The Emporium is a collaborative opportunity for local artists, artisans, and businesses to display and sell their items in a mall during the busiest time of year. Our goal as an arts support agency is to foster and help grow the artistic and business community in our beautiful Quiet Corner. We are open for business now through Christmas every Friday and Saturday 12 – 8 PM and every Sunday 12 – 4 PM. Many thanks to our partner, East Brook Mall, for all their help as well as the Connecticut Office of the Arts who we represent locally as one of nine designated regional service providers in Connecticut.
Here’s your chance to support the creative effort while getting absolutely unique works of art to give as a gift or to inspire yourself. As a community, it is important to support local artists. Without local citizen support the art they make would cease to make the great impact that it does. When you support the artist community, you are supporting all of our respective creative freedom. Once artists are able to express themselves creatively and freely, beautiful art is made that can be admired by the community and the world. These art pieces reflect the artists’ ideas and their hidden messages behind each work of art. Let’s meet some of our artists, artisans, crafters and local businesses:
- Bill Dougal, a multi-talented artist of DougalArt.com from Lebanon, is one of our artists and he is also one of nine 2019 Arts Heroes as recognized by the Connecticut Office of the Arts. Bill’s work is on display at the Emporium and available for purchase. He has original art, prints, books, videos and more. You may recognize Bill also as a caricaturist as is his wife, Dori and they will be holding a special event on Sunday, December 8 from 12-4 PM where you can get a fun cartoon style portrait drawn. https://dougalart.com/
- We also feature visual artist Scott Rhoades from Storrs and his wife, Ellie, who makes lovely baby wraps and blankets. A winner of numerous art awards, Scott is also a member of the Artists’ Open Studios of Northeast Connecticut. Scott has original paintings and prints available for purchase. http://www.
scotterhoadesart.com/
- A rising star, Kennedy Marshall of Kennedy A. Marshall Illustrations, is an illustrator of life, fantasy and everything in between. She has a passion to make scientific art both beautiful and approachable. With original art and prints available for purchase at the Emporium you need to see her work in person. https://kmarshall.
myportfolio.com/
- Showing his amazing drone photography for the first time at any Arts & Crafts show, photographer Michael Hughes of Veterans Aerial Media from Canterbury will amaze you with his unique views from above that explode in color and detail. Certified as a remote pilot by the FAA, Michael loves to capture images from the Quiet Corner to Rhode Island and Maine. He has cards and prints of various sizes available for purchase. http://
easternctdrone.com/
- With unique bags, pillows, lap quilts, and hemp jewelry by Elaine Duchaineau from Hampton of Elainenthesun, you will find eco-friendly vegan handcrafted goods for you and your home, made from repurposed fabrics. Waste not, want not. Elaine loves to design and create all kinds of fun things. Her catnip toys are very popular! https://www.etsy.com/
shop/elainenthesun
- Mansfield Art Center, a local business from Mansfield, offers unique handmade gifts from around the world, many made by indigenous people with fair trade that the owners have personally picked out directly from the artisans on location. Joining Mansfield Art Center is fine artist Maggie Kendis, an experienced fine artist who has found her niche creating small hand-painted linocut prints. https://www.
maggiekendis.com/
- You will love visual artist, Wajiha Yasmeen’s paintings as her interpretations of life are truly lively and energizing. She has paintings available for purchase. Stop by the Emporium at East Brook Mall and see for yourself! https://www.
facebook.com/yasmeenarts04/
- We have more artists, artisans and crafters moving in this weekend and we are still accepting vendors for the Emporium. Interested parties should contact Windham Arts Executive Director, Dirk Fecho, for more information: dirk@windhamarts.org or call/text 860-428-5493
There are a number of events scheduled for the Emporium and more on the way:
November 15 6:00 PM – Book signing with author Cindy Adams featuring her book, Italian Spices: a memoir, which tells her story of family love over long distance and across cultures. It is a book filled with humorous and poignant moments, successes and losses but is a testament to the adaptable human spirit. https://www. getbooksbycindy.com/
November 16 2:00 PM – Mill-Made Serenade by Bill Dougal – new songs about textile mills in Old Willimantic. Bill’s songs tell interesting stories and many facts with vintage vocal stylings, rhymes and touches of humor. https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=BwkyjZya1BM
November 30 2:00 PM – Book signing with children’s author Ryan D. Gaudreau and illustrator Eileen Mailhot featuring their book, Oh Mylanta! They said, “There’s no Santa!” Ryan, a high school special education teacher, he teaches morals, values, and life-lessons through turning poems into books. Eileen, a high school art teacher, illustrated the book and she and Ryan have an interesting story to tell of reconnection. https://ryang17. wixsite.com/omtstns?fbclid= IwAR1G2f- MEmD0Lak4eTRGLlruTqIZywSv2vS_ neogDrZ373eEn-KFAnmSlto
December 1 1:00 PM – Book signing with Bill Dougal. Bill signs his books for kids… “Hat Full of Fun”, “Fish Song Fun”, “This & That From Bill’s Hat”, “and Fast Draw Funnies”. https://dougalmusic.net/
December 8 12-4 PM – Bill & Dori Dougal offer caricatures at fair prices, (reduced from custom prices.) Also see mini-lecture/demonstrations and a sample of Bill’s new Caricature video.
*It’s not too late to become a vendor! We will provide a 10’x10’ space, staffing, and marketing. We’ll also handle all the sales and the necessary materials to properly operate the store, including commercial liability insurance. Windham Arts encourages Vendors to sell items that the general public would want to purchase for holiday and special occasion gifts. This a great opportunity for local artists to sell their work!
Please contact Dirk Fecho, Executive Director at Windham Arts, for more information, agreements, etc. at dirk@windhamarts.org or call 860-428-5493.