Essex Art Center
Current Mission: Essex Art Center inspires and sustains lifelong growth and learning for a diverse community of artists in Greater Lawrence. Our classes, events, and exhibitions harness the power of art to transform lives.
History: Essex Art Center was founded in 1993 when three Bradford College classmates—Helen Tory, Linda Maddox, and Leslie Costello—opened a nonprofit art studio that offered classes on Essex Street in downtown Lawrence. In 1995, we moved to our current home on Island Street. We’ve grown into a thriving arts community working to positively impact the lives of artists and residents in our region.
Amy Ferguson- TWENTY FOUR PAWS POTTERY
North Andover, MA and Long Island, ME
TwentyFourPawsPottery.com
TwentyFourPawsPottery@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/TwentyFourPawsPottery
Instagram@TwentyFourPawsPottery
My name is Amy Ferguson. I, along with a little help from my dog and cats, am Twenty Four Paws Pottery. I strive to turn clay into useable art; functional pieces that people will bring into their home to add extra beauty to everyday life. My work is meant to be handled, used and enjoyed! My first pottery class was a “night out” from parenting duties, but I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed bringing clay from its raw form to finished useable ware. Fast forward 20 years and find me now working primarily in porcelain and creating in my home studio, at the Essex Art Center (EAC) in Lawrence, MA, at Portland Pottery in Portland, ME or in the community island studio on Long Island, ME. In addition to my own work, I also teach classes and workshops at EAC and on Long Island. My love of clay stems in part from my attachment to the natural world around me; I grew up exploring the woods near my childhood home in Indiana. Now, you are more likely to find me exploring along the coast of Maine. I often incorporate elements of the outdoors into my work, imprinting with leaves, shells, coral and flowers, carving leaf and flower motifs, choosing earthy and ocean tones for my glazes. My love of the outdoors followed me through college where I earned my degree in earth sciences, so perhaps it is also not surprising that my work now involves quite literally handling the “earth” on a daily basis. I guess some people never outgrow playing in the mud!
Lyn Kertesz
I love color and texture and explore both creating original hand-built pottery, painting, nature photography, sewing and needle crafts. Watercolor painting is something I have enjoyed in the past; painting on my own and taking a class in Colorado in 1991. I rediscovered it in 2023 when I enrolled in a watercolor painting class at Essex Art Center. I have continued taking classes at Essex Art Center, learning new painting techniques and skills. I like the sheer colors and versatility of watercolor, blending my own shades from the primary colors of red, blue and yellow. My paintings on exhibit were painted during those classes. I hope you enjoy them.
Barbara Cloonan
Barbara developed a love of the watercolor medium through her study of Art History and Interior Design, when she used watercolor for architectural renderings and portfolio presentations. After retiring, she dusted off her old paints and brushes and began to study watercolor painting from an artist’s point of view.
Debra Morin
After a lifetime of working and raising her family as a new retiree Deb signed up to take watercolor classes at Essex Art Center. Now two years later she has found a place to learn and enjoy the art of watercolor with like-minded peers. Having worked with acrylic paints in the past, she is enjoying the challenge of learning to use watercolors as her medium along with the new friendships made in the classes.
Drew Sartell
Drew Sartell is a lifelong resident of Methuen. He became interested in art at a very young age while attending Comprehensive Grammar School. Drew began taking watercolor classes at Essex Art Center two years ago, at the age of 23. He finds painting to be a peaceful hobby. He is learning how to use different techniques of blending transparent colors for still life paintings.
Maryanne Duca
“I always loved painting as a child especially oil colors and pastels. I recently retired from financial services and look forward to getting back to painting and learning how to use watercolors.”
Frederick Confalone
My name is Frederick Confalone and have been doing art most of my life. I had formal art instruction in high school and in university. After I graduated and began working, I took classes at night at Essex Art Center in pastel, charcoal, watercolor, and stained glass. To this day I still take classes at EAC. Thanks to my teacher, Rahat Mana, and under her tutelage and encouragement I have become a competent watercolorist! Recently, I am taking classes in oil painting at the Slow River Studio in Topsfield!
Donna Backman
Carole Santer
Diana Morin