Sun staff
The South Milford Artisans’ annual spring show is April 30 to May 1 at the historic Arrowhead Farm in Milford; organizers hope the event will ignite the public’s interest in the property, which was recently purchased by Valley View Foundation and preserved as a park.
The 190-acre farm, located at 780 Garfield Ave., is home to The South Milford Artisans and its parent organization, The Milford Pottery.
“We want to have it open and keep artisans up here; we need people to come and see what it’s all about,” said Angela Phipps, a painter and member of The South Milford Artisans.
Cathy Gatch, 62, started The Milford Pottery in 1978; the studio was originally located at the corner of Elm Street and Main Street in downtown Milford, but was moved to the farm’s refurbished barn in 1985.
Gatch’s family purchased the farm from John Pollock in 1850. Pollock, who used materials found on the farm to build the stone farmhouse, served as Milford’s first constable.
“It’s called Arrowhead Farm because of the Indian artifacts that were found on the property,” Phipps explained.
She added, “When I’m at the farm, I feel a close connection to the grounds and the earth; it’s quiet and peaceful. It’s somewhere you can go within Milford, but it feels like you’re millions of miles away from everyone.”
Phipps became a member of The South Milford Artisans five years ago, when her father, who worked for the Gatch family, introduced her to the farm.
“I met Cathy and joined,” said Phipps, who described The South Milford Artisans as a group that serves toward the empowerment of women.
“Cathy wanted to have a place for women in the area to display and sell their art; there are many people that earn their income here,” Phipps said. “We’re sort of an old hippie female group.”
Gatch, who developed multiple sclerosis in the early 1980s, still lives on the farm.
Phipps described Gatch’s health as “failing.”
“Cathy’s the glue that holds all of us together. We all think of her as the reason we’re there,” Phipps said.
She added, “Everybody knows Cathy; there are so many homes that have a piece of Cathy’s pottery. She made beautiful pottery and was a true artist.”
Valley View Foundation, a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation aimed at preserving historic land and ecosystems, purchased the farm in February 2015. The organization has taken steps, such as installing a new heating and plumbing system and putting in a new driveway, to improve the property, which was in disrepair, according to Phipps.
“Before they bought the property, I was volunteering to cut weeds and grass on the property,” she said. “They’ve spent a lot of money to renovate the house.”
Phipps hopes this year’s spring art show, an event that has been going on for more than 20 years, will showcase the artists’ creations and drum up support for the farm.
“We want to get people back to here,” said Phipps, who added that the property can be rented for special events, including weddings.
The art show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, rain or shine, is open to the public, with free admission and parking.
Phipps described the show, which will feature a wool spinner, purses, pottery, stained glass demonstrations, painted rocks and repurposed art, as very informal; people are invited to bring their dogs.
She added, “It’s dog friendly, as the farm is really a park.”
For more information about the upcoming art show, The Milford Pottery and The South Milford Artisans, visit The Milford Pottery’s website at www.sundserver.com/milfordpottery/.