When North Shore residents are itching to head north and explore this spring after a very long winter, there is a new must-stop destination. Just ten minutes off I-95 in Exeter, New Hampshire, visitors will find a trove of small, independent stores—think books, children’s toys, antiques, comics, and more. The town also offers eclectic dining, with everything from a burger joint to contemporary American tasting menus to breweries and cocktail and wine bars, all wrapped in quintessential New England charm.
What truly puts Exeter on the map, however, is its ever-growing arts scene. Perhaps the best example can be found on the corner of Water and Center Streets, in a renovated bank building where three creative female entrepreneurs operate art-driven brick-and-mortar spaces as direct neighbors. The three women each chose the location and their respective spaces independently, without knowledge of one another. While they are all artists, their work is distinct.
Jennie Bishop – White Wave Photography
Jennie Bishop, who owns White Wave Photography, a studio-based luxury photography business, appreciates the twist of fate that brought them together. “The biggest surprise was how inviting and supportive my neighbors have been,” she says. “Being in a space that houses two other artists is so unique, and we are all each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”
White Wave Photography is built around long-term relationships and specializes in family, newborn, senior, and branding work. While Bishop’s natural light–filled studio hosts about half of her customized photo shoots, the other half take place on location, including at Newburyport’s Maudslay State Park and in the Market Square Historic District. For Bishop, having a brick-and-mortar space provides an ideal setting for client meetings. “When clients walk in, they say ‘wow,’ and are very impressed to see the art on the walls,” she says. “It helps them envision what we can create for their own homes.”
Alyssa Watters – Art by Alyssa
Located in the middle space, right on the corner, is Art by Alyssa, owned by illustrator Alyssa Watters. Watters reproduces her original oil paintings onto accessible gift products such as coasters, ornaments, calendars, prints, magnets, cards, and more. She is widely known for her bird paintings, as well as coastal scenes and images of foods and drinks. While she began painting birds at the suggestion of a friend more than a decade ago, she is now a self-proclaimed “bird nerd” and loves placing the final white dot on their eyes to bring them to life.
“The front section of the space is a retail shop filled with all of my unique products, many of which are made onsite,” Watters explains. “Behind our counter is our studio section, where you can watch us creating the products that we sell.” Watters sells her products throughout the North Shore in shops including Valerie’s Gallery, The Paper Mermaid, Wild Birds Unlimited, The Brass Monkey, the Beauport Hotel, and the Wenham Museum. She also has strong ties to Beverly as an alumna of Montserrat College of Art, and previously operated her first retail space on Cabot Street for eight years before moving to Exeter three years ago.
Lauren Avery Hutton – Avery Art
The third space, Avery Art, is owned by mixed-media artist Lauren Avery Hutton and serves as her working studio. “I have worked in many mediums, but I keep returning to oil painting,” she says. “Within that genre, I am seeking to expand my voice using sand, mica, diamond dust, and other materials. I make watercolor drawings from time to time and have also begun producing giclée and aluminum prints.” Her large canvases draw inspiration from nature—landscapes, cloudscapes, sandscapes, and waterscapes—evolving organically toward abstraction. Recently, she has been working on smaller canvases and focusing on skyscapes and sandscapes.
Hutton enjoys working with clients directly in her studio space. “I hope that visitors feel rejuvenated, uplifted, stimulated—often calm and peaceful,” she says. “I want there to be something new to hold their interest each time they view a painting.” She also collaborates with interior designers, art consultants, and curators. On the North Shore, her work is currently on view at The White Barn in Essex.
Spring Art Walk
Exeter shines a spotlight on its evolving arts community twice a year with two annual events. The Exeter Fall Art Tour and the Spring Art Walk continue to grow each year. The Spring Art Walk, organized by the Seacoast Art Association, will take place May 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, with thirteen locations throughout Exeter participating. The Fall Art Tour, organized by Rose Bryant of Art Up Front Street, will take place November 7 and 8.
Bishop, Watters, and Hutton will each participate in the spring event, offering visitors the chance to meet them and experience their work firsthand. Watters is planning a hands-on art activity that will allow visitors to flex their creative muscles. Hutton sums it up best: “I love having Art by Alyssa and White Wave as neighbors. Alyssa and Jennie are inspirational, and we all have different disciplines and skills on offer, which is wonderful. We are also fortunate to have so many other artist studios around town, in addition to Seacoast Art Association, Art Up Front Street, and Exeter Station Studios. I’m happy to say the reputation of the Exeter art scene is growing.”