Retired mail carrier William Mikuski of Blandford displayed his unique handcrafted coin banks made from original post office lockbox doors. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WORTHINGTON — Hilltown artists and craftspeople displayed their work this weekend at the Hilltown Artisans Guild Summer Show at the Worthington Town Hall. Visitors enjoyed a wide array of handmade goods, including fine art, pottery, photography, jewelry, specialty soaps and woodworking items.
Avril Marriott of Huntington displayed her whimsical mice characters from the Mouse Academy. The mice were divided into working country mice and city mice who had gone to the Mouse Academy and earned advance degrees. Marriott is also working on a children’s book to feature her mouse characters.
Avril Marriott of Huntington showed her handmade whimsical mice characters at the Hilltown Artisans Guild show in Worthington this weekend. (Photo by Amy Porter)
William Mikuski of Blandford featured his coin banks, made out of decommissioned post office lockbox doors housed in wooden boxes of oak, cherry, maple and ash. Each bank has a solid brass coin drop, and either a combination lock or key – or both – from the original post office box. The oldest lockbox door in the collection dates from 1880. Mikuski himself is a retired mail carrier who had routes in Blandford, Russell and parts of Westfield.
Marsha and Ron Messier of Chester show Ron Messier’s wood carvings and pyrography (woodburning). (Photo by Amy Porter)
Some of the other artisans featuring their work included Ron Messier of Chester, woodcarving and pyrography, artists Steve Hamlin and Linda Hamlin of Huntington, and artist and potter Tania Coletta of Huntington.
The Hilltown Artisans Guild is a network of diverse professional craftspeople and artists who reside in the hilltowns of western Massachusetts. Members benefit from shared market strategy and opportunities to exhibit and sell their work. Annual events include a juried summer show and a holiday celebration with demonstrations, entertainment and sale of handcrafted items appropriate for gift-giving. For more information, visit www.hilltownarts.com.
