Brookfield Craft Center is proud to present A Tradition of Excellence. This annual exhibition is a showcase of the amazing work of our talented artist instructors. Each piece represents technique and creativity honed by many hours of work and practice in the artist’s specific field. Viewers of the show will have the opportunity to connect with both form and function as they peruse an exhibition filled with innovative items crafted in wood, metal, ceramics, fiber, and more. From our founding to the present,, BCC has been fortunate to engage highly professional artists and fine craft workers who are willing to share their knowledge and skills. They demonstrate creativity, talent, and a passion for passing the torch to the next generation. We are pleased to present work from our teaching studios and thank the Ives Bank for sponsoring what is truly A Tradition of Excellence.
Instructing Artist Directory
Contact gallery@brookfieldcraft.org or call 203-775-4526 to purchase a piece.
Fiber
Becca Barolli
I make abstract sculptures using craft techniques like weaving, braiding and knotless netting with annealed steel wire. Variation in tension and density considers vulnerability and explores the differences of being open or closed off, relaxed or uptight without passing judgment on either condition. Structures are often comprised of obsessively repeated gestures that are dysfunctional given the intended purpose of the materials yet ambitious given the context.
Make Do $1,200
Banded Vessel $4,000
Rachel Gerowe
I have always loved creating all types of art, but after I picked up a felting needle in 2006 I haven’t been able to put it down! Needle felting is a forgiving craft that enables you to shape wool fiber with a barbed needle to form anything imaginable. I opened an Etsy shop, Red Barn Originals, in 2020 after designing original kits and creation and teaching in New England since 2009.
Felted Bunny NFS
Katie Strano
I weave items that are made to be used, loved, and worn in with time. The character of cloth changes as it ages and I find that it is almost always for the better; bringing moments of simple pleasure to the everyday. I design, weave, and make all of my work in my home studio in Southbury, CT.
Mess Around Shawl $325
Jaya Lee (Jai Wilbert)
An independent milliner specializing unique eco-friendly headwear. Her interest in hat making began while preparing for her own wedding. Unable to find a headpiece to match her ivy green dress, she made her own! Since then, she has studied millinery at FIT in New York City, where she earned her Millinery Certification in 2015. Jaya Lee is delighted to have the opportunity to bring hat making back to the Brookfield / Danbury area, which was once the hat capital of the world!
Forest Fern Hat $150
Purple! Hat $125
Grey Cloche $130
Forge
Andrew Chapman
Combines fire, metal and vision to create works of artistry. Using traditional hammer and anvil, he manipulates steel and copper to his creative vision. Large or small, each piece shows the 20 years of experience. He was introduced to metal while earning his BFA in sculpture at the University of Cincinnati and has worked in custom metal shops across the country. He also teaches, sharing his craftsmanship during group and individual classes.
Alex Table $1,600
Xander Table $1,800
Armillary $1,500
Chris Doherty
Took his first class in blacksmithing way back in the twentieth century and has been losing ground ever since. His work attempts to accommodate the practical demands of functional objects while refining form and incorporating those time consuming touches that modern industrial production has no place for. Other objects are more cerebral and reflect his fascination with the material of steel and how it moves and a certain preoccupation with the boundaries of Craft, Art and the semiotics thereof.
Candelabra $700
Ted Knapp
I’ve had an interest in blacksmithing since I saw the working blacksmithing booth at Old Roxbury Days. I was also drawn to the blacksmiths at the Danbury Fair. I took my first bladesmithing class at BCC about seven years ago. After that class, I was inspired to pursue blacksmithing leading me to set up my own forge and teach at BCC. I prefer to make and teach others how to make blacksmithing tools, working tools and useful household items.
Winter Tree NFS
Simon Rhodes
Simon took his first blacksmithing class at BCC when he was around 10 years old. His parents allowed him to build a forge at home, and he took more classes coming to the attention of Matt Parkinson, a past bladesmithing instructor. Matt took Simon on as an apprentice in his studio, Dragon’s Breath Forge. Simon has served as an assistant in BCC’s forge since he started high school and upon graduation began teaching.
