home and garden.
