Community

‘What every town dreams’: Local businesswoman, gallery bring the arts to Main Street

By Jordan J. Phelan
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WINDSOR, Vt. — Along the populous Main Street in Windsor stands a woman of unmatched character and significance to this quaint Vermont town’s sense of community.

Cassie Nyberg George, a well-known individual among most Windsor residents for her constant drive, motivation and optimism, is a business guru — a characterization that she would adamantly deny but is truly undeniable. The owner/operator of Bob’s Barber Shop, Junction Barber Shop and Main Street Gallery, Cassie has been at the helm of businesses for nearly three decades.

A resident of Windsor since the fourth grade, Cassie has become quite established in the town of 3,400. Since 1993, she has been in charge of the barber shop, along with another in White River Junction, and through her business has made lifelong connections.

“I have known Cassie since I was a young girl and she has always been driven, always put community far far ahead of anything else,” said Robin French, volunteer at Main Street Gallery and former operator of Sugarbush Florist in Windsor. “Cassie comes from an incredibly great family that supports anything and she has followed suit. She is what every town dreams of having.”

At the close of September 2019, Cassie held the grand opening of Main Street Gallery, a venture she did not expect to ever take on.

“The landlady upstairs, Jane Osgood, came to me and asked if I would be interested in doing something with this space and she loves the arts so she said, ‘Maybe a gallery,’” said Cassie. “I never in my life thought about doing a gallery.”

At first, Cassie was unsure about taking on another business, but ultimately came to the conclusion that it would be a “win-win” after considering relatively low expenses and the boost to the community’s atmosphere that would result.

And it appears that residents have taken to the space dedicated to the arts.

“I’m getting a really good reception from people in town,” Cassie said. The same building, which was vacant at this time last year, was also a gallery twice previously.

“[The residents of Windsor] are grateful to have something there and to know that Cassie is a part of it,” said Robin. “To just think that it is supporting so many local people and the diversity in there… it makes you appreciate the whole Vermont life. I am happy to be a part of it.”

Cassie gives a lot of the credit for the gallery’s success to its volunteers, who assist in the operation while she is cutting hair next door. From her perspective, it is them who truly give the room a special welcoming atmosphere.

It is her hope that Main Street Gallery can become a part of an “art circle” that includes the towns of Cornish, Reading, White River Junction and Woodstock.

In the near future, Cassie intends on hiring someone to assist with marketing the gallery through manageable websites and community outreach.

Art in its many forms

On the walls of the Main Street Gallery hang detailed paintings composed of intrinsic yet vivid color arrangements, photographs that capture the richness of the night sky, creative pieces such as a snowshoe mirror, and paper-based artworks that unleash the talented Annie Santa Marie ability to see the beauty and opportunity in everyday materials.

Wednesday morning, local residents were gifted the chance to meet Annie as she worked on her newest piece that has yet to be titled.

Also a resident of Windsor, Annie has traveled and lived all around the world, from Africa to Europe. However, it was in Mexico where she learned the fundamentals of the type of art form she works with today.

“I was really into doing Huichol art, which the Huichol are a native people in Mexico and they live in the high mountains. In the conquest, they were the only indigenous people who weren’t taken over by the Spaniards, and so they kept their traditional culture.”

Annie, a graduate of Dartmouth College, looks forward to assisting Cassie in promoting the arts and getting more artists to display their works directly on Main Street.

“Cassie has unbelievable drive and motivation,” said Annie. “And anytime anyone needs anything in town, if you ask Cassie she is there. If you want to move something, there she is. Whatever you want, she is always there. Always there for everything. She is a good person.”

Stephen Giroux of Third Generation Design will be in the gallery showcasing his work with silk-screen painting, which he has been doing for more than 30 years. Dates have yet to be announced.

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