Jim Thorpe artist featured at Tamaqua art center
Nic East of Jim Thorpe will be the featured artist at the next gallery showing at the Tamaqua Community Art Center. An artist meet and greet will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at 125 Pine St., Tamaqua. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Jim Thorpe artist and craftsman Nic East will have his work featured beginning Jan. 7 at the Tamaqua Community Art Center.
East grew up on a farm in Delaware County and began dabbling in art at an early age. After earning a degree in industrial and graphic design from the Philadelphia University of the Arts, he started his own design business, NE Design Consultants.
He also began creating sculptures by welding scrap metal together. This led to the birth of a second company, Iron Men Ornamental Metalsmiths.
After retiring from his iron design business, East moved to Jim Thorpe from Philadelphia in 1989 and began another career.
Repairing and restoring the Craftsman style building at 10 Flagstaff Road meant using his skills in ironwork and woodwork. But it was the many glass doors and windows in the home, which was turned into a bed-and-breakfast, that created a new calling, creating stained glass designs.
Since that time, East has been busy creating stained glass overlays for the many windows in his home, creating glass beads to be used in wife Eileen's jewelry business and teaching others his craft.
The art show will begin with an artist meet and greet, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 7. The show is open to the public and there is no admission fee.
The art center is located at 125 Pine St., Tamaqua. For more information, call 570-668-1192.
