Meet Sarah Grant the founder of Sticks, the award-winning artisan furniture and gift line.
Sarah started her art education very two-dimensional—literally. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing and intaglio printmaking at Colorado State University, both a Master of Arts in intaglio printmaking and Master of Fine Arts in painting at the University of Iowa.
In 1985 Better Homes and Gardens commissioned Sarah to create a nativity. This challenge forced her to explore two dimensional mark-making on three-dimensional objects, forever changing her creative path.
Sticks Object Art and Furniture was officially founded by Sarah Grant in 1992 and the studio has received national acclaim for its distinctive product line and is carried in hundreds of galleries across the country. This success has allowed Sarah to hire and train an incredible team of painters, woodworkers, and illustrators.
The Sticks team doesn't draft designs on paper. Sarah trains her artists to hold the idea in their heads and create as they go, which gives the finished product that special Sticks energy.
The Sticks style is very distinctive; at once painterly and playful, resonating with a quirky exuberance. A small imperfection here and there is all part of the work's beauty and charm. To be a Sticks artists is to learn the art of being wholeheartedly and unapologetically yourself without ever taking yourself too seriously. And to understand that each piece is a collaborative labor of love for all those involved, with equal respect for everyone's contribution at every stage of design & development.
Sarah Grant-Hutchison
To this day, every Sticks piece is created with the same lighthearted, life-affirming flavor and philosophy. After all, it's all about storytelling: Your story.
Over a period of 20 years, she has taught as guest artist and mentor in many public schools and colleges in Iowa. Her honors and commissions include: Visiting Artist Residency for the Iowa Arts Council; Kirkwood Hotel Mural Commission; and the Jerome Foundation Invitational Grant. Sarah Grant’s works hang in over 30 permanent collections, including those of the Des Moines Art Center, Allied Insurance, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, and Meredith Corporation.
Every piece of Sticks Object Art & Furniture and Sincerely Sticks is lovingly made in Des Moines Iowa.
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