By Jude Mead

As The Guilded Artisan closed its doors last month, owner Sean Sweeney reflected on the past years. “My vision for the guild was to support our incredibly talented artist community while providing a place for the people of Norfolk, as well as others, to enjoy the artist’s talents and our beautiful town. I wanted a ‘café’ atmosphere where people could sit and talk within the gallery space and outside,” said Sweeney. 

After retiring from teaching art for 31 years, Sweeney also wanted to provide art classes to the community. “The guild has been part of Norfolk for decades. It was one of the things that attracted us here. When I first learned they were going to close at the end of 2020, I wanted to find a way to keep it going for the town and the artist community,” he said.

Sweeney started his business during the height of Covid, but that didn’t discourage him. He said it was the best of the three years he stayed open. “One would think that starting a business during Covid was a bad idea, and I don’t disagree. Ironically, that first year was our best of the three, and we were able to survive quite effortlessly.”

The good fortune was short-lived, and he experienced a sharp decline during following two years. Sweeney said there were fewer customers and sales, and overall foot traffic coming to Norfolk was down. He added that small businesses cannot survive in that environment. “I never really wanted much from the guild except for it to survive. Making a profit would have been nice, but it was never my focus. I just wanted it to be here for Norfolk.” 

The highlight of running the guild for Sweeney was meeting people and working with the artists. “It has been a pleasure getting to know everyone over the past few years. It has also been wonderful to meet and get to know the members of the community who stopped in. I have made several friends through this experience and that is what is most important,” he said.

Sweeney plans to remain in the art world and focus on his own artwork. “I really would like to dive back in and see where it takes me. This was difficult to do while dealing with the frustrations of keeping the guild afloat. I am uncertain about what’s next, but that’s the exciting part . . . seeing what presents itself to me.”

The artists and all the people who supported the guild throughout the years will continue to be an important piece of Sweeney’s future. “I would also like to thank the Norfolk Foundation [now called the Norfolk Hub] for their support and help throughout my time at 3 Station Place,” he said. “The arts are an integral part of any community, and I have a feeling many people will miss the guild being here. Maybe down the road, The Guilded Artisan will rise again!”