Owner: Suzanne Richey
By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Carolina Creations, located in downtown New Bern at 317-A Pollock Street, is a fine art and contemporary craft gallery, featuring handmade decorative art from local and national artists in a wide variety of mediums and forms.
Recently purchased by Suzanne Richey, the gallery has been refreshed with an inviting and spacious layout that boasts a continually revolving selection of paintings, handmade jewelry, handblown glass, metal and wood arts, stationary and handmade cards by local artists.
“The gallery features the work of at least 25 artists, and each month during Artwalk, we highlight an individual artist, such as a painter, woodworker, or glass artist from Eastern North Carolina,” says owner Suzanne Richey.
The selection of fine local art is quite impressive, and features the work of Janet Francoeur, the gallery’s resident artist and the founder of Carolina Creations in 1989. Other artists are on display, such as Sally Sutton, Laura Gammons, Tina Lechler, Judith Cutler and Fran Kohlmeier. Many are local artists residing in New Bern. New artists have also joined the gallery such as Cindy Shaw, who is a regionally known artist that paints sizable oils portraying local fisherman, the coastal lifestyle and stunningly beautiful birds like the heron and egret; David Starbuck, an artist from Wilmington, whose paints wildlife scenes in oil on linen, creating very real depictions of geese in flight with a wonderful use of light; North Carolina watercolorists William West and Burt Sult; and of course, the remarkable Plein Air artist and organizer, Kippy Hammond with her striking pastels and oils, amongst many others.
Carolina Creations also has an extraordinary collection of decorative art such as handblown glass, traditional and contemporary pottery, lighting fixtures and lamps, hand-carved works such as trays and serving pieces, assorted home décor and special occasion gifts for weddings, retirements, baby showers and other special occasions.
As a companion to the many gifts available, the handmade stationary and cards are different than what you find in other places. “The cards are made by independent artists, and the messages are driven by emotion that speaks what you want to say, for life events, thank you and sympathy,” says Suzanne. “Many of the art cards are made by hand such as Quilling cards, Hester and Cook, and are little works of art in and of themselves.”
Other artists use metal and wood, creating unique steel sculpture and decorative pieces. There are hand-carved boxes with drawers and wooden puzzles, sourced from local woods such as beech, hickory and maple. “These artists are compelling in that they look at the wood in its natural state, and then let the piece of wood speak to what it will become,” says Suzanne. “Artists like James Riggs also incorporates scripture on the back, which makes each piece very unique and special for the person who is moved by the message it speaks.”
Locals and tourists delight in the marvelous selection of jewelry, both fine and affordable, and all handmade from makers in N. America, including local artists from Ashville, and small production artists in private studios. The artisan jewelry is ideal for all kind of occasions or as special gifts for loved ones.
“The artists that make our jewelry often have interesting stories. One of the lines is made by all women who have been subject to human trafficking situations. Making the jewelry is part of their mission to get out of negative situations,” says Suzanne.
The store itself is a celebration of female creativity and perseverance: it is positively bursting with work by female artists, creating art in all of its glorious forms. The jewelers create in silver and gold, but also beads or shells or glass, and the work is sometimes very elevated and at other times very earthy and grounded. There are many different styles of rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, hair jewelry, totes, purses, and scarves—all handmade by women owning small businesses. And it can’t go without mention that the gallery is run also exclusively by women as well.
The owner, Suzanne, is an artist with a BS in interior design and minor in business. “Before moving to New Bern, I had a small design business in Raleigh specializing in kitchen design and remodeling, but also specified materials such as lighting, flooring, and color.” Since moving to New Bern she has worked for local contractors on a few big projects, but missed her time in studio so began thinking about creating art once again. “I had always been interested in ceramics. I joined Dan Finch’s clay studio in Bailey, NC and then went on to apply to graduate school at ECU in 2018 studying ceramics, sculpture, wood and soda firing of clay. Sadly the pandemic disrupted those plans but they were wonderful years of experimentation and discovery. Now, I see this opportunity as the owner of Carolina Creations as a positive result of covid that changed my path. Today I am fortunate to represent other artists, admire and market their work; I get to look at it all day long. This gallery full of amazing things, but most of all is our staff. They sprinkle their fairy dust everyday and make magic happen. They are really special. I’m very lucky.”