THE RIGHT STUFF: Arty Time

ARM YOURSELF

Wrap your wrist with the Part of Art Bracelet and show your support for the idea that art is universal. The nonprofit Community Access to the Arts in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, aids more than five hundred people with disabilities—notably through its arts program that spawns crafty homemade accessories like colorful straw tote bags and button jewelry. Label yourself with the simple pewter charm designed by Chelsea DeSantis, threaded onto a dainty leather strap sourced from Ghent, New York, and make the ultimate fashion endorsement.

Four sizes, about $20 at CATAdirect Studio, 40 Railroad St., Great Barrington, Mass., 413.528.5485, www.communityaccesstothearts.org
 

DO THE TWIST
Known for producing some of the best drumsticks in the world after enjoying a forty-year career as timpanist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Vic Firth has turned his skills to a slightly different kind of carving: peppermills. To honor his former stomping grounds, he’s launched a sleek, special-edition Tanglewood Peppermill (and matching salt mill), coated in the music center’s
signature green shade and featuring a patented system that crush-grinds peppercorns for uniform texture and pops out for easy cleaning.

About $63 at Tanglewood Glass House, Route 183, Lenox, Mass., 413.637.5250, www.tanglewood.org/shop; www.vicfirthgourmet.com

PLAY STATION
Present cheeses and crudités fit for a symphonic summer with this clever Violin Cutting Board. The sustainable wood is tipped with pewter crafted in a seaside studio off the coast of Nova Scotia, but its cause hits home here: a generous 10 percent of Basic Spirit proceeds are funneled toward environmental causes championed by the likes of the Nature Conservancy and the Seagull Project. Music to our ears.

About $28 at Amy’s Cottage, 24 Water St., Williamstown, Mass., 413.458.4305, www.amyscottage.com; www.basicspirit.com

BASKET CASE
Joining the plethora of sacks and bags for transporting picnic possessions is the clever Neat-Oh! Zip-Bin, a boxy carrier that unzips into a flat dining surface. Able to transport up to twenty-five pounds of potato salad, the lightweight material is printed with a watercolor artist’s classic checkered design and wipes clean so you can make a fast getaway.

15 x 13 x 9 inches, about $24 at Berkshire Botanical Garden Shop, Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, Mass., 413.298.3926, www.berkshirebotanical.org; www.zipbin.com

HELPING HANDS
Crafted from responsibly grown and harvested cherry in Dorset, Vermont, the best-selling Wine and Dine by J.K. Adams is a sophisticated version of the one-handed party plates so popular these days. Raised edges guard against runaway hors d’oeuvres and a curved, beveled notch cradles a wineglass with ease, allowing you to greet partygoers single-handedly.

About $10 at Different Drummer’s Kitchen, 374 Pittsfield-Lenox Rd./Route 7, Lenox, Mass., 413.637.0606, www.differentdrummerskitchen.com; or through J.K. Adams, Dorset, Vt., 866.362.4422, www.jkadams.com

TIERS OF JOY
This summer, make like the ninth-century Vikings, who mixed their pale brews from the north with darker varieties found in the Celtic towns they pillaged, but do so without the barbaric fanfare. Not that it’s an art contest, but the stainless steel Lagerhead Black & Tan Turtle by Brütül (pronounced brew tool) allows party people to layer the two liquids with ease. Pop bottle caps with the creature’s jaw, rest its feet on the rim of a pint glass, and pour creamy porters or stouts over its backside shell to cascade carefully atop your golden counterpart. Do this because, as they proudly proclaim: “Foam follows function.”

About $11 at Different Drummer’s Kitchen, 374 Pittsfield-Lenox Rd./Route 7, Lenox, Mass., 413.637.0606, www.differentdrummerskitchen.com; www.brutul.com