Main Street News

Demeter Home in Pine Plains, NY, hosted their first “Meet the Artists” event on Saturday, February 10. Alex Athanasiadis, owner of Demeter, hosted the event as a way to connect artists with the folks who purchase their work. “For us, it’s all about community building,” he said. “We always carry so much art from local artists and we just wanted to give a chance to showcase those artists even more.”

Four artists were showcasing their work at the event: Sam Shippee from Small Goods Design, Martha Belardo from Hudson Valley Fiber Arts, and photographers Sarah Blodgett and Karen Trunko. 

Sam is a Pine Plains artist that handcrafts elegant wooden art objects and furniture. From chairs to cutting boards and containers, he created one-of-a-kind pieces that are showstoppers in every home. “It’s incredibly convenient,” Sam said of the event. “I don’t think people know I exist and I’m relatively new to town, so it’s nice to meet some of the local people.” 

Martha is another artist from Pine Plains who has created a magical world out of wool. Her pieces are unique and hand-made from the highest quality materials. From oversized garlic heads to whimsical animals, Martha has created a world all her own. “I started felting 15 years ago and use local farms for my yarn, so I like to say that it’s farm to needle,” Martha said.

She sells weekly at the Rhinebeck Farmers Market when it’s in season and also sells her products on her website. “It’s good for me to get out in February,” she laughed. “It’s important to be here today because it builds community and shows people the work.”

Sarah Blodgett is a local photographer whose studio used to be in the same spot as Demeter Home is now. “It means so much to have my work displayed here,” she said. “It’s really special to me. Life here was really fun.”

Karen Trunko was not able to be present at the event, but her work was on display! She is a Pine Plains photographer with an eye for bucolic settings, dramatic seasonal images, and botanicals. She enjoys toying with experimental photography and editing techniques, and likes creating vintage and painterly effects in her photos. 

Alex shared, “We get products from Martha and they sell out all the time. Our store is in Sarah’s old studio space, so people come in and ask for her work often. It’s just an opportunity for the artists to meet their fans – and it was perfect timing with Valentine’s Day!”

Check out the artists’ websites at their links below:

Small Goods Design: https://www.smallgoodsdesign.com/

Hudson Valley Fiber Arts: https://www.hudsonvalleyfiberarts.com/

Sarah Blodgett: https://www.sarahblodgett.com/

Karen Trunko: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KTFineArtPhotography

Visit Demeter Home’s website here: https://demeter-home.com/