The Northampton, Mass. area in a wonderful little city full of art and artists, funky shops, and restaurants with food from around the globe.  And so, as I seem to be on somewhat of a hiatus from clay right now, I would like to use this time to write about the people, places, and things in my new surroundings that inspire me.

The display window at The Artisan Gallery, on Main Street.

The merchants of downtown Northampton (known as NoHo to the locals) have teamed up this holiday season to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the peace sign, and to remind us all that peace is possible…even in an ever changing world.  The peace sign was created in 1958 by artist Gerald Holtom in his West London studio.  Holtom was a A conscientious objector objector to World War II, Holtom was drawn to the nuclear disarmament campaign by his general state of despair at the state of the world.  His idea was simply to create a symbol based on the Naval sign language of semaphore, matching the ‘N’ for nuclear & a straight up-and-down ‘D’ for ‘Disarmament,’ with a circle around it.  As is often the case at the beginning of great ideas, Holtom thought his symbol meaningless and felt it would never catch on.  However, the symbol did “catch on” and has become as fmailiar to most of us as a stop sign.  It has been made a part of protests and movements around the globe, and in these unsettled times has again risen as a symbol of what is possible if we are all willing to work together.

Display window at The Cedar Chest, in Thorne’s Marketplace.

A “Peaceful Tree” in the window of The Mountain Goat, on Main Street.

In celebration of the peace sign, and it’s significance to us all, the shops and businesses of Noho have fittingly chosen the Holiday Season to feature store front, and window displays incorporating this iconic symbol, and it’s various other incarnations…doves, words of peace, etc.

The display window at Guild Art Supply, on Main Street.

The display window at Pinch Gallery, on Main Street.