Southport Magazine

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What started in an old roadside fruit stand, the Artshak Art Gallery and Studio, has become a thriving art gallery in the heart of Southport. Owners and artists Thom Seamans and Linda Platt live and work in their home connected to their studio and gallery, but their humble beginning is not only a memory but also a testament to their determination to be artists.

“We started in an old fruit stand on 211 across from what is now Rivermist. A bank building now occupies the space under the sprawling nut tree,” said Thom. “Our incredible landlords were Bubba and Rebecca Smith. There was no running water, a toilet or electricity. We survived, however, because Bubba had a mobile home next door with a toilet and we ran very long extension cords to get power for a light bulb,” he said.

Both have always been artistic, and decided together that they would be artists and their combined determination made it happen. “We do things a bit differently here. Money is not the object, nor has it ever been nor can it ever be,” said Thom. “Decades ago, we both determined to change our lives for the rest of our lives. Retirement someday was not an option. Why delay doing what we wanted to do until some future date if we could do it now? It is all about Linda’s and my desire to be artists, to integrate all aspects of our life around creating art,” he said. “To make such a change both of us had to be on the same page, and we were. First, get out of Dodge! No more snow, ice, and cold. We searched and found Southport and moved here in 1997. We bought a little house on Leonard and looked for a place to do and sell our art. In 1997 there were few buildings able to accommodate our needs.”

Originally from White Plains, NY, Thom found his calling while taking metal sculpture classes at night in New Haven, CT in 1979. “This is when I knew what i was meant to do,” he said. For 12 years, Thom studied stone sculpture, clay, drawing, painting, and casting. He received classical art training at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, Old Lyme, CT. “I work primarily with aluminum and copper. I cut it, beat it, bend it, roll it, heat it, weld it and then usually coat it with metallics, acids, and dyes,” he said. “I work with people to create custom designs for their spaces. I do 30-40 commissions a year. We design it together so they can love it forever. The very best part of being an artist is seeing the look in a client’s eyes as he/she finally views what we have created together,” said Thom. “I met Linda in 1993. I had been making my living as a sculptor for a couple of years when she entered my life forever,” he said.

Linda too was a lifelong artist, spending most of her life in Milford CT. “I have always been interested in art, taking classes and creating things,” said Linda. “My favorite medium is mixed media integrating 3D painting techniques with paper, glass, pottery and found objects mixing the techniques and materials to create something different from the norm,” said Linda. “I studied pottery at night at Wesleyan University in CT in the early nineties. After Thom and I met, we went to auctions to purchase furniture which I then painted and sold while still in CT. Upon moving to Southport, we continued acquiring furniture, which I painted and decorated from 1997 through 2005 until we moved into our current building.”

Desperately needing more space to work, Thom and Linda searched for a larger spot, and in 1998 they moved to Whelan Vereen’s gas station on Howe St. “We painted the building in multiple colors and put sculptures and painted furniture out front, but still had the occasional driver stop by to change his oil,” Thom laughed. In 2005, the current ARTSHAK Gallery and Studio at 822 N Howe St, Southport was complete. “The new building attracted a lot of attention and artists began to show up inquiring about showing their work,” said Thom. “We became a gallery! Because our building includes our residence and our studios, along with the sculpture garden, we can simply open a door if and when we want to design or create or simply continue working on a piece. As a result, we have achieved our goal of an almost seamless transition where we can switch from our personal to our professional lives easily,” said Thom. “We have been able to do this because of the wonderful support of our artists and friends. Every artist has walked through the door and we treasure their talent and their friendship. Without their incredible contribution, none of what is the ARTSHAK would be possible.”