A PASSIONATE OPENING: KEENE’S NEW LEAF GALLERY FILLS A REGION’S NEED

Nestled between a candy shop and an upscale eatery in downtown Keene, New Hampshire, The New Leaf Gallery inhabits a sun-drenched single room on the second floor of a shared office building, the gallery’s temporary home while a spacious, completely remodeled new location is readied a block away. Epitomizing the resilience and determination required in the post-pandemic economic landscape, The New Leaf Gallery is a rising phoenix, thanks to the vision and dedication of its co-founders, Taryn Fisher and Matt Brown.

Taryn Fisher is introspective about the challenges of the past year. Following the closure of the Keene Fine Craft Gallery in May, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fisher consulted privately with almost all of the artists represented by her established venue. “I recognized this would not only pummel my own income but also the livelihood of the 150 artists whom I had been representing,” Fisher shared recently. “For some, Keene Fine Craft Gallery sales were a significant portion of their overall earnings. I was devastated and heartbroken, knowing that I was unable to continue supporting these talented craftspeople.” The Keene Fine Craft Gallery was one of nine in the state associated with the League of N.H. Craftsmen. There are seven remaining.

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