Arthouse sits inside a 200-year-old Greek revival church building (the former Bissell Parish House) at 12 South Main Street in downtown Wilmington, Vermont, and honestly walking in feels like stumbling into an art collector's incredibly cool living room, except this one has a wine bar. Owners Jenevieve Penk and Vincent Yeo purchased the property in December 2022 and officially opened to the public in January 2024 with a grand opening celebration. The cooperative art gallery features work from over 40-50 local Vermont artists, showcasing pottery, woodworking, oil paintings, blown glass, sculptures, and mixed media artwork all available for purchase. There's a 600-square-foot renovated studio with original stained glass windows that throw colored patches across your workspace, bright lighting, and collapsible work tables, plus a cozy wine bar serving wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and craft-your-own artcuterie charcuterie boards. They run creative classes and workshops taught by local artists in painting, drawing, drumming, yoga, dance, and various crafts, along with paint and sip classes that pull in both beginners and experienced artists. Live music performances happen here too, along with poetry readings, theatrical events, and monthly artist meetups, making it a welcoming community hub for art education and cultural events in the Deerfield Valley region. Open Thursday through Monday (generally 10am to 6pm, with extended weekend hours), Arthouse also provides studio rental opportunities for artists who want to host their own workshops and events, with annual artist memberships available that include discounts on rentals, workshops, classes, and VIP invitations to select gallery openings and performances.
Norton House Quilting is one of those legendary fabric shops, established back in 1966 (that's 57+ years running) by Suzanne Wurzberger in Wilmington, Vermont, now run by her granddaughter Emily Hammer who purchased the family business after her grandmother passed. The original home at 30 West Main Street sits in a historic building dating to around 1760, listed on the National Register of Historic Sites and actually moved to that spot by ox cart in the 1830s. One of the oldest buildings in Vermont, just rolling along behind oxen. Can you imagine? While the physical brick-and-mortar quilting store has transitioned to online-only operations, Norton House Quilting continues its legacy through the Quilting Your Legacy brand at nortonhousequilting.com, offering affordable $2 downloadable quilting patterns for all skill levels, carefully curated fabric bundles featuring coordinated fat-quarter collections, and a supportive online quilting community called the Table Topper Club. The business specializes in premium fabrics, quilting books, notions, and supplies, along with virtual classes and workshops that help quilters create meaningful heirloom quilts and table toppers. Emily keeps the Norton House tradition of exceptional customer service strong after five decades, with the business earning a 4.5-star rating from over 30 reviews for its friendly staff, varied fabric selection, and expertise in helping customers find exactly what they need for their quilting projects. The whole mission centers on preserving quilting traditions and creating lasting memories through accessible patterns and a kindhearted community that encourages crafters to actually finish projects (we've all got that half-done quilt in a closet somewhere, right?) and stitch their personal stories into every piece.
Fire Arts Vermont combines two world-class studios under one roof—Randi Solin Glass and Natalie Blake Studios—operated by master artists whose tagline captures their spirit: "Girls who play with fire." Founded circa 2012-2013 as Fulcrum Arts and rebranded in October 2016, this Brattleboro glass blowing studio and ceramics center holds a 4.9-star TripAdvisor rating with 32 reviews and ranks as the #1 Classes & Workshops in Brattleboro, earning a Travelers' Choice Award. Randi Solin brings 30+ years of glassblowing mastery with work in the White House permanent collection, nine U.S. Embassies, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Natalie Blake holds a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship and has completed major public art installations including a $100,000 project for an Alaskan high school. Introduction to Glassblowing workshops cost $225 for four hours (ages 13+, groups up to 8), while the popular Make Your Own Glass Ornament sessions run $65 for 20 minutes (ages 5+)—perfect for families seeking Vermont glassblowing experiences. Ceramic hand building classes run $240 for three sessions, and Mug Making Saturdays offer single-session experiences at $85. Reviews consistently praise the "exceptional friendliness and patience of staff" and the "complete experience" that includes an on-site organic cafe and bakery, Saxtons River Distillery tastings, and a gallery featuring 40+ local and national artists. Located at 485 W River Road (Route 30), just two miles north of downtown Brattleboro, Fire Arts Vermont welcomes groups from 6 to 106 for birthday parties, bridal showers, corporate team building, and private glass blowing classes in Vermont's stunning southern countryside.
Brattleboro Clayworks stands as Southern Vermont's ceramics resource center and one of the state's oldest pottery cooperatives, founded in October 1983—now 42 years serving the tri-state region of Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The cooperative emerged when eight local potters committed to sharing a basement space, with founding member Alan Steinberg (1946-2023) famously transporting his kiln brick-by-brick from Massachusetts to establish the studio at 532 Putney Road. Current 10-week wheel throwing classes with instructors Karen Horton and Billie Stark cost $350 and include independent practice time on Fridays and Saturdays, making this an accessible entry point for pottery classes near Brattleboro. The cooperative model offers three membership tiers—full members, renters, and working renters—allowing potters to share expensive equipment including gas and electric kilns, wheels, and slab-rolling machines rather than investing in private studio setups. Nine member artists currently create and sell functional pottery, sculpture, and ceramic tiles through the gallery, open Fridays and Saturdays 10am-5pm. Brattleboro Clayworks is perhaps best known for co-founding the Empty Bowls dinner with Groundworks Collaborative, which has raised $12,000-$28,000+ annually since 2004 to fight local food insecurity—members donate approximately 200 handmade bowls yearly. The cooperative also hosts free Bowlerama community events where the public can make bowls, and their annual Seconds Sale on the first Saturday of May offers imperfect pottery at significant discounts. Listed as #23 of 35 things to do in Brattleboro on TripAdvisor and recognized by the Vermont Crafts Council, this artist-run collective embodies founder Alan Steinberg's vision: "We give each other an opportunity to be creative and have that be fed by those around us.
HatchSpace is a nonprofit community woodworking school and makerspace located at 22 High Street (third floor) in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont, co-founded by Tom Bodett (the famous voice of Motel 6) and master furniture maker Greg Goodman, who serves as executive director. Launched in 2018 and expanded to a larger 8,000-square-foot facility in 2023 with support from a $39,000 USDA Community Facilities grant, HatchSpace provides accessible woodworking education, professional-grade equipment, and community workshop space for makers of all skill levels from beginners to expert craftspeople. This vibrant creative hub offers comprehensive woodworking classes covering hand tool techniques, power tool operation, furniture making, CNC machining, laser cutting, and 3D printing, along with private workshops for groups of 1-10 people and monthly membership options starting around $59 per month providing 24/7 studio access to tools and equipment with member discounts of approximately 15% on classes. Multi-week woodworking courses typically run in the $400-$500 range for non-members with reduced pricing for members, while shorter offerings like three-session Guided Open Shop programs are available around $185 for members, providing coaching on personal projects in a budget-friendly format. In September 2025, HatchSpace launched an innovative 8-week, full-time, 300-hour intensive program called "From Forest to Woodshop" focused on wood furniture and products innovation, designed as a gap year experience or career-changing accelerator for aspiring woodworkers. The organization has developed strong community partnerships including the Recovery Boards program helping Vermonters in recovery from substance use disorder, Rosie's Girls summer camp for middle-school girls through Vermont Works for Women (approximately $300 per week with scholarship options available), and workforce development programs addressing the projected need for 600 manufacturing positions in the region. HatchSpace emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility in a traditionally male-dominated field, creating a welcoming environment where members can learn traditional and contemporary woodworking methods while building confidence, community connections, and practical skills for both hobbyists and those pursuing woodworking careers.
Wheelhouse Clay Center opened in March 2019 as the shared vision of co-owners Shari Zabriskie and Teta Hilsdon, who together bring over 60 years of professional pottery experience to this Brattleboro ceramic studio. Located at 48 Harmony Place in a bright, SoHo-loft-style 3,800-square-foot space, Wheelhouse operates as both a pottery school and makerspace where beginning and experienced potters work side by side. There's something satisfying about walking into a place that actually looks like people make things there. Beginner wheel throwing classes run $240-360 for 8-10 week sessions, with clay priced at $48 per 25-pound bag, and all classes include free daily practice time from noon to 6pm. The studio features seven pottery wheels, three electric kilns, slab rollers, and a full array of glazes for cone 6 firing. Makerspace rentals start at $125/month for shared space with 24/7 access available to private-space renters. Specialty workshops include sculptural handbuilding, colored clay techniques, and monoprinting on clay, with guest instructors like John Dorsey (30+ years experience) and Ben Eberle teaching regularly. Beyond adult pottery classes Vermont residents love, Wheelhouse offers kids' summer camps, clay play parties for birthdays and team building, and monthly Gallery Walk participation every First Friday. Here's a detail worth knowing: Teta was actually one of eight original co-founders of Brattleboro Clayworks back in 1983 before creating this more accessible community clay center. That's not just experience on paper.
