By Jami Badershall,Staff Writer

CHESTERVILLE – Like many pieces of art, Tami Ellis’ studio and gallery, Western Maine Artisans, is a work in progress.

Tami is not an artist herself but a business woman who wants to help artisans like her 27-year-old daughter Celina Ellis.

“It started through her trying to get herself established and seeing how hard it is to find a good place to work and sell your product,” Tami said. “This building is perfect.”

The building is a massive three-story barn built in 1850 that Tami is converting into studio space and a gallery area. “I saw it, and this (studio) came to mind. It seemed the perfect place to do a business.”

A December graduate from Husson (with honors), Tami has her degree in business.

“One thing I have learned is that artists like to do their work more than they like to promote their work,” she said. “I can take on that role and be the one to try to market it and let them do what they like best – create it.”

She has Celina and two other artists in the barn, and two glass blowers who use a shop building out back. As more artists sign on, she will build more studios, or the artist can choose to have an open space, working side by side with other craftsmen. Tami also plans to include a pottery studio that can be rented by the hour.

The third floor is empty, but Celina would like to see a dance studio there. “Someone who would teach African dance and belly dancing, stuff like that,” she said.

Celina’s work area is on the bottom floor, where she makes jewelry of silver, stone and glass and fiber art – clothing, quilts, tapestries, hand bags and more. She got her Bachelor of arts from the University of Toledo, where she studied silversmithing and costume design. Before Western Maine Artisans, her only option was to travel to festivals and art shows. She even purchased a bus that she planned to use in her own traveling business, but then she and her mother found the barn last August.

“This is really convenient,” Celina said. “I can work at 9 in the morning or 9 at night.”

And she can always have her work on display.

Celina will also have some of her work on display at the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community’s small business showcase Friday in Farmington. She and her mother will be among the 11 Franklin County entrepreneurs displaying their work from 3 to 6 p.m. at Mountain Counties Heritage, 109 Church St., Church Street Commons.

All the businesses have worked with the Farmington branch of Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community, which organized the showcase in cooperation with Mountain Communities Heritage and Bangor Savings Bank. The organization provides training, advocacy and assistance to women who want to move forward in the work force, start their own business, build on their assets or develop leadership skills.

“The showcase will show where people have gone after our services,” said Shirley Hamilton, microenterprise coordinator for Women, Work and Community. “They can see how money is being spent to help the entrepreneurs of Franklin County to start a business to sustain their own lifestyle.”

The event will also serve as a launch for the organization’s commemorative booklet “Small Steps, Big Changes,” which tells the story of women who have gone through the leadership development program and their successes.

Entertainment will be provided by The Smith Brothers, the 2006 Rotary Rising Star award winners. Jay, 16, has been rolling in the honors as a fiddler, and Shane, 14, plays rhythm guitar.

The showcase is open to anyone, and Hamilton would like to see business owners, as well as politicians at the event.

“The other business owners will serve as a support group for these people,” she said. “And we want the politicians to see that this could change Farmington from a hub zone into a viable part of the tourist community.”