by Ardeana Hamlin
of The Weekly Staff
BREWER, Maine — When shoppers enter Stonington’s Fabulous Furniture and flooring store, they are greeted by several paintings in the foyer, hanging near a stately piece of furniture. The paintings are part of a group of approximately two dozen paintings — oils and watercolors — that hang on the store walls, adding grace notes to leather chairs, beautifully crafted side tables, and sofas and chair invitingly cushioned.
Store owner Tom Leighton said he has been collaborating with local artists for 16 years. Currently on display are works by Jo-Ann Fleischman of Brewer, who does oil paintings; Stanley Van Horn of Brewer, who paints watercolors; and Steve and Bonnie Tucker, who recently moved from Maine to Arizona. Steve Tucker makes photographs and Bonnie Tucker is a painter.
“It has been very positive,” Fleischman said of the experience of showing her work and having it offered for purchase at the store. “I’m thrilled I have found a place receptive to supporting local artists, and able to find a channel to share my art with the local community — [a channel] I might otherwise not have.” A member of the Bangor Art Society, Fleischman said she participates in the downtown Bangor Friday Night Art Walks.
“It’s unique a unique place to show art,” Leighton said. “We’re not really a gallery. We’re doing it to accessorize our furniture and to give exposure to local artists.”
“It’s a partnership,” Fleischman said. “People interested in furnishing a home are looking for special something, and they might also be looking for art. I’ve sold some pieces [through the store] and it’s thrilling to find that connection, someone to buy my art who wants to hang it in their homes.”
Fleischman added new paintings to the display recently. “The focus will be winter landscapes and still lifes,” she said.
Stanley Van Horn of Brewer also displays some of his work at Stonington’s. “He came in to buy a chair,” Leighton recalled. The two got to talking, and Van Horn decided to add his watercolors to the store’s walls.
“I brought them [paintings] in, and they hung them up,” said Van Horn, whose work centers primarily on landscapes, and in the mix is a painting of the Hose 5 Museum building in Bangor.
Van Horn began showing his work publicly at the Bangor Art Show in 1989, he said.
With 8,500 square feet of space at the store, there’s plenty of room to hang paintings, and Leighton said he would like to increase the number of artists displaying work at his store.
In general, Leighton has some kind of connection with the artists he displays, be it customer or acquaintance, but he also scouts local art shows for work that might be a good fit with the merchandise in his store.
The reaction to displaying art work by local artists has been positive, Leighton said. “Typically, local artists offer a local perspective framed in a unique way,” he said.
The local art echoes the artistic sensibility inherent in the handcrafted line of chairs, tables and stools made by W.A. Walker in Temple and the line of furniture made by four different Amish companies in Ohio.
Another specialty of the store is custom furniture. In addition to Leighton, staff members at the store are Cecelia Ames, who has been with the business for five years, and store manager Tony Pelletier, who has been with the store for 12 years.
“There’s something different every day,” Leighton said. “I enjoy helping people decorate to their style and to have fun with it. I like helping them build the confidence to put a room together.” That confidence might also extend to choosing art by a local artist.
“People who live in Maine and shop in Maine and appreciate paintings of local areas is something everyone can identify with,” Fleischman said. “Working with Tom has allowed me to find a balance between my regular job and my art, to allow me to build my presence as an artist.”
Leighton is planning a Meet the Artist night to take place in the spring.
Artists seeking information about displaying their work at Stonington’s may contact Leighton at 800-696-2208, 989-2208, Tom@stoningtons.com, stop by the store at 698 Wilson St., or visit stoningtons.com.