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30 Grove Street Peterborough, NH 03458
Sharon Arts Center Galleries Presents:
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Sharon Arts Fine Craft Gallery and Store in Depot Square is pleased to present Rindge residents Shana Brautigam and Ethan Hamby, makers of fine ceramic tableware, musical instruments, lighting, and jewelry, as "Featured Artists" for the month of October. Sharon Arts, a non-profit arts organization that's committed to connecting the community with the arts, created the "Featured Artist of the Month" program to showcase a local artist and their work, and to educate the public about their artistic process.
Hamby, 23 andÊ Brautigam 25,Ê New Hampshire natives, formed "Rooted in Clay" in 2003, committed to turning their passion and hobby into their profession. Their work is now featured in over two dozen galleries throughout New England and New York. They also show their work at many major craft events throughout the region. Shana was born and raised in Durham, New Hampshire. Her interest in the arts began at age three, when she would join in on art classes, taught by her mother, on their back porch. Shana explored many art forms throughout her childhood, but clay seemed to resonate. She began taking wheel throwing lessons from a local potter at the age of ten. Throughout high school Shana continued working with clay.Ê In the summer of 2000, Shana found a local pottery couple, Tim and Theresa Christensen-Kirby of Muddy Bird Pottery, who took her under their wing.. Tim and Theresa taught her not only about the craft, but also how to run a pottery business. The other driving force leading Shana to pursue pottery as a profession was her partner Ethan Hamby.Ê Early in their relationship she introduced him to clay.Ê The fire that ignited inside Ethan was impressive and inspirational.Ê He was so dedicated to learning how to make pots on the wheel that he worked at it daily.Ê He wanted to soak up as much clay and knowledge of it as he could.Ê Ethan learned quickly and soon he had skills comparable to those Shana had developed after 8 years of clay exploration. Ethan was exposed to art an early age with his mother as an art historian at UNH. Ethan often went to the art department after school to sit in on his Mom's classes. When Ethan was in 3rd grade, his teacher brought a pottery wheel into the classroom for everyone to throw pots. Even at this early age the pieces he made had a strong connection to him. In high school when Ethan fell in love with Shana, she reintroduced him to clay. Soon Ethan began working with clay and they spent their time creating art together. Ethan was a motivated student, stacking up his class schedule in order to graduate a year early.Ê He was able to fit in some pottery classes, and spent nearly all of his free time throwing pots on the wheel. He started selling his work during his third and final year of high school and realized he could make a living as a potter. In addition to making their living as potters Hamby and Brautigam teach others how to make pottery as well. They offer classes to those of all levels at their studio in Rindge . They have close ties to the local arts community as well. They maintain membership in The League of New Hampshire Craftsman, The Potters Guild of New Hampshire, and are listed on the community roster for The New Hampshire Council on The Arts. The Sharon Arts Fine Craft Gallery is located in Depot Square in Downtown Peterborough. Store hours are: Monday - Thursday 10am to 6pm, Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sundays 11 - 4 pm, and First Fridays 10am to 8pm (first Friday of each month). The mission of Sharon Arts Center, a non-profit organization, is to support and serve artists and craftspeople, to engage the community in the artistic process, and to foster the relationship between artists and the community through education, exhibitions, the promotion and sale of art and craft, as well as through special programs and events. Sharon Arts offers a wide variety of art classes and programs in the school facility in Sharon, NH, and has an Artists' Resource Center (selling art supplies), a Fine Craft Gallery, a Juried Member Artist Gallery, and an Exhibition gallery in the Depot Square facility. For more information on Sharon Arts, and current exhibitions and events, please visit www.sharonarts.org. Sharon Arts is sponsored in part by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation. |
