LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Town |
by Barry Becker |
Well, another Memorial Day has come and gone, bringing with it hordes of beach-goers. I think it was the most perfect, weather-wise, season opener in the four years Ive lived in Rehoboth, so I hope that translated into lots of business for everyone! Now that the season has officially begun, Ill start doing some theme issues in this column covering many more businesses. That, of course, would be after this issue, dear readers. Im still getting settled in my new job and my new part time job, and these deadlines just sneak up on me so quickly these days. Time management, I know. So, stay tuned for the next issue. For now Im going to visit two of Rehoboths fine shops. SOMETHING SPECIAL (46 Baltimore Avenue) underwent a transformation over the winter. John Sansone ended up pretty much gutting the old shop, re-doing the upstairs and down, and moving his collectibles to his other business at 15 Penny Lane. The result is a stunning gallery of sculptures, glass, prints, crystal and artwork, featuring some of the most well known artists in their fields. As you enter, the front porch is full of wonderful items, but you are immediately drawn inside as your eye catches the latest Frederick Hart sculpture. Hart designed the soldiers statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, and this sculpture is touted as his most significant bronze since then. Entitled The Daughters of Odessa, the artist has created an allegorical sculpture in remembrance of the innocent victims of all of the acts of repression of the 20th century. Its a three-quarter life size bronze of 4 women in sheer flowing dress, at once beautiful yet haunting. The rest of the gallery is full of amazing glasswork, such as vases, urns, and decorative items. There are sculptures in acrylic, authentic Japanese kimonos, framed artwork, bronze sculptures, mosaic tile tables, clocks, lamps, console tables, and fabulous works from Giuseppe Armani. Some of my favorite pieces are the Murano glass. The crocodile, fish and rooster are just priceless, big, bold and colorful, while the small aquarium and seascape vase are exquisite. There are also outstanding works from the Lotton family, a father and his two sons, who are among the premiere glass blowers in the U.S. Check out the David Lotton art glass in the back room. Michael Wilkinson is also featured here. The fountains John has this year are beyond stunning. Youll want to have a fountain in every corner of your yard and in every room in your house. My favorites are the marble and stone globes of various sizes that rest on large square pillars. The globes are made up of cut squares of rose stone or marble, and the water comes out the top of the sphere. Theres also an exquisite sleek white marble wall with textured stripes, about 3 feet high, that slowly emits water from a slit across the top of the wall, with the water then glimmering down both sides. The cocktail table fountain, inside on the front porch, is also too cool for words, a marble round table with a fountain in the center and a raised half moon around the table for your beverages. The mini rose quartz fountain is also a must see (must have), a 1 foot high chunk of roughly hewn rose quartz in a white marble bowl with a perfect globe of rose quartz balanced on the water that churns out from the center of the mini tower, and theres a light that glows from inside that accents the churning globe. There is much more here to be fascinated with, and I didnt even make it over to his Penny Lane store (which I know is just gorgeous), so make sure to find Something Special on your next trip into town. Meanwhile, over at 208 Rehoboth Avenue, ABIZAKS, that big colorful store you just cant miss, continues to wow everyone with their own unique and, well, just plain too-funky-for-words kind of stuff. The stores just been re-painted, and of course color is the key here. Blue, yellow, mint, orange, lilac and more grace the walls, and its hard to say which is more colorful, the walls or the furniture. Abizaks is known for many wonderful things, including its complete line-up of just about everything for just about every room in your home. If you need furniture or accessories for your living room or bedroom (for adults and kids), dining room, bar, den or bathroom, Abizaks should be your first stop. Most of the furniture has an updated 50s look to it, while some has a very futuristic sleek look, particularly in the desks and office furniture. And there are lots of choices here, from the dozens and dozens of upholstery fabrics to choose from for the furniture to the wood color and knob selections for dressers and other pieces. Make sure you check out the Popeye living room collection, with oversized color-filled sofas and the wildest coffee table I have ever seen, and the OH chairs, which are a more upscale and more colorful (of course) version of your basic patio chair (and a lot more comfortable, too). But its much more than funky fabulous furniture that makes Abizaks so cool and unique. Here, you have to look everywhere, on the walls, the ceiling, the shelves, because its packed with over-the-top stuff. There are walls full of wonderful clocks and mirrors, as well as wonderful, fun artwork, and even big bumble bee votive candle holders. There are shelves of funky kitchen gadgets for every possible thing you could do in the kitchen, as well as shelves of great sensual things for the bath and your body. Pam has a new collection of aromatherapy candles, aroma light rings, giftwares and soaps. Theres also an extensive collection of products for the kitchen from Crabtree and Evelyn, including spray essences that smell like pastry and other kitchen smells, as well as a great line of bath soaps. But one of the coolest new items this year is the EcoSphere, a small globe that is not only decorative and entertaining, its educational, too! The globe contains filtered seawater, a small branch, gravel, algae, shrimp and snails. Its a completely contained dome which demonstrates in the most simplistic way the interdependence of animal and plant life and water. They will survive for 2 years or more, and you can control the algae growth with a magnet. Theyre just amazing and beautiful! But beyond the great stuff, the fabulous furniture, and the items you just cant live without, are John and Pam Sadler and their wonderful staff and family, who make being a part of the Rehoboth community so special. I hope you all caught their ad in the last issue of Letters. For this years Sidewalk Sales, they donated proceeds from the sale of certain furniture to help SCAC and the Rehoboth Elementary School Playground Fund. Because of this, and due to the great response, they were able to donate $2,500 each to these causes. Way to go! If you dont have time to check out everything in the store here, at least pick up a copy of their outrageous new catalog for 1999. SCAC Executive Director Glen Pruitt (far left) and Rehoboth Elementary School Principal Esthelda Parker