Ludlow Mayor Ken Wynn and his family opened Wynner’s Cup Cafe downtown, meaning to create a community gathering place — not just for good food and great coffee, but as a place to showcase artists of all kinds and from all places.
Tomorrow, he is offering a double-hitter. The events are free and open to the public.
From noon to 2: Kevin Akin, Glass Artist
Kevin grew up watching his mom, Alice, a Ludlow native, create lamp work beads. As a teenager he got his own small mapp glass torch and began to create small glass pieces. It became an obsession that would eventually lead him to a more detailed and complex form of glass blowing.
A neighbor admired the work enough to introduce the young Kevin to one of the premier glassblowers in the area, Nate Clark, who introduced him to the art of glassblowing and inspired him to buy his first glassblowing torch. He learned from Nate and his brothers Kirk, Johnny and Mike a technique called the honeycomb design. It’s a design Kevin says is “like watching a flower bloom, one petal at a time.”
Being surrounded by creative people his whole life has inspired Kevin to pursue his passion of glass blowing. He has created custom pieces for weddings, Bengal’s fans, pieces for the mustache craze of the All Star Games, Christmas ornaments, and a variety of items for local businesses, include custom stir sticks for Second Site Distillery.
Constantly striving to improve his art and find new and exciting patterns, designs, and methods is a driving force for Kevin.
“Come take a look,” says Wynn, “be inspired, and maybe see art in a new way.”
Kevin’s pieces will be for sale and custom orders will be taken.
From 1-3 p.m.: Lisa Hamm book signing
Dr. Lisa Hamm of Fairfield wrote her book, “Walking Through Fire: Overcoming Life’s Worst Circumstances,” after her own prolonged walk through fire.
About the book she says, “I landed in the middle of a flaming inferno. A fiery furnace so intense I could neither see nor breathe. My sole goal was to get out alive as soon as I could, but I could not. I was stuck. I was alone. Standing still did not help. I was desperately trying to move in all directions, hoping to find the exit, but I did not. My panic rose when I realized my powerlessness. All my resources had been used up, and I became angry, desperate, deeply depressed, and in a state of despair to the point that I prayed my life would end.”
Will you make it through?
Will the depression and pain ever leave?
Does it seem life has lost all meaning, never to be enjoyed again?
Whether you or someone close to you has undergone tremendous loss, suffered from a debilitating illness, endured overwhelming hardship, lacked the resources to defend themselves from enemies, or dealt with terrible consequences for a poor decision, this book may be what you are looking for.
Close encounters with God, says Hamm, “are present because God wants to heal your wounds and deliver you from whatever may be holding you back. If you are still in the fire, continue to walk. . . allow the pain and anguish you are feeling to make you cling to Him. You will persevere. You will overcome.”