More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The Clever Hand Gallery wraps up its annual showcase of artwork by the students of Wellesley High School’s Ceramics Intensive and Jewelry and Metals Intensive classes on April 15. The showcase, which you can visit during regular Clever Hand hours through the first half of April, debuts mobiles that the metals students were commissioned to design and fabricate for a Wellesley High School hallway.
The Clever Hand, a cooperative gallery in downtown Wellesley celebrating its 50th year, is hosting its annual showcase of artwork by the students of Wellesley High School’s Ceramics Intensive and Jewelry and Metals Intensive classes.
Ceramics teacher Amie Larson explains that for the ceramic pieces on display, her 13 students were asked to make vessels using techniques of piercing or texturing, or were coil-thrown. The inclusion of coil-thrown vessels, pots made using the combined techniques of throwing on a wheel and adding coils, made it possible for the students to make pieces taller than they would otherwise have been able to.
Shayla Vines, teacher of the Jewelry and Metals students, says that her 22 students were commissioned this year to design and fabricate 3 large site-specific kinetic mobiles for a Wellesley High School hallway. The Clever Hand is excited to display these pieces before they are permanently installed in the school.
The exhibit is open to the public through April 15 at the Clever Hand Gallery, 52 Central St., Wellesley.
(Information submitted by The Clever Hand’s Ann Schunior.)
Our round-up of the latest Wellesley, Mass., retail and other business news:
Vision Optics, a glasses and contacts shop in the center of Wellesley Square at 63 Central St., has announced via a note on its front door that it is closing after 47 years in business “due to the changing retail landscape.” That would presumably include the rise in online retailers.
Vision Optics, like so many Wellesley businesses, emphasized the “luxury” services it provided. Optica in Natick will be the place to pick up any Vision Optics orders as of Feb. 1, according to the outgoing business.
One of the business’s co-owners passed away in 2015.
The departure of Vision Optics will leave J.P. Licks without neighbors on both sides, for now. Papyrus recently closed its Wellesley shop (and is closing all of its stores while filing for Chapter 11 bankrupty protection).
(Thanks to Swellesley reader LS for this tip.)
Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.
MassBay Community College’s student-run Business Club recently held a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and raised $593 to purchase winter coats for students in need. The money will be used to purchase 20 winter coats to be added to the on-campus coat racks for students to take or donate winter jackets. All remaining funds will be donated to the MassBay Student Hunger Assistance Fund.
The Business Club’s basketball tournament was held on Thursday, Dec. 12.
This was the second 3-on-3 basketball tournament the Business Club held this year. In spring 2019, the club held the first tournament, raising $843 for the Student Hunger Assistance Fund.
The Clever Hand Gallery in Wellesley Square (52 Central St.) will host 4 guest artists from Metalworx in Waltham—Carol Miller, Wendy Jo New, Shing Hsieh, and Sharon Stafford—through March 28. These jewelers have access to all sorts of fancy tools at Metalworx, and will be displaying their wares in Wellesley.
Open House with Guest Artists: Sunday, March 8, 2-4 PM
Wellesley College is now offering health care services to its more than 2,400 students via a collaboration with Newton-Wellesley Collegiate Health, a service of Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Hospital providers are based at the school campus, providing students with convenient access to care.
The new service builds on an existing relationship between Wellesley College and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, which has been providing emergency care and outpatient services to Wellesley students for several years.
Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.
Here’s a round-up of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news. Got the lowdown on other business comings or goings? Let us know (theswellesleyreport@gmail.com)
Town elections, affordable housing, yeah, yeah, yeah. The issue we get asked most about is what’s up with White’s Bakery and Fiorella’s. When are these eateries opening, people want to know.
White’s, which is setting up shop at Playhouse Square, originally aimed to open in the fall, then early winter, and now is hoping to be open later this month. Mrs. Swellesley even happened to be minding her business at another establishment while an interview for a White’s Bakery employee was taking place.
Meanwhile, Fiorella’s, which is taking over the space formerly occupied by Susu Bakery, is also looking to open this month.
The fast casual Italian eatery, by the way, just shuttered its Cambridge location.
The new Wellesley eatery that actually might beat both of them to opening is Riceburg, located at the long-vacant Wellesley Square space formerly occupied by Yogurtology. As it turns out, that short-lived fro-yo establishment will live on in that its equipment will be used by Riceburg to offer frozen yogurt in addition to its signature rice-based dishes.
Riceburg’s Jessica Shen says she’s aiming to open for business this month and is in the midst of hiring line cooks and cashiers. Shen targeted Wellesley for Riceburg’s first shop in part because of the local college community here, and she’s hoping Riceburg will attract patrons with dietary restrictions, too.
Fashion can be fickle. La Mia Moda, which initially popped up in Linden Square last year before moving to the Belclare retail strip on Washington Street, is going out of business. The fashion boutique is having a big sale on shoes bags, outerwear, and more.
Legit Activewear, which previously operated in Wellesley Hills before opening a Belclare shop, has also announced that it is exiting the retail complex, which filled up in recent months with businesses after a long time without any tenants. “We have made the decision to close our Wellesley location. Thank you to all of the loyal customers who have helped make the past few months wonderful in Wellesley. We’re so sad to go, but we hope to see you in the Chestnut Hill location!”, according to a message that Legit sent to its patrons.
Separately, Crane & Lion is winding down its presence in Wellesley Square in the old Talbots space. The retailer of women’s clothing at the old Talbots space in Wellesley Square, which has had all sorts of garish markdown signs on its windows in recent weeks, told patrons back in January that it was at a crossroads and needed to sell its inventory in order to push out new merchandise.
The Babson Sustainability Forum has sustainability. The 13th annual edition of the event, previously called the Energy & Environment Conference, takes place on March 29 on the Babson campus from 8am-5pm.
The theme of this year’s forum is Embracing the Future’s Goals, focusing on the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals while celebrating entrepreneurs, institutions, and businesses taking ownership of those initiatives. Speakers include these professionals, and many more:
Tickets are $20 for students, $45 for professionals
The Clever Hand Gallery at 52 Central St. in Wellesley Square is showcasing working by Wellesley High School intensive metals students. This is the 9th annual collaboration between the local artisans’ cooperative and students.
Students in Shayla Vines’ class have used the ancient technique of open back filigree to make braided wire and have also been challenged to work on a project based on a unique box of materials. Students have also learned the Japanese technique of Mokume Gane that layers metals to make them look like wood grain.
You can check out their results from March 17-30, including at a public reception on March 19 from 3-5pm at Clever Hand.
MORE: Wellesley Business Buzz
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A round-up of the latest Wellesley business news:
Door No. 7, the new restaurant from the owners of The Cottage that’s slated to open this fall, has begun the hiring process. Send email here if interested in a job at Door No. 7
Clever Hand Gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary in Wellesley (52 Central St.) and 45th since its inception in Sudbury. Refreshments and door prizes. Sunday, November 4, 1-4 pm.
Wellesley Books in November will host Boston Bruins hockey legend Bobby Orr; Elin Hilderbrand reading from Winter in Paradise; Mike Lupica reading from Slam Dunk, and others.
Get the full line-up of authors coming to Wellesley.
Got other Wellesley business tips on openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
You can also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.
The Clever Hand Gallery will showcase work by Wellesley High School’s Intensive Metals and Intensive Ceramics students starting Sunday, March 25. This is the eighth year of collaboration between the local artisans’ cooperative and the talented artists. The shop is owned and operated by the cooperative’s members and has been a fixture in Wellesley Square since 1973.
To prepare for the exhibit, teachers Shayla Vines and Amie Larson had the students research professional-level jewelers, smiths, and sculptural artists who work with metals. After their research, students created a work based on their inspirational findings. The Metals Department recently received funds to purchase and add Casting to the curriculum. The Metals Intensive students were the first to break in the equipment and learn about the ancient tradition of Lost Wax Casting.
Sculptures, jewelry, and other student creations will be on display, and some will be for sale, March 25 – April 7. You can meet the WHS artists and their teachers at the store at a reception on April 3, 2pm -5pm. And of course, The Clever Hand’s regular artists’ work will be displayed in the store and for sale as usual.
Intensive Metals and Clay students at Wellesley High School will have their works exhibited at the Clever Hand Gallery at 52 Central St. in Wellesley Square from April 15-30, with a public reception on April 26 from 2-5pm.
The display is the result of a collaboration between Clever Hand and the school that is now in its sixth year.
Metals instructor Shayla Vines and her students toasted the 2015-2016 school year with pomegranate juice, and students were each given a pomegranate on the first day of class to study and use as inspiration. Many of the small sculptures and jewelry work being shown at the Clever Hand are personal representations of what the students took from this project.
Meanwhile, the Intensive Ceramics student, and instructor Amie Larson visited The Potters Shop and School in Needham, where they had the opportunity to partake in a Raku firing. This is a special process of putting glowing hot pots from the kiln into barrels of combustible material. The additional fire puts it’s own mark on the clay.
SPONSORED POST: Local merchants across Wellesley are banding together to bring you some fun this summer. It’s called Sunset Sale, sponsored by The Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association. Local businesses are serving up great deals and special offers for all. Timing is everything. Sunset Sale happens every Thursday, 4pm – 7pm, throughout the summer months.
Sunset Sale offers great opportunities to shop Wellesley first, stroll around Wellesley Square, and get out and about for a few hours.
SHOPPING: Multiple merchants throughout Wellesley will offer great savings…some inside and some out on the sidewalks, perfect for before or after dining at our many great restaurants. Whether you’re looking for toys, clothing, books, home decor, handbags, and more, merchants will be on the sidewalks with deep discounts on great stuff.
PARKING: Take advantage of the free metered parking through August at all 2-hour street meters, courtesy of the Town of Wellesley. Look for the bagged meters. Please be mindful of your time. Cars parked at bagged street meters will be ticketed after two hours. Parking fees continue to apply at all 4-hour street meters.
FOOD: Catch dinner at one of Wellesley’s many restaurants.
For more information, go to ShopWellesleySquare.
Check with each merchant for details of their specials.
