BEST SPOTS IN
THE STATE.
♪
>> HOMESPUN WOOL, LOCAL ART,
LOCAL FOOD, BOOKS, TOYS, MAIN
STREET BOOKENDS IS A STORE,
GALLERY, AND MARKETPLACE, WHERE
THE FOCUS IS COMMUNITY.
>> WE HAVE AN AMAZING COMMUNITY
HERE.
WE JUST WANT TO TRY TO REFLECT
THAT.
A SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME
AND TALK AND MEET, AND WE REALLY
WANT IT TO REFLECT THE
INCREDIBLE ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS
AND AUTHORS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN
WARNER.
>> CATHERINE OPEN THE STORE IN
1998 WITH HER HUSBAND AND LATE
BROTHER, JIM MITCHELL.
MITCHELL WORKED AS A NEWSCASTER
IN BOSTON.
HE DIED SUDDENLY IN 2008, BUT
MITCHELL'S LOVE F HIS TOWN AND
THE ARTS REMAINED ALIVE RIGHT
HERE.
>> HE WA AMAZING, AND THE TOWN
FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HE
FELL IN LOVE WITH THE TOWN.
SO WHEN WE CREATED THIS
BOOKSTORE, HE STARTED FRIDAY
NIGHT ON MAIN STREET.
SO EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT HERE IN
THE GALLERY WE HAD MUSIC, WE HAD
AUTHORS, WE HAD A THEATER GROUP.
BUT RAIN STREET AGAINST
EXPANDED, CREATING A NONPROFIT
FOUNDATION, MAIN STREET WARNER.
THE AMPHITHEATER IS WHERE EVENTS
TAKE PLACE IN THE SUMMER.
>> SEES TENSION OF THE ARTS WAS
HIS DREAM.
THE TOWN COMPLETELY GOT BEHIND
-- TO SEE AN EXTENSION OF THE
ARTS WAS HIS DREAM.
>> THE MOTTO IS BUILDING THE
COMMUNITY, ONE BOOK AT A TIME.
YOU CAN GET LOST IN THESE
SHELVES.
THERE ARE CHILDREN'S BOOKS,
BOOKS ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE,
BEST-SELLING CHILDREN'S AUTHOR,
INCLUDING HIS NEW BOOK FOR
ADULTS.
>> AS IF THE BIRTH WERE TAKING
PLACE IN A STABLE.
CATHERINE HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC
SUPPORTER OF MY WORK.
SO THAT IS GREAT.
BUT IT IS MORE LIKE THE
HEARTBEAT OF THE COMMUNITY, JUST
KNOWING THAT IT IS HERE.
IT IS GREAT, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN
SEE, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BOOKS.
♪
>> COLIN IS ONE OF THE MANY
TALENT MUSICIANS SHOWCASED AT
MAIN STREET.
HE IS ALSO CATHERINE SON, ONLY
GREW UP WATCHING PERFORMED AS
EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT.
HIS 93 EURO GRANDMOTHER PLAYED
AND TAUGHT THE SAXOPHONE A
PIANO HERE.
>> IT REALLY INSPIRED ME TO
LEARN MUSIC AND OF COURSE
PERFORMING AT THE GALLERY, I
LEARNED TO PLAY SAXOPHONE AND
PIANO.
SO MY FIRST PERFORMANCES WERE
DOWN HERE AT THE GALLERY.
>> SHE HAS GIVEN 25 CONCERTS
HERE IN THE GALLERY AND SHE WILL
TELL YOU IT WAS A FULL HOUSE
EVERY TIME.
>> FROM MUSIC TO ART, WHICH IS
MORE TANGIBLE, PAINTINGS BY
LOCAL ARTISTS ADORN THE WALLS.
POTTERY IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES,
FINE JEWELRY AND HANDCRAFTED
WOODEN BOXES AND DECORATIVE
BOWLS.
DAVID CAROL DISPLAYS HIS
WELL-KNOWN PORTRAITS OF TURTLES
AND NATURE IN THE GALLERY.
HIS WIFE IS ALSO A FEATURED
ARTIST.
>> THIS HAS BEEN A VERY
HIGH-QUALITY GALLERY WITH VERY
FINE SHOWS.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW
OUR ORIGINAL WORKS AND ALSO TO
SELL PRINTS OF OUR WORK.
I'VE ALSO HAD A LONG HISTORY OF
DOING READINGS OF MY BOOKS,
VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, SO THAT
COMBINATION OF MY WRITING AND MY
ARTWORK, AND THEN GIVING MY
TALKS HERE ABOUT NATURAL
HISTORY, IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
>> ONCE A MONTH THE KEARSARGE
AREA SPINNERS GATHER TO WEAVE
THEIR WOOL, A TRADITION THAT HAS
LASTED 20 YEARS.
>> IT'S VERY, VERY SOCIAL.
WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE IN THE
AFTERNOON, YOU ARE JUST KIND OF
LIKE FULL OF EXCITEMENT.
>> I LOVE COMING HERE BECAUSE
THIS IS WHERE I MEET THE
MAJORITY OF THE GIRLS.
I SPIN WITH FOUR DIFFERENT
GROUPS.
THIS IS THE ONE AT THE END OF
THE MONTH.
THIS IS WHERE MOST OF US GET
TOGETHER.
>> I LOVE THE SOCIALIZATION AND
I LOVE THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY
DOES A LOT OF DIFFERENT CRAFTS,
NOT JUST SPENDING HER KNITTING.
>> MAIN STREET BOOKENDS IS PROUD
TO BE GREEN, THE SECOND
BOOKSTORE IN THE COUNTRY TO BE
100% SOLAR.
>> THE FIRST BOOKSTORE WENT
ONLINE TWO MONTHS BEFORE US.
THEY WERE IN TUCSON, ARIZONA.
SO WE DON'T THINK THAT REALLY
COUNTS.
>> THIS LOGO FEATURING THEIR
CHILDREN YEARS AGO WAS DESIGNED
BY ILLUSTRATOR LUCINDA MCQUEEN.
SHE COORDINATES THE SPRING SHOW
THAT BRINGS TOGETHER ALL THE
ARTIST.
>> ITS POTTERS AND JEWELERS,
PAINTERS, IT'S ALL LOCAL PEOPLE.
THAT IS WHAT THE CHARM OF IT IS.
WE JUST SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE IN
THIS AREA SOME TOP-NOTCH ARTISTS
WHO DO QUALITY WORK.
>> WE ARE STRONG, AND BOOKSTORES
ARE COMING BACK.
THERE IS A RENAISSANCE OF
HOLDING ON TO THIS PIECE OF ART
CULTURE THAT MATTERS TO SO MANY
PEOPLE.
IT'S A WONDERFUL MIXTURE OF
PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN AND WE ARE
ALL PRETTY SUPPORTIVE OF EACH
OTHER, AND WE ALL CARE A WHOLE
LOT ABOUT KEEPING THE COMMUNITY
ALIVE.
♪