Home to Artists
Their works are known far beyond our village, but several artists call Elizabeth home. You’re invited to stop by their studios to see them at work and view the objects of their creativity.
Studios include:
David Seagraves does wood carving, clay and plaster models for bronze casting, drawings and paintings. He now specializes in carving statues of religious figures commissioned for churches.
Seagraves Studio, 3522 S. Eby’s Mill Road, 815/858-3684
Hand-crafted, custom furniture and antique restorations are the forte of Ted Harms. His penchant for boat-building is revealed in the “Powder River” sign on one of the doors to his shop.
Harms Cabinetry, 130 N. Main, 815/858-3863
Our resident potter,
Paul Eshelman, has been drawn to the functional object. In accessing his work, he believes that the pieces that are the most successful are those that “function elegantly while being visually interesting.”
Eshelman Pottery, 238 N Main Street, 815/858-2327
Not far from Main Street, Ray Thraen, luthier, is gifted in the construction and repair of stringed instruments including fiddles, guitars, mandolins, banjos and hammered dulcimers. Working with him is his wife, Judy, who does custom inlays with mother-of-pearl and abalone.
Ray and Judy Thraen, 412 Myrtle Street, 815/858-2069
And in the Elizabeth countryside there is Archie Lieberman, author, photographer, illustrator and lecturer. Those who remember “Farm Boy” will welcome the latest book, “Neighbors: A Forty-Year Portrait of an American Farm Community.”
By Appointment, 815/858-2228
