Jeffrey Briggs received his B.A. from Tufts University and his Diploma in Painting from Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1969. In 1970, Jeffrey and his wife Lindley created a wood sculpture business making wall pieces for the craft and interior design trade. In the next few years, they attracted other types of businesses needing sculptural prototypes for the visual merchandising industry, interior design gallery houses, animation studios, consumer product design and prototyping for building façade casting companies.

In 1985, Jeff and Lindley changed their business to Briggs Design to focusing on the design/development and commissioned work. In the later 80s the principal company he worked for began making custom carousels. For the next 30 years Jeff was the primary designer and sculptor for Fabricon Carousel Company, creating custom themed carousels operating in Singapore, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia and throughout the USA. He is best known for the Bryant Park Carousel in Manhattan, NY, The Detroit River Carousel in Detroit, MI and the Greenway Carousel in Boston, MA. Today, Jeff’s carousel works are part of the permanent collection of the Bristol carousel museum in Bristol, Connecticut.

His early 1970s works in wood have been featured in numerous national publications including Yankee Magazine, Woodworking, New Wave by Donna Meilach, Fine Woodworking Books II and III, and Interior Design to name a few. His wood sculptures were featured in the Manhattan gallery Verbena and the Soho gallery Fine Woodwork. Today his wooden sculptures are prized by his collectors throughout the US.

Throughout his commercially oriented career Jeff has continue to develop his personal art expression, with paintings, sculptures and self-published books. Currently Jeffrey’s personal sculptures, both relief and three dimensional, explore his thoughts about man’s complex and paradoxical relationship with animals in the context of future climate change.

Jeffrey has worked on community efforts to advance the arts. He served on the founding board of The Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport, and is principally responsible for creating the Firehouse Gallery. He is the designer and sculptor of the swan fountain in the Bartlet Mall, Newburyport. In the 2000s, he served on the New England Sculpture’s Association Board of Directors to reestablish it after 50 years of existence as a prominent arts organization. Starting in 2018, Jeffrey conceived, sculpted and inspired Newburyport’s historic community by mounting a show “Legendary Newburyporters” at The Custom House Maritime Museum, Newburyport.

An American Contemporary Abstract Artist, Rosalie studied with the late Oil Painter Enrico Donati. That work laid a classical foundation that informed her evolution from representational to abstract art. Her paintings are non-conceptual and process driven. They celebrate color, form, and shape relationship and share dynamic, expressive, lyrical qualities. She has a keen interest in the evolution of an abstract painting, and has structured her course, Abstract Alchemy, into an exploration of just that.

“I've been asked countless times how I create an abstract painting. I say the work is process-driven, intuitive, I talk about color, shape relationship, and line. While that is true, it’s also true that sometimes there’s some mystery to how a painting finally settles, feels complete, speaks to me, and for me.”

A juried member of the storied National Association of Women Artists, Rosalie exhibits extensively. Her work is held in private collections around the country, and she recently completed her 7th solo show. She lives in Newburyport and keeps a sun-filled studio in Amesbury.

Artist and sculptor Ryan Kelley of Byfield, MA creatively transforms wire, wood, metal and stone into unique pieces of art. Ryan is an experienced creative driving change in the artistic community around him with hundreds of creations and commissioned pieces to his name. Kelley’s work can be seen in homes and businesses throughout the country and around the world. Over the years his pieces have grown in scale and intricacy, much like his signature trees crafted from hundreds or even thousands of wires.

A self-taught artist, Ryan began creating art during free time in high school. His works quickly changed from small gifts for friends and family to beautiful pieces of art for clients and customers. In the early years of his career, he joined the Newburyport Art Association as a member and then as a Board Member, significantly growing and changing his artistic passion and knowledge along with his connection to the local artists, organizations, and schools. Ryan has received numerous awards for Best Work in Sculpture at associations across the state, and exhibits his work in galleries in other states.

As his career has evolved over the past 12 years, Ryan has narrowed his focus and interest to several main areas. Education- visiting local schools or organizations as a guest speaker or visiting artist working with students of all ages, as well as hosting adult classes in various locations monthly. Studio work- creating wire trees and some other sculptures for sale through him, galleries, or exhibitions. Commissioned work- working with a variety of clients on projects ranging from custom sculptures to residential and commercial installations involving multiple local artists and craftspeople.

Organizations that Kelley is involved with include the Newburyport Art Association, The Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, the Marblehead Arts Association, and the New England Sculptors Association.

Amy Vander Els studied Studio Art and Art Education in college, earning both a B.A. and an M.Ed in k-12 Art Education from the University of New Hampshire. Her teaching career brought her overseas to teach art at international schools in Italy, Hungary and the Cayman Islands. Amy returned to New England in 2014, and now designs jewelry, creates artwork and teaches encaustic workshops out of her mill studio on Water Street in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Her award-winning artwork has been featured in solo, invitational, and juried exhibitions and is represented in private collections in the US and abroad. Her jewelry can be found online, and in boutiques, galleries, gift shops and artisan markets throughout New England. Amy is treasurer of the Amesbury Cultural Council, and has been a member of the Newburyport Art Association since 2015.