River Gallery School of Art is a nonprofit art education institution founded in 1976 by Ric Campman and Barbara Merfeld Campman, celebrating over 47 years (nearly five decades) of providing art classes, workshops, and creative experiences for students of all ages and skill levels in Brattleboro, Vermont. Located at 32 Main Street in bright, spacious studios overlooking the Whetstone Brook, where the sound of the water honestly makes it feel less like a typical classroom, this community art school serves as a genuine hub for Brattleboro's artistic scene. They offer studio classes for adults and children in diverse visual media including painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor), drawing, printmaking, encaustics, sculpture, life drawing, landscape painting, bookmaking, collage, color mixing, Chinese brush painting, portraiture, and illustration. The school's approach is rooted in this belief that every person has artistic and creative capacities that, when nurtured through mentoring and skill development, find unique and valuable expression contributing to life skills like self-confidence, innovative thinking, and problem-solving. River Gallery provides comprehensive youth programs including popular summer art camps, school vacation programs, and after-school classes that introduce children to various art-making techniques in a supportive, encouraging environment, with typical eight-week courses for adults priced around $247 and drop-in rates available near $41 per session. Teaching artists here bring extensive experience across multiple artistic disciplines, creating welcoming studio space that encourages individual expression through hands-on instruction and demonstrations. Beyond in-studio classes, the school offers online workshops, outreach programs in community venues, student exhibitions, scholarships for underserved populations, and collaborative partnerships with local organizations including schools, social service agencies, and cultural institutions throughout southeastern Vermont. Supported by grants from foundations including the Vermont Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and Vermont Community Foundation, River Gallery School maintains its commitment to accessibility, equity, and inclusion with tuition assistance and payment plans available, so art education doesn't become something only certain people can afford in this historic New England arts community.
First Proof Press launched in early 2020 after a successful $12,376 Kickstarter campaign backed by 128 supporters, making it Vermont's premier community printmaking studio. Founded by Daniel Chiaccio (BFA in Illustration and Printmaking from New Hampshire Institute of Art, current Community College of Vermont instructor), this environmentally-conscious studio eliminates harsh chemicals through water-soluble, non-toxic processes—a rarity in traditional printmaking workshops. Now located at 22 High Street, Suite 103 in the vibrant HatchSpace building after relocating from Main Street in late 2023, the 2,200-square-foot space houses an impressive equipment roster including a 36"×50" American French Tool press, photopolymer exposure unit, and 4-color garment screen printing station. Workshop pricing ranges from $35 for mini linoleum stamp making to $375 for intensive one-on-one instruction, with popular offerings including Introduction to Etching ($150), Intro to T-Shirt Screen Printing ($135), and the family-friendly LEGO Letterpress class ($75). Memberships for ongoing studio access run $45-$375 monthly, with student rates and single-day rentals ($75) available for those exploring letterpress printing, intaglio, woodblock, or screen printing in Vermont. The studio has garnered strong community support—demonstrated when 424 donors raised over $34,175 to help Dan continue operations during his 2023 cancer treatment—and maintains an active presence with 6,010 Instagram followers. First Proof Press partners extensively with local organizations including the Boys & Girls Club, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, and hosts BIG INK's giant printing press workshops.
Vermont Center for Photography (VCP) has served as a cornerstone of Brattleboro's creative landscape since its 1998 founding as Flat Street Photography, making it one of the region's most established photography education centers at 27 years of operation. The nonprofit—now located at 10 Green Street in the Tom Bodett-owned High Street & Green building—operates one of only two publicly accessible darkrooms in the entire state of Vermont. With a 4.8-star Google rating across 21 reviews, VCP offers memberships from $25/year for students to $500/year for sustaining members, with darkroom and digital lab rentals priced at $14/hour (half-price for members). The darkroom features 4-5 enlargers handling up to 4×5 sheet film and prints to 20×24", while the digital lab provides five 2024 Mac Minis with Adobe Creative Cloud, Epson professional printers, and V700 flatbed scanners. Photography classes Vermont enthusiasts seek include Introduction to Film Cameras & Darkroom Printing ($100-120/day), digital editing workshops, and alternative processes—plus the Focus Forward program offering free 8-week courses for individuals in recovery. The center's 1,200+ title photography library spans masters from Avedon to Adams, and their PhotoThrift store sells affordable used cameras and equipment while funding operations. Executive Director Joshua Farr leads an organization of 300+ members that produces 12 rotating exhibitions annually, participates in monthly Gallery Walk events, and welcomes visitors with free gallery admission Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm—earning reviews calling it "a hidden gem in Brattleboro.
