Celebrating 40 Years
Sidney Bolam.
~ story and photos by Paige Langenderfer
The Brown County Craft Gallery celebrates its 40 th anniversary this year. In celebration, the Gallery will host an Open House on May 19 and 20 from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. In addition to member artists being available to talk at the Gallery, a few artists will also host live demonstrations on the lawn in front of the Brown County Courthouse.
The Brown County Craft Gallery is a unique, cooperative gallery that features and sells the handcrafted work of more than 30 artists from Brown County and surrounding counties. A variety of art and craft categories are featured including weaving, knitting, pottery, jewelry, baskets, wall hangings, metalwork, original watercolors, and prints of Brown County scenes, photography, gourd creations, hand-cut puzzles, woodworking, handmade soap, and many others.
Member and guest artists are admitted to the gallery through a juried process. Members pay monthly dues, donate a percentage of all items sold, and work one or two days per month as a clerk in the store. Consigners pay a larger percentage for items sold, but do not clerk.
After four decades, the focus remains to provide a marketplace to encourage growth in fine craftsmanship while offering works of original design and excellent quality. The gallery continually seeks out new artists in an effort to keep the shop growing and fresh.
Stone carver Sidney Bolam is one of the newest member artists, joining just three years ago. Bolam said that the gallery is a vital part of the community.
16 Our Brown County • May / June 2018