Eight of the fourteen Artist Members of EPOCH Artisan Gallery photographed in front of their Manchester Center cooperative gallery . From left to right : Michael Wolski , Johnny Hinrichs , Bryan Richeimer , Debbie Miller , Ken Ahlering , Bob Gasperetti , Karen Deets , and Nick Seidner . Not included in the photograph are members : Lynn Adams , Ellen Howard , Jen Herzer , Gene Felder , Loren Fisher and Melissa Flanagan .
to get things going and also helped us to establish the Collective model . Lynn is also a very talented jeweler , who makes incredible pieces with silver and enamel . I ’ m proud to have played a significant part in the formation of a nonprofit cooperative gallery here in Manchester , and I ’ m grateful for the significant contributions of all of the talented artists that I work with here .
Q : What goes into running an art gallery on a daily basis ?
A : As a nonprofit artist collective gallery , we face fairly unique challenges , but we try to promote and instill a sense of cooperative responsibility among all of our members . We ’ re all in this together as a group of independent spirits and small business owners who are collaborating with this venture . One of the best things about the collective model is that we can use the greatest strengths of every member artist to accomplish our goals . Not everybody is great at marketing . Not everybody is great at photography , but we all support each other and draw on our skill sets to help out . We work hard to make the day to day operations of the gallery run smoothly . One of my responsibilities is putting out the monthly staffing calendar . Making sure that someone shows up to open the doors is probably the greatest worry .
Besides that , we work as a team to make sure that the gallery looks great and we have everything in place to make sales . The challenges are seemingly infinite , but we are able to manage all of them and grow stronger by working together .
Q : How would you describe the Southern Vermont arts scene ?
A : Southern Vermont has an incredibly vibrant artistic community . There are so many talented artists and craftspeople that work in the area – many of whom are part of the membership here at Epoch Artisans Gallery . Artists are incredibly passionate about their work here in Vermont , but they ’ re also very humble and unpretentious with a serious independent streak . I think that kind of attitude is ingrained in the local culture . There ’ s also a phenomenal level of diversity and creativity in terms of the mediums and styles of disciplines that people work with here . Members of our co-op include glassworkers , woodworkers , sculptors , furniture makers , potters , photographers , metalsmiths , painters , jewelers , and fabric artists . Each artist imbues their work with their love , passion and personal character , helping to define the gallery vibe .
Additional Local Gallery Exhibitions
Equinox Village 49 Maple Street Manchester Center , VT 05255 ( 802 ) -362-4061 equinoxvillage . com
The Canfield Gallery
Martha Canfield Library 528 East Arlington Road Arlington , VT 05250 ( 802 ) -375-6153 canfieldgalleryvt @ gmail . com
The Dorset Village Public Library
3331 VT-30 Dorset , VT 05251 ( 802 ) 867-5774 dorsetvillagelibrary . org
Long Ago & Far Away 4963 Main Street , Manchester , VT 05255 ( 802 ) 362-3435 longagoandfaraway . com
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