About Us
Joan Merry and Don Lyons have traveled extensively in Africa and have come to know the beauty of her people, land, and animals. In the mid '90s they went to Zimbabwe and stayed with Elizabeth Nugent in Harare where she introduced them to all the galleries and many of the artists. As a guide and expert herself, she was able to show them the difference between mass produced "roadside art" and the real thing. Their exposure to the simplicity of the sculptures done in natural settings with only hand tools and beautiful stone impressed them enough that they bought a few pieces and had them crated and shipped by sea to the Vineyard. It was a modest purchase but the artists were happy to be recognized by foreigners and to be compensated for their work.
