Artisans market appears at Sharon plaza for season

SHARON — Shopping local just got a little easier, with the opening at the Sharon shopping plaza of a holiday-season shop that showcases the work of popular local artists and artisans such as ceramics by Diane Schapira of Lakeville, fiber art by Ellen Moon of Cornwall, glass jewelry and medallions by Luke Casey of Sharon,  and milk cartons by sculptor/architect Tim Prentice of Cornwall.

Wait. Milk cartons at an artisans market? In the skilled hands of Prentice, whose work is in galleries, museums and private collections around the world, those pedestrian translucent white plastic milk cartons are transformed into light-as-air mobiles ($50 each).

“I don’t see myself as a world-class recycler, that’s not what’s behind the work,� said Prentice in an interview with The Lakeville Journal about the milk mobiles. But he is, after all, a resident of the Northwest Corner town famous for its annual Art at the Dump show, where prizes are awarded for fanciful creations made of old bottle tops, discarded tires and old cans. Prentice’s agile mind sees endless possibilites in items that most people barely look at before they toss out. A milk carton becomes a frog, yogurt lids can become birds.

The millk carton mobiles at the Sharon shop aren’t inspired by animals, though. They have the feeling of Calder mobiles.

“Calder is the patron saint of that type of mobile,� Prentice said. “He made wonderful birds out of Medaglia D’oro coffee cans.�

Many of the items in the shop have that same sense of whimsical inspiration. Some also have a sense of the season, such as the wispy wool felt angels made by Bianca LaPorta of Cornwall and handmade glass ornaments by Luke Casey of Sharon. The ornaments range in price from $10 to $20 and are special for the holidays. Also by Casey are beads,  pendants and medallions, what he calls “wearable art,â€� which are made of colored glass and range in price from about $15 to $40.

Other wearable art at the shop includes felted hats by Lisa Cruz and lavishly embroidered jackets by Ellen Moon. Prices for these and all the products at the shop vary from very affordable (under $10) to $1,000 or more. There are glass kaleidoscopes, handmade soaps and a myriad other gifts that are suited for everything from stocking stuffers to the perfect “under the tree� surprise. Tara Cafiero of Pink Cloud Gallery in Sharon originated the idea of the shop, and she has several of her painted clocks (including the cat clock collection) for sale.

The shop is a collaborative, and the artists take turns “minding the store.� Hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

It is in the Sharon shopping plaza in the space formerly occupied by Clothes and Collectibles and it will remain open until Christmas. For information, call 860-248-5482.

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