February 1st Friday

For any of you regular 1st Friday goers you might have noticed that we took a short hiatus from participating in the 1st Friday receptions here at the BID office at 245 Lark Street. Well, that hiatus is about to end. We are lining up our shows for the year and are very excited about each of the artists that we have coming up!


First up in February, we have Becky Holt & Ashley Blouin from Studio 209 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire...

studio 209

Studio 209 is located in the Button Factory, a building in downtown Portsmouth, NH occupied by artists and craftspeople. It has become widely known for its Annual “Open Studios” where various artists open their doors and welcome the public to view and purchase original artwork from the local artists.

Painter/Photographer Ashley Blouin and Painter Becky Holt, who have a shared love and passion for the inspirational art world, share a studio space on the second floor of the Button Factory overlooking Portsmouth’s main street- Islington Street. Ashley and Becky welcome you to come by and visit the infamous “Studio 209” anytime or inquire about “Open Studios” and our favorite “Wine Night!” Read more about the history of the Button Factory at http://www.buttonfactorystudios.com/building_history.htm.

becky holt

Becky was raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts and currently lives and works in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She received a BFA from Alfred University’s School of Art and Design in 2008. Her work explores issues of environmental conservation and the integration of technology into everyday life. Becky is known for her recognizable large scale paintings, which have been displayed in local Restaurants and Coffee shops in downtown Portsmouth. Another unique feature in her work is her clever and humorous take on otherwise controversial subject matter. Becky’s work has exhibited internationally and can be view at: www.beckholt.com. 

ashley blouin

Ashley is originally from St. Albans, Vermont and currently resides in

Portsmouth, NH. She graduated in 2002 from Notre Dame College with BA in Biology and a BA in Fine Arts. Her work includes an independent study of portraits done with oil paint and more recent paintings done in a

“reversed painting” style using glass as a canvas. Lately, she has focused on photography and is in the infant stages of a “Juxtapose Series” looking at such symbols as “life and death” and “freedom and restraint.” She prints most of her photography on stretched canvas. Ashley can be contacted for freelance work at  ashleyblouin@homail.com. 

We hope you will join us on Friday, February 4th from 5-9pm!