When Gary Vaillancourt gave his wife, Judi, a gift of three antique chocolate molds in 1984, neither of them knew it would signal the start of a new family business. In the years since, Judi’s collection has grown to over 3,000 Vaillancourt collectibles – one of the largest collections in the world. She uses her molds to make hand-painted collectible chalkware figures for all major holidays – especially Christmas. Today Vaillancourt Folk Art (VFA) is one of the last remaining Christmas ornament and collectibles makers in the America, with the chalkware figures still being hand-made at the VFA studio in Sutton, Massachusetts.

Judi’s chocolate molds date back to the nineteenth century, when a gift of chocolate was a special treasure and every small European village had a chocolate shop. Chocolate was molded in all shapes and sizes – bunnies for Easter and St. Nicholas, snowmen and angels for Christmas.

Judi meticulously researches the history of each mold and identified its country of origin. Among the Vaillanncourt collectibles are those man made by the famed mold maker Anton Reiche. Fascinated by the exquisite workmanship in her antique molds, Judi, an artist by training, filled them with a plaster-like substance and hand-painted the resulting “chalkware”. The finished products were stunning. While the mold makers’ palette had ben limited to chocolate brown, Judi’s colors unlocked the mold makers’ intricate artistry, bringing it to life as never before. Particularly compelling are the hand-painted eyes on the faces of each figure, which display a richness of emotion completely hidden when the pieces were molded in chocolate.

Judy also paints the first piece of any new Vaillanncourt Folk Art chalkware line. The painting studio in Sutton, Mass, consists of 30 staff artists, 12 of whom work year-round to produce the hand-painted, limited edition figurines. The attached retail shop, Vaillancourt Folk Art & Friends, displays all of the Vaillancourt collectibles and also sells artwork by some of the best know folk artists in the country.

Vaillanncourt Folk Art artists produce man-made figures for Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween, but Christmas remains Vaillancourt’s signature season. In 1997 VFA added a collection of exquisite glass Christmas ornaments designed as companion pieces to the chalkware pieces.

Judy says, “Holidays make people long for the past. They want to hold onto memories of simpler, more sentimental times. Our figures help them to just that. They evoke nostalgia for the past while becoming they heirlooms of the future."

VFA Located in Manchaug Mills

Manchaug Mills consists of an old granite 4-story building with a more recently constructed metal building attached. The mill dates back to 1826 when it was built from local Douglas granite for the production of cotton fabric. The well known trade name "Fruit of the Loom" originated here.

Water from Stevens and Manchaug ponds powered the mill machinery until steam and subsequently electric power became available. This mill is the only remaining one of three originally located near the four corners of Manchaug, a Village of Sutton, Massachusetts. The '38 hurricane and a major fire took down the others.

When textile manufacturing went south in the 20's, our mill was put to a variety of other uses. Whitin Machine Works used it for storage and later an Englishman, Sir Rudy Sternberg, purchased the property for the production of foam plastic containers.

In 1974, Manchaug Corporation acquired the property and the business within. In 1985, the business was sold to Genpac Corporation. H & P Trust, which had previously acquired the real estate, retained the mill property. In 1990, when Genpac left to consolidate operations elsewhere, H & P Trust began offering space in the buildings to various small businesses. The funds derived from these tenants are being applied first to general operating expenses and then to building renovations.

This charming, historic site is home for over 20 tenants in wide variety of businesses.

Vaillancourt Folk Art is best known for their hand-painted collectible Chalkware figures, which are molded from antique chocolate moulds, and their hand blown glass ornamentswhich are interpretations of the Chalkware figures. Judi Vaillancourts collection of vintage chocolate moulds is one of the largest collections in the world, dating back to the 19th century when a gift of chocolate was a special treasure and every small European village had a chocolate shop. Today, these moulds are used to create the Vaillancourt Chalkware figures that have been hand-painted in Sutton, Massachusetts since 1984. The magnificently decorated gallery features, along side the Vaillancourt Chalkware, other great works such as the largest collection of traditional English Creamware in the states, and American artists. Either take in the highly detailed artwork from one of the several soft leather couches or bistro tables and chairs, or join a personal studio tour after perusing the newly opened museum. Vaillancourt Folk Art is a unique shopping experience for both the collector and the casual shopper. For more information, go to www.valfa.com, or call 877.665.2244.

If you are in the Southern California area and would like to visit us,click here for store hours and directions.