Community members, artists and musicians gathered Saturday at Antrim’s Moka Pot Cafe for “A Simple View of Life,” an art exhibit to celebrate the town’s gazebo.
Participating artists included Sean Fleming, Paula Kerouac, Susana Miles, Jobeth Weinrich, Ellie Laramee-Byers and Ret Darner. Comics artist Matthew Burbridge created a comic live during the event, and fiber artist Tracey Szanto of Dreamland Art Studio in Deering raffled of her original quilt square depicting the gazebo.
The Moka Pot, which opened in November 2022, is owned by Camille McLaughlin and her son Dan Redmond and is located at 42 Main St. in Antrim Kerouac, a painter who teaches art classes around the Monadnock region, said it was “exciting to be in a new space” in the back room of the Moka Pot.
“We walked in and just loved the room,” Kerouac said of the brick-walled space in the back of the cafe. “Artists can just transform a space.”
Over the lunch hour, 13-year-old Natalia Faye of Lyndeborough played guitar and sang a selection of her original songs. Faye, who has sung for benefits and won a regional talent competition last year, was excited to be able to practice singing in public.
“I’ve sung at a lot of different places, like different benefits, and it’s been really fun,” Natalia said.
“She’s been singing and making up songs since she could talk, and she’s been playing guitar almost as long,” said Natalia’s mom Tracey. “It’s just who she is.”
Laramee-Byers moved to Francestown with her family during the beginning of the pandemic.
“We have five kids and we had a 1,000-square-feet (home) in Somerville,” Laramee-Byers said. “It wasn’t going to work. We are so grateful to be here.”
Laramee-Byers is a painter and “maker” who creates handcrafted sketchbooks, stickers and other items. She also owns Frogton Pond Horse Farm n Francestown, and incorporates equestrian themes in many of her creations, including stickers.
“Horses do a lot of sticker-worthy activities,” she said with a laugh. “This community has been absolutely wonderful for us. We love it.”
The event, organized by Christine Carr of Deering, is part of a series created by The Village, a network of artists, businesses and nonprofits working to build community and collaboration among artists and local businesses owners.