Parish Hill Creamery is an internationally acclaimed Vermont artisan cheese producer founded in 2013 by master cheesemaker Peter Dixon—who brings 40+ years of cheesemaking expertise starting in 1983—and Rachel Fritz Schaal, currently President of the Vermont Cheese Council, operating from 873 Patch Rd, Westminster West, VT 05346 as the only American cheesemaker in distribution exclusively using natural, traditional methods. This Vermont cheese-making class destination has earned extraordinary recognition including multiple Super Gold Medals at the World Cheese Awards (West West Blue 2025, Jack's Blue 2024, Humble and Idyll 2023), the Slow Food Resistance Award (2019, Bra, Italy), and consecutive American Cheese Society first-place awards, with individual cheeses like Idyll earning perfect 5.0/5.0 TasteAtlas ratings and the creamery ranked in the top 10% of world cheese producers. Parish Hill offers professional Vermont cheese-making classes through Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking School: the six-day "Introduction to Cheesemaking: Milk to Make to Market" course costs $1,500 covering hands-on production of Mozzarella, Ricotta, Tomme, Gouda, and Appenzeller plus food safety and business planning, while the $1,400 six-day Advanced Cheesemaking course teaches blues, bloomy rinds, washed rinds, and Alpine styles with a focus on recipe development, aging techniques, grading, and quality control—classes frequently sell out. The farm-to-table creamery sources raw milk from Elm Lea Farm at The Putney School just 5-6 miles away, develops proprietary starter cultures from the local herd (created in 2013 from cows Abigail, Sonia, Helga, and Clothilde), and ages cheese in a repurposed root cellar originally built for Vermont Shepherd cheese. Their signature varieties include Cornerstone (a collaborative "American Original" Gold Medal winner made with two partner farms), Reverie (citrusy rustic-rind tomme), and Humble (monastic washed-rind cheese washed with farm-fermented cider). A year-round self-serve farm store operates at the creamery, and Parish Hill participates in the annual Putney Craft Tour; contact cheese@parishhillcreamery.com or westminsterartisan@gmail.com for Vermont artisan cheese orders and cheese-making class registration ($500 deposit required) to learn traditional cave-aged raw milk cheese production from Peter Dixon, described by Vermont media as "the King of Cheese.
Waterwheel House Quilt Shop earned recognition as one of the Top 10 Quilt Shops in the U.S. and Canada from Better Homes & Gardens' Quilt Sampler magazine in Fall 2012—which owner Shelley Sas describes as "like winning an Oscar in Hollywood." Operating since 2009 (16 years) from a restored 1915 Vermont farmhouse on 5 acres at 6795 Route 100 between Londonderry and Weston, this self-described "Not Your Granny's Quilt Shop" champions colorful fabrics and modern techniques. Sas, a former public school art teacher with 14 years' experience, opened the shop after discovering her passion for art quilting—combining paints, paper, stamping, and fabric—and finding nowhere locally to source supplies. The shop boasts Vermont's largest selection of Kaffe Fassett fabrics alongside Tula Pink, Free Spirit, and Kona Solids, plus earned Bernina Excellence Awards from 2016-2018 as authorized Bernina dealers with an on-site technician servicing all sewing machine makes and models. Quilting classes Vermont crafters love range from affordable $5 Open Sewing Tuesdays and $5 Five Dollar Club sessions (learn to make a quilt from start to finish) to $25 technique workshops in paper piecing and bargello methods. The shop's Long Arm Rental Program, launched in 2017, allows quilters to finish their own projects, while Block of the Month programs and English Paper Piecing Clubs keep regulars engaged year-round. Reviewers praise the "warm, inviting atmosphere," helpful staff, and shop dog Gracie who greets customers at their car doors—making the drive through scenic Route 100 during fall foliage season well worth the trip for quilting supplies, art quilting classes, and that authentic Vermont farmhouse experience.
