A year after longtime Hopewell resident Beth Ann Judge launched her jewelry studio on Seminary Avenue in 2012, Jen Ghannam joined the community by opening her quirky children’s store, Sticks and Stones. The two business owners instantly hit it off, bonding over their love of Hopewell’s artistic community.
Three years later, Judge and Ghannam have come up with the idea to highlight Hopewell’s unique craft scene through the inaugural Handmade Hopewell Street Fair. Set for Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the outdoor event will feature local artisans and makers lined up along Seminary Avenue between East Broad Street and Columbia Avenue.
“We wanted something in particular on our street, just to bring people to discover more about the town,” Ghannam said. “We love handmade stuff and Hopewell’s so full of crafty and artsy people. While you don’t have to be from Hopewell to be a part of the fair, we have such a pool of talent that we can bring in down here.”
Ghannam, a former teacher, relocated to Hopewell four and a half years ago for her husband’s pharmaceutical job. She and her husband Ameen live in Hopewell with their twin daughters Amelia and Lilah, who are now fourth graders at Hopewell Elementary School.
“Moving to New Jersey I had no idea what this area was like,” Ghannam said. “We were all pleasantly surprised by the farms and the forests and the streams. It’s just a fabulous place to be outdoors, for hiking and to explore.”
Inspired by the region’s tranquil surroundings, Ghannam decided to stray away from teaching and open her own nature-inspired toy store Sticks and Stones on Seminary Avenue. There she sells all sorts of unique arts and crafts and playthings such as felting kits, learn to draw books, kites, and science kits. Ghannam’s store will be open during Handmade Hopewell and visitors just might be greeted by Maisy the shop dog.
Co-organizer Judge is a longtime Borough resident. She is married to Will Mooney of Brothers Moon fame and is one of the organizers of the annual Tour des Arts.
Handmade Hopewell will feature over 30 vendors of handcrafted goods from the borough and the greater Princeton area. Founders Ghannam and Judge carefully selected each vendor from a pool of over 75 applicants. The duo wanted a complete showcase of handmade items -from honeymakers to live musicians and artists – and said that they had a hard time deciding on the vendors after receiving so much interest.
“We had an amazing response of vendors and vendors’ applications so it was a difficult decision,” Ghannam said.
“We want the mix to be right and just a lot of diversity in the crafts,” Judge added. “There seemed to be a lot of painters, so unfortunately there were some really good painters that we just had to turn down. We have limited space – the street’s only so big. So that piece was difficult, trying to make that decision.”
The founders say that they were also adamant that the actual maker be present at the event so that attendees have the opportunity to interact with them and learn more about their unique craft.
Visitors can expect to see innovative works by Dar James, an acrylic painter who is known for his whimsical nature artwork and tree designs; Nelly Kouzmina, the owner of Feltinelli and a maker of hand-designed hats, headbands and accessories with a retro flair; and Maggie Schreiter’s “Squishy Things,” designs which feature fun and playful embroidery on everything from clothing and silk scarves to canvas and tote bags.
The street fair will be held rain or shine, though Ghannam and Judge are hoping for some sunny spring weather to jumpstart Mother’s Day weekend. Representatives from the Hopewell Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary will also hold their annual Mother’s Day Flower Sale during the event and Occasons Paperie will have a selection of handmade cards and jewelry appropriate for the holiday.
If you’re looking for entertainment for the kids, ArtSparks is set to offer an area for children’s arts and crafts. What you won’t find amongst the tent-lined street is prepared food vendors, a decision made by Ghannam and Judge specifically to encourage visitors to explore Hopewell’s local restaurant scene instead.
Participating in the street fair will also be the newly opened Hopewell Creative Arts Studio, located on Seminary Avenue across from Judge and Ghannam’s studios. Owners Dan and Kaitlin Deering Kassel are both graduates of Hopewell Valley High School, though they didn’t meet until several years after.
Their new studio Hopewell Creative Arts is more than an art gallery, it’s a space for the community to engage in all art forms – from painting to healing arts such as yoga and drum circles. While Dan and Kaitlin have a wide range of scheduled workshops and events open to the community, members can also book the space to use for their own artistic endeavors.
“The goal is to kind of nurture any sort of creativity,” Kaitlin said, “If it’s music, if it’s art, if it’s healing, we want to provide an area here to do that.”
Dan’s parents are both career artists. His father ran Kassel Photography and his mother is a freelance clay artist and illustrator.
Kaitlin’s parents and her three sisters live in the Hopewell area. Her father works at IEEE and her mother is a retired nurse. Kaitlin’s sister, Olivia, works at Timberlane with autistic children, and her other sister, Camille, works as assistant to the head of the art department at TCNJ. Her youngest sister Danielle is a student in the art department of TCNJ.
Upon graduation, both went on to become artists. Dan earned a degree in illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art and opened his own silk screen T-shirt company called Totum Soul, and he sells the shirts at craft fairs and festivals. Kaitlin is a self-taught painter who has been featured in exhibitions across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She is currently being recognized for her innovative designs with puffy paint and her exhibit, Spring Tide, will be on display in Princeton’s Small World Coffee next month.
The couple married in 2013 and after living in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, they traveled the world – voyaging everywhere from New Zealand to Nepal. Together, they hiked through the Himalayas, Appalachia the Pacific Crest and Oregon Trails. They finally decided to trace their roots back to Hopewell in January to help establish the growing arts scene and to share what they learned during their travels.
Coming up on their studio’s agenda is a series of film screenings open to the community as a donation-based events showcasing classic black and white and independent films. Buster Keaton’s famous film “The General” will be shown on Sunday, May 15.
The couple plans to feature a new artist exhibition each month which will kick off with a First Friday opening event at the studio. Featured artists will include those from Hopewell and the Lambertville-Princeton region.
The studio’s first exhibit will include prints of the Kassel’s travel photography works. The exhibition will kick off at the studio’s official Grand Opening event on Saturday, April 30 and will continue through Handmade Hopewell and the month of May.
The Kassels are looking forward to connecting with the community and introducing their space to local artists and crafters at the street fair. The studio will be open to visitors and the couple’s original silk-screened T-shirts and handmade scarves will be for sale.
More about the Handmade Hopewell Street Fair, including a complete list of participating vendors is online at handmadehopewell.com.
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