St. Luke’s welcomes new musician; new art space opens in Chester

Jacob S. McLaughlin

Jacob S. McLaughlin joins St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 313 Main St. in Chester, as its liturgical musician.
He will play the organ and keyboard as well as lead the choir.

McLaughlin, who grew up in Chester, began his music training at age 8 with the late Helen Donnis at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chester.

He attended Castleton State College, graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in music in addition to communication and mass media degrees. He has been the organist at Gethsemane in Proctorsville since age 17. Gethsemane has changed its worship schedule so that McLaughlin can fill both positions.

St. Luke’s invites the public to listen to McLaughlin and the choir at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 at the service of Lessons and Carols.

New community art space opens in Chester

The Artspace

The Art Garden at the SongYard is a new community art space located at the back of the Moon Dog Café on Main Street in Chester for individuals of all ages to create craft in a supportive atmosphere. It is the brainchild of Emily Burkland, a Chester resident, singer-songwriter, wife and mother, who was looking for an opportunity to practice the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy.

The Art Garden is open weekday afternoons Tuesday through Friday for Open Studio from 3 to 5 p.m. and the first Saturday of every month from noon to 3 p.m. Open Studio is a time when artists of all ages can come in and explore the Art Garden. Participants may choose from a few project ideas and draw inspiration from different stations in the studio, and are encouraged to ‘free-create’ as well.

Drop-ins pay a fee of $10 per hour or can purchase a punch card of eight hours for $40 or a punch card of four hours for $25 with an additional materials fee of $2 per person. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

The Art Garden’s December class schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, Dec. 17: 3–5 p.m. Afterschool drop in — Punched tin lanterns; 7–8:30 p.m. Evening wreath making workshop

• Wednesday, Dec. 18: 3–5 p.m. Afterschool drop-in–Puppet making Arts- Finger puppets & shadow puppets and boxes and Afterschool Fun

• Thursday, Dec. 19: 3–5 p.m. Afterschool drop in– Dipping candles and Afterschool Fun (registration encouraged to make sure we have enough wax on hand)

• Saturday, Dec. 21: noon–2 p.m. Drop-in Family Fun– Participants are invited to welcome back the sun by making sun crowns and decorating glass lanterns.

The studio is open to free-create even during classes, 3–5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays. All projects are included with admission.

Classes are open to all ages and drop-ins are allowed, unless otherwise noted. For more information on The Art Garden at the SongYard, classes and events, e-mail theartgardenVT@gmail.com or call (802) 289-3071, or visit its Facebook page. The group welcomes all donations of craft materials including paint, glue, tape, brushes and pencils.

– Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson