In this series, we highlight two of the many talented artists who continue Concord’s rich artistic tradition. From The Umbrella Arts Center, home to more than 50 local artists, to Village Art Room, a community-based organization in West Concord, our town teems with creativity. We encourage you to experience art in all its many forms at Concord’s galleries, exhibitions, live performances, studios, classes, and more.

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Sally Lee

Sally Lee, a Boston-based installation artist from Arkansas, is 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence at The Umbrella Arts Center. Lee works in many mediums such as ceramics, painting, sculpture, textiles, and more. Her art practice has served as a mechanism to navigate her place in the world as a first-generation immigrant. These experiences inform Sally on how to create conceptual work through historical, political, and cultural contexts. Like her cultural identity, Lee’s combined aesthetic between Eastern and Western styles and philosophies is a part of her artistic fingerprint. Sally is currently an adjunct professor at Northeastern University, teaches at the New Art Center, is a Ceramic Studio Assistant at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and Program Director of Nearby Gallery. sallyleeart.com

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Zachary Mickelson

Zachary Mickelson is a ceramic artist, teacher, and Manager of the booming new Ceramics Studio at The Umbrella Arts Center. After eleven years of teaching at various studios throughout the Boston area, including nearly a decade at the Harvard Ceramic Program, he has helped multiple ceramic studios and programs develop. At The Umbrella, Zachary teaches several advanced ceramics classes, manages independent and teaching studios, and runs firing and glazing services. 

Outside of teaching, Zachary continues to create and exhibit his own functional and sculptural artworks, drawing inspiration from his hometown of Cape Ann, MA, an island with a strong history of artist communities. He studied ceramic sculpture and pottery at Lewis and Clark University in Portland, OR. He then furthered his education in Saitama, Japan, where he taught, learned pottery techniques, and absorbed Japanese crafting traditions. 

Zachary will be on hand for Ceramics Studio demonstrations and art sales during The Umbrella Winter Market and holiday season gallery exhibitions. zacharymickelson.wixsite.com

All photos courtesy of The Umbrella Arts Center