2022 was our first year hosting in-store artist exhibitions catered by Agatha Italian. During this season of events, we were permitted by the State of Vermont to serve wine during these gallery receptions and Alexis Hurley, of Agatha, helped us curate a selection of White, Skin Contact, and Red Natural Wines to compliment her gorgeous appetizers and non-alcoholic beverage selection.

2022 was without a theme connecting our artists other than them being based in Vermont. We were fortunate enough to welcome Rory Pots, Alice Kitchel, and Bread + Puppet for three different exhibitions. 

In 2023, we decided to put out a Call to Artists to create our Final Friday Artist Series lineup. We received over twenty pitches (first of all, wow! second of all, thank you for wanting to be here with us!)-- each one vibrant, unique, and exciting. It was so hard to choose that, after sifting through the many options, we realized we had only a few that fell into the realm of sculpture. By sticking to a theme of three dimensional design, we were able to curate a group of five artists, each one specializing in a different medium. 

In April, Alyce Carrier came to us from Salt Lake City, Utah. Alyce is an artist that mostly works with clay but occasionally makes and produces with beautiful block prints. Their small ceramic sculptures were an immediate hit with our guests. It's been extremely gratifying to know that, since her show, there's no shortage of Alyce Carrier ceramic sculptures gracing the homes in Vermont.  

In May, we hosted Ben Finer, a mixed media artist from the Upper Valley and owner of Kishka Gallery in White River Junction. Ben makes masks that are truly out of this world using paper, pins, found materials, and more.  

In June, we were graced with the Northeast Kingdom's own, Sterling Trail. Sterling grew up in Orleans county and is a metal sculpter working with remnants to create art. Each piece stands on its own and is distinctly not a tribute to Sterling or his life. 

July brought us Ruth Shafer, a talented, bold, and charismatic artist that works with textiles. Her statement that quilts don't have to be quiet was enough to convince me. Ruth makes luxurious, snaking pillows (at times eight feet in length!), colorful quilts with assertive statements, and a variety of other small textile pieces for touching and feeling. 

 

In August, we once again welcomed Bread + Puppet Theater and the work of Peter Schumann. This year, we added vintage paper mache forms and figures to the shop and displayed a variety of vintage banners printed with masonite cuts carved by Peter, years back. 

 

Stay tuned for our 2024 FFAS programming announcement!