Knife $800
Kitchen Knife $375
3 Hook Hanger $100
Glass
Linda Banks
As a child I was sucked into fused glass during a school demonstration of the craft. I have grown and developed in glass over many years. I love to reflect the joy of life in teaching the process of fusing glass and in the many forms of my fused glass pieces.
Birds on a Walk NFS
Pink! $150
Wind in the Trees $600
Jillian Doherty
Jillian manages the Brookfield Craft Center Gallery Shop and has been working in lampwork for over a decade. She was drawn in after watching the lampworkers during open studios. She took an introductory class and was hooked. After spending several years making mainly beads that seldom became jewelry, she is focused on figures built off the end of a mandrel or constructed completely off mandrel.
Pumpkins $7
Red Dot Pumpkins $9
Fish $13
Hearts $10
Barbara Galazzo
I am a fused glass and a mosaic artist for decades. My work centers on the healing power of color. Like Life, how you put together mosaic materials determines its beauty or meaning. Mosaics have given me an opportunity to create art that utilizes discarded materials, including construction sites, keeping these materials out of landfills. My intention is to share my work, knowledge and enthusiasm to create beauty and healing in the world.
Mother & Child $1,200
Flower Mandala $500
Shining Like Diamonds $2,200
Anna Volpacchio
As a stained glass artist, I am inspired by how light transforms glass throughout the day…bringing movement and depth to each of my original designs. I create patterns that highlight the unique qualities of glass and the rhythm within my designs. As an instructor, I find joy in sharing both the technical and creative sides of this art form. Watching students light up with pride when they see their finished work reminds me why I do what I do.
Tulips $595
Feather NFS
Fish $375
Jewelry
Rosemary Erb-Fawcett
An interior designer, is a partner at Tour de Force Designs, LLC, and architecture and interior design firm in Brookfield, CT. She has been affiliated with the Brookfield Craft Center for the past 25 years. Rosemary is always aware of line and design, and she often adds elements of antiques, art, or interior design to her jewelry. She strives to continue the ancient art of adornment with aesthetically pleasing or amusing bling, crafted from precious metals.
Silver & Sapphire Earrings $275
Ode to Geode Necklace $450
Ode to Geode Earrings $175
Maureen Henriques
Degrees in photography and graphic design and has taken metalworking and jewelry classes at Parsons School of design, so it was only natural that she go into waitressing. She first saw lampwork beads at a craft show in 1996 and decided to take the plunge. Maureen has since refined her skills both with glass and jewelry making and is a full time maker and teacher, selling her work and teaching in galleries, studios, and shops nationwide.
Luna Moth Necklace $400
Cast Coral & Sedum Necklace $190
Branch & Blossom Bracelet $3,500
Lori Meehan
Metalsmith and designer behind LMM Design, creates handcrafted jewelry using modern and ancient techniques. After growing up in Western NY and attending college in Rochester, NY and London, England, she moved to CT in 2008 and found BCC where her love for working with metal started. Finding inspiration in nature and geometry, she works in 24k gold, fine silver, silver, copper and gemstones, using various techniques including Keum-boo, forging and cold connections.
Neck Ring Sold
Scrollwork Bracelet with amethyst cz $170
Special Interest
Scott Calcavecchio
An artist and teacher living in Brookfield Connecticut. Scotts work focuses primarily on painting and drawing but also includes mixed media and woodworks. Scott has a BFA in graphic design from the Art Institute of Colorado. Other accolades include being the BCC artist in residence 2024, and the CT Arts Commission emerging recognition recipient 2025. “Creating is a way for me to develop and articulate my connection to the world and people around me.”
Tondo: Microbiome #2 $2,000
Foothills $750
Valerie Culbertson
Valerie has worked with BCC as Education Director since 2020. An “alla prima” painting is a painting done in one session, without allowing time for the paint to dry. It means “in the first” in Italian. This method is also known as “premier coup” which means “one hit” in French. I learned from my mentor, Roger VanDamme, that it also means painting in one to three hours, directly in nature, capturing that very specific light, close tonal relationships and energy.
