At the time, he was still practicing law in Burlington, making stained glass on the side. "I did it in my basement as a hobby," he said. "In 2000 I turned 40, and quit my day job as it became clear that's what my real passion was."
These days, he regularly receives commissions, including a number that come through nearby Rock of Ages granite quarry for stained-glass mausoleum windows.
Jeffrey's story reflects the mission of SPA, a community center devoted to fostering interest in the visual arts as well as nurturing artists. At SPA, the public is not only welcome but invited. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to check out the galleries on all three floors, take a class, or just pop in to see who may be at work in one of the 11 studios on the second and third floors.
Executive director Sue Higby says the original impulse for SPA came from a group of artists in the mid-1990s who were looking for work space. The 1885 three-story red brick building they found, known as the Nichols Block, was one of the downtown's oldest buildings. It had been damaged in a fire and boarded up. But it offered an interesting opportunity right on Main Street in the historic town center. "Instead of just having a bunch of studios for rent," says Higby, "they could have gallery space and educational programs."
The Central Vermont Community Land Trust helped develop the plan and finance renovations. Among those working in SPA's studios are Georgia Landau, whose clay world includes women with pea pod bodies and bulldog butter dishes; nationally known potter Elizabeth Roman; and Janet Van Fleet, who uses round objects such as buttons, painted record albums, and computer parts to create everything from dolls to landscapes to galaxies of moving planets and stars. Van Fleet is also one of SPA's founders.
"Visitors to artist's studio are welcome by chance or appointment," reads the brochure on the door of Van Fleet's studio.
"I never know who's going to walk through the door," she says. "When we planned the place, that's what we were interested in - making the arts more accessible, demystifying the experience."
