Terrazza Church Square opens in Wellesley

September 23, 2014 by Deborah Brown

Retail shops are opening for business at a steady clip here in town, the latest being Terrazza Church Square, a gallery featuring fine arts and crafts created by North American artisans, in the corner spot next to The Clift Collection. With the addition of Terrazza, all 14 storefronts in Church Square currently are filled with paying renters, ready to do business. The shop that holds the record for longevity is, of course, E.A. Davis, at its Washington St. location since the early 1920s. You can find a list of all stores in that area here.

When I stopped in, Terrazza was brimming with an autumnal feel and some tasteful Halloween decor (no blood-dripping, wild-eyed mannequins here), along with hand-crafted jewelry, blown glass items, serving pieces, hand-carved wooden bowls and utensils, and more. For now, some shoppers wander in and wonder if the The Gifted Hand has come back to life. Those comments should subside once the owner replaces the old sign with the new and handcrafts the shop’s identity, one customer at a time.

In other retail news:

North River Outfitter opens in Wellesley

A few facts about Florijn

Beer & wine for sale at Wellesley Roche Bros.

More gifted or less gifted in Wellesley?

September 10, 2014 by Deborah Brown

The prime real estate on 32 Church St. that until last Spring was home to The Gifted Hand will soon open as Terrazza Church Square, a gallery featuring artisan jewelry, distinctive gifts, and rare finds. If that concept sounds familiar, it should. That corner has cornered the market on fancy arts and crafts for over 40 years, and you’d be hard pressed to find a Wellesley-ite who hasn’t given or received a gift from that spot (or just plain recreationally shopped there).

There’s no doubt muscle memory is strong when it comes to shopping, so Terrazza will likely bask in the glow of location, location, location, especially around holiday time when shoppers who come to town but once a year find that although the old is out, the new may just be able to satisfy their needs.

While Terrazza Church Square is readying to open, we’ve still got the Clever Hand Gallery, an artisans’ cooperative located on Central St. that is seemingly impervious to any up-and-down cycles of doing business in Wellesley.

The Gifted Hand waving good-bye to Wellesley

May 4, 2014 by Deborah Brown

The Gifted Hand has provided Wellesley with fine American arts and crafts for over 40 years, but is now selling off its inventory and closing shop at 32 Church St. The store saw a change in ownership in 2008, when a former real estate professional named Georgie Hotchkiss took over the business after having worked there (see WellesleyWeston Magazine profile).

While The Gifted Hand closes, we’ve still got the Clever Hand Gallery, an artisans cooperative located on Central Street. In fact, The Clever Hand emailed patrons to let them know “We are sorry to learn that a local store with a similar name, The Gifted Hand, will be closing after many years in business in Wellesley. The Clever Hand is definitely not closing!”

You might also use The Gifted Hand’s shuttering as an excuse to traipse off to the Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton on May 24 – 26 for your high-end arts needs.