Alla Prima NFS
Colin Harrison
Grew up on the North Sea coast of England. Photography entered his life at age seven in the form of a Kodak Brownie and has been a continuing passion. After studying engineering and physics, he worked as an en-gineer in Europe and the United States. He is now “retired” in Brookfield, CT which offers the chance to concentrate on his passion and deeper interests in minimalism and photographing abstract patterns in nature.
Blue Goose Print only price dependent on size
Hoar Frost Print only price dependent on size
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
More than just a Portrait caught in time, I have always loved and been intrigued by how some portraits capture so much more than “just the looks” of a subject – but the personal character within – a hidden beauty that is found within our moments. This challenge to find and portray the inner spirit is the driving force behind my portraiture. It is a treat to share this joy with you! I love working in Charcoal, Watercolors, and Oils.
Love in the Piazza $1,500
Child’s Wonder $700
Dancing Leaves with Acorn Frame $600
Carla LaFlamme
A mixed media artist based in Bethel, Connecticut. She is a recent graduate from Western Connecticut State University being awarded a Bachelor of fine arts. With a background in music and a passion for storytelling, her work blends oil painting, illustration, and art journaling. She’s especially drawn to the connection between people and the energy of everyday life—often capturing it through live drawing, narrative imagery, and expressive landscapes.
Untitled NFS
Untitled NFS
Karin Mansberg
I am a printmaker working on fabric and paper. I enjoy design and most of my print work is technically about controlled/designed image-making. However, in my drawings and collages, I prefer to be looser and spontaneous. I have been teaching multidisciplinary classes and printmaking to many age groups, including undergraduates, adults, and children. Since 2014 my main focus has been on block-printing on fabric, and I like sharing my own experience with my students.
Denim $230
Sophia Osorio
A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backward. I loved this concept and mixed media always allows for so much story telling. Mixing acrylic can be a bit tricky but ultimately very rewarding. I made this piece for a 2D design class and we took a nature walk to collect our subjects, this interactive activity has inspired me a lot in the ways I would like to teach.
Texture Study NFS
Self Portrait with Cats NFS
Jim Degen
Sapele Platter NFS
Goblet with Rings NFS
Wood
Jim Degen
Wood is a fascinating medium used to create a wide variety of turned objects, from functional to purely decorative. Every piece has its unique features of color, texture, grain pattern and sometimes hidden defects (opportunities). I let the wood speak to me so I can maximize what it has to offer. I sometimes enhance the features of the wood with piercing, carving, texturing, or color, but never mask or cover what the wood offers. The wood speaks for itself.
NFS
Don Metz
My mission is to reveal the inner beauty of reclaimed wood. I’m inspired by the natural grain, patterns, cracks and crevices of each piece. Different woods are selected for unusual characteristics and turned to rough shape and allowed to dry for 12 months or more. Then they are turned again to final shape. Woods are often complimented by in-laying objects in the surfaces. Cracks and defects are filled with colored epoxy, finished to a high gloss using lacquer and non-toxic oils.
Blanche $185
The Eyes Have It $275
Whirlwind Cherry Bowl NFS
Julia Swyers
I was first introduced to woodturning in a general carpentry class and the possibilities of what could be made on the lathe intrigued me immediately. I most enjoy making vases, bowls, platters and boxes. The aspect of woodturning that compels me the most staking a piece of wood and revealing its character while shaping it into a functional object.
Egg Box $125
Walnut Lidded Box $125
Terrence Tougas
I have long held the view that creativ-ity is equally important to the scientist and the artist. My creative outlets outside the scientific realm include photography and woodworking. I enjoy seeing common objects from a different perspective. We love to travel and trying to capture the essence of a new place or event in still images is a strong motivation in my photography.
Laser Etched Keepsake Box $75
Driftwood Bowl $30
Among the Trees limited, numbered print and frame $350
Keepsake Box $75
Ceramics
Roberta Ahuja
Born in Brazil, she married in 1995 and focused on family. After that, Roberta learned techniques for painting on pottery. In 2003, the Ahuja family moved to CT where Roberta discovered a studio and progressed in her work beyond painting on ceramic. Now she makes each piece using different methods. Roberta has participated in several art shows and is an active member of the Connecticut Clay Artists and Gallery 25.
Pierced Bowl $120
Cricut Print Vase $98
Uneven Rim Bowl $75
