Jayne Merner Senecal says there is a stigma surrounding farming and working with one’s hands, a belief that labor-intensive careers shouldn’t be revered as much as white-collar jobs. Senecal takes issue with that belief, and as the owner of Earth Care Farm in Charlestown, works to convince others of the value of farm work.

The annual Wickford Art Association’s Small Works: Holiday Sale is taking place from Nov. 20 to Dec. 22 this year, featuring up to 45 member artists selling small works.

“This is an annual event that we have here and basically it’s for the member artists of the organization,” Executive Director Catherine Gagnon said. “They can basically reserve an area of display space within the gallery itself and then it’s their prerogative on how they wish to use the space. They can have as many pieces under 14 inches possible and it is an active show and sale, so as people come in to visit the gallery, they can pay and carry the artwork out with them.”

Artists are able to replenish their space throughout the duration of the show with more pieces that meet the criteria.

In a year where COVID-19 has robbed many artists of the opportunity to sell their works over the course of the spring and summer, many art sales have been canceled or limited with social distancing guidelines.

“It’s generally a very successful sale,” Gagnon said. “Each year, between $10,000 and $14,000 worth of sales occur, so yes, in a year where opportunities have been quite limited for the artists to sell their works at art shows, fairs and in galleries, this year becomes even more critical, so we’re trying to make the sale as accessible as possible.”

In order to do so, the sale will be going on for one extra Tuesday, in addition to the normal Wednesday through Sunday gallery schedule.

“We also added one additional day to the sale on Tuesday, Dec. 22, right before Christmas, so that if people are using this sale as a way to take care of their gift-giving for the holiday season, that is certainly an opportunity,” Gagnon said. “The individual artists who do this for a living, or supplement their income by doing artwork, really do look forward to this particular opportunity each year.”

A virtual gallery featuring one piece from each of the selling member artists will go up in a virtual gallery on the WAA’s website Oct. 31.

The Wickford Art Association gallery is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. For more information, visit their website, wickfordart.org. 

Looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for the art fan in your family? Got someone on your list that deserves something more unique than another gift card?

Once again, the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly has you covered.

Recognizing the need in its community and the many families struggling due to the ongoing pandemic, Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) will begin its annual “Holiday Giving Tree” program early in hopes of brightening the season for as many local children as possible. The signature effort, now in its 23rd year, collects gifts for underprivileged kids that are distributed by the bank’s nonprofit partners.

It’s the holiday season, and it might be time to get some gifts for those you love and care about.

If the gift you’re thinking about is a book, it might be easy to select an online retailer or a big box store. But why not consider something close to home that will help out your community and local small business: your local independent bookstore?

This season, the need to support local businesses is being more keenly felt than in years past. When you shop local you are encouraging your neighbor’s creative outlet, you are helping to send a local child to camp and you are helping to put food on the table of the person whose passion is the business you visited. This contributes to the overall vitality of your town and makes it the uniquely wonderful place it is. Shopping local has an immediate, tangible effect.

It’s been a strange summer but some things are still as they should be, like the clam cakes and chowder at Aunt Carrie’s, the local eatery celebrating its 100th anniversary. While a lot has changed in the years since Carrie Cooper opened her lemonade stand near the Point Judith Light, some things have remained the same, a testament to quality food and the strength of family bonds.

The past decade saw a craft beer revolution across the nation, with new breweries small and large popping up in every locale, and thirsty patrons comparing and sampling a variety of tastes produced by their neighbors.

It’s been a strange summer but some things are still as they should be, like the clam cakes and chowder at Aunt Carrie’s, the local eatery celebrating its 100th anniversary. While a lot has changed in the years since Carrie Cooper opened her lemonade stand near the Point Judith Light, some things have remained the same, a testament to quality food and the strength of family bonds.

Hundreds of small, square, colored sticky notes bring a personal touch, a warm connection and  a sweet remembrance from over the years about this iconic tiny bakery at 805 Moonstone Beach Road in Matunuck.

Summer is here and it’s a good time for families and friends – and just solo folks as well – to try kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding out on the water while gliding around sightseeing, taking in nature, breathing fresh air and getting some aerobic exercise.  

Allison Freeland sat on the sand at Narragansett Town Beach on a recent Sunday morning with one thing on her mind: Would her legs really bend that way?

Summer’s here in South County, but like many things this year, it looks a little different.

While the hot summer sun beats down on the famed sandy shores of the area and other familiar sites are still very present, the COVID-19 pandemic has limited many of the crowds and some of those classic South County activities.

Finding the right bicycle along with skilled wrenchers knowing the ins and outs for repairs is no farther than South County’s 100-year-old shop in vintage Wakefield, where this bike business started just two years after the 1918 deadly Spanish Flu pandemic in the United States.

With Rhode Island entering Phase 2 of reopening the state, coffee shops across South County prepare to reopen for a summer they will never forget.