Founding Artists
Mary Szakmeister
Mary Szakmeister is a retired teacher whose many passions include beading and cooking. She loves finding interesting new stones and crystals and creating beautiful jewelry. She also enjoys sharing both the finished products and the process of creating them with others.
Virginia Ellen
Virginia Ellen has been an amateur potter for more years than she would like to count. It started with a child’s plastic battery-operated wheel and turned into a life-long passion. After years of throwing in other studios, she finally has a studio of her own, and loves to share her studio with friends.
Patty Passick
Patty Passick is an art teacher and a professional artist with a deep background in ceramics. She has a hard time deciding which she loves most, teaching or doing! Patty also paints, creates jewelry, murals and is a fabulous designer/decorator. She is passionate about her work beautifying Stonehedge Gardens in Tamaqua, PA.
Chuck Shackelford
Chuck Shackelford is a retired engineer who enjoys putting his carpentry talents to work in his woodshop. He creates beautiful and useful items out of wood, including children’s blocks, candle holders, custom boxes and beautiful trays.
Lesta Bertoia
Another life-long artist, and temporary treasure of the Lehigh Valley, Lesta paints and sculpts and creates inspiring works of beauty in a variety of mediums. Lesta lives in Maui where she has found inspiriation for her latest work, which you can see at lestabertoia.com.
Michael London
Michael is not only an accomplished professor of organizational behavior at Muhlenberg College, he is an incredibly gifted musician. Learn about his music, including his album,The Field, at michaellondon.net.