At the June 24 opening reception for the Fitchburg Art Museum’s 77th annual Exhibition of Art & Craft, Pepperell resident and Townsend shopkeeper Helen Yetman-Bellows was awarded the top prize in the craft category for her silver and glass piece titled “Harbinger of Summer.” Helen and husband, Jim Bellows, are full-time silversmiths and own Squirrel-Eze, a Townsend business known for its excellent selection of locally created products and art of all kinds. A second piece by Helen, “Pussy Willows,” was also accepted into the juried show, as was a stained glass piece by Alisa Struthers, a fellow artist featured at the shop.
Says Helen, “Alisa has worked with stained glass for 35 years. She likes to think outside the box creating both classical and whimsical pieces, and does historic restoration. Alisa’s accepted piece is titled ‘Papyrus’.”
Helen and Alisa join three other Squirrel-Eze artists accepted in previous years, bringing the total for the shop to five.
About her win, Helen says she entered her two pieces “with no expectations” and is both thrilled and honored to have received this award. The winning piece resides in a private collection and is currently on-loan to the museum.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 2, and includes the works of more than 100 artists from within 25 miles of the museum.
Fitchburg Art Museum is family-friendly and a great local day trip for all art lovers. For more information and a list of current and upcoming exhibitions visit www.fitchburgartmuseum.org.
