Folks who appreciate fine artisanship are invited to spend the afternoon of Sept.emporium 30 at Heirloom Emporium and chat with artist-owners, Kevin and Julia Anderson, about their retail gallery, located on the second floor in Manchaug Mills, Sutton. The Open Gallery event will take place from 11a.m. – 1 p.m., though the retail gallery will remain open until 6 p.m. 

According to gallery manager Julia Anderson, “This is a special time set aside for the community to visit our retail gallery, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and ask questions about local artists who sell their work in our gallery. We also want to give people an opportunity to see some of the items we’ll be featuring through the holidays and find out how they can customize and order pieces to make sure they’re available in December.” 

 

All pieces sold in Heirloom Evolution are handmade by independent artists, Anderson emphasized. 

“It’s all in the name. It’s important to give the name of the artist to the customer when they purchase an item in our store. I want our customer to know what they purchased came from someone in our community, that the artist stands by their work and the buyer can have confidence in the quality of the piece,” she added, clarifying that Heirloom Emporium is not an antique market: it is a retail gallery carrying new, one-of-a- kind items. 

“Heirloom refers to the future, not the past,” she said. Heirloom Emporium will also feature the return of “Shut the Box”, the gallery’s most popular board game of 2022.

 “It’s an easy game to learn and play,” Anderson explained. “It’s the perfect family game. You don’t need a strategy or skill set to win and it’s fast-paced, so there is no chance of getting bored while you play.”

 Heirloom Emporium offers “Shut the Box” in two sizes along with customized finishes and engraving. Other games that will be available for sampling include “Pegs & Jokers,” “Mancala,” and “Aggravation.” 

Heirloom Emporium, a retail gallery featuring fine woodwork and fine craft, is the retail portion of Heirloom Evolution, the independent woodworking studio of Kevin and Julia Anderson. Heirloom Evolution specializes in custom board games, frames, heirloom quality clocks and accent furniture, and fine writing instruments. They also offer custom CNC milling and engraving services. More information can be found at www.heirloom-emporium.com or by following them on Facebook and Instagram.