Sticks

Sarah Grant-Hutchison

 

(American, b. 1953)

 

Owner and Creative Director of Sticks, Sarah Grant-Hutchison, was born on October 20, 1953 in Rochester, New York. She was raised in Ames, Iowa by her parents John and Carol Grant and is the oldest of three. She graduated from Ames High School in 1972. She attended Colorado State University and Iowa State University, and completed her studies at the University of Iowa in 1976 earning a BFA in Drawing and Intaglio Printmaking. She continued her education at the University of Iowa where she earned a MFA in Intaglio Printmaking in 1978 and an MFA in Painting in 1980.

 

Sarah was an adjunct professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa from 1980-1989. She concurrently was a teacher for the Des Moines Public School's Talented and Gifted Program from 1981-1985; the Iowa Arts Council Artist in Residence Program from 1984-1989; and the Des Moines Art Center from 1980-1989.

 

Sarah's abstract paintings are currently represented at Olson-Larsen Gallery in Des Moines, Iowa and the Anderson O' Brien Fine Arts Gallery in Omaha, Nebraska. Her works are in permanent museum, corporate and private collections across the country .She has been awarded numerous grants and awards for her work and is frequently a participant in juried and invitational shows.

 

Sarah is the founder and owner of Sticks, Inc. from 1985-present. Sticks produces functional and object art that is merchandised in 135 galleries nationwide. Some of Sticks installation projects include Blank Children's

 

Hospital, Cabo San Lucas Restaurant, Iowa State Daycare Center, Hotel Pat tee, and the Butler House Bed & Breakfast.

 

Sarah is the mother of Rachel, Rebecca and Hannah Hutchison.

 

 

 

The History of Sticks

 

Sticks origins date back to 1985 when Sarah Grant-Hutchison, an abstract painter and college art instructor, was commissioned to design a wooden nativity set for Better Homes & Gardens Decorative Woodcrafts ® magazine. At the time, Sarah's artistic background was solely focused on drawing and painting linear surfaces, and this project challenged Sarah to incorporate her artistry onto a 3-D surface.

 

It was on a weekend excursion to a friend's antique store in Goldfield, IA that Sarah came across some etched wooden furniture from the twenties and thirties. She was inspired. Sarah's father, John, assisted her with carving the wooden structures for the nativity set, and she experimented with etching her designs onto the wooden structures. She found this technique was an extremely effective way to delineate her designs.

 

Decorative Woodcrafts ® magazine purchased one of Sarah's nativity sets, and her mother, Carol, proudly claimed one of the "practice" sets to display in their family home. Sarah was soon inundated with requests from family and friends for nativity sets and small Christmas items. She began a small company called "Origin Art Forms" to supplement her income.

 

In December of 1991, Better Homes and Gardens ® featured a story about Sarah and her company "Origin Art Forms" which solicited a large national response and an influx of orders. Sarah incorporated the company as Sticks, Inc. in 1992, and the company has flourished ever since.

 

Sticks has become a nationally recognized manufacturer of functional and object art. Sticks' operations are housed within a 28,000 square foot production studio in Des Moines, Iowa. The product line features hand-crafted, imaginative furniture pieces and accessories that are designed by a team of over 100 craft artisans. Sticks' furniture and artwork is currently merchandised in 135 galleries nationwide. Sticks' business has also evolved to include installation projects for hospitals, libraries, schools, restaurants and hotels.

 

Sticks strives to create artwork that resonates with the imagination and creativity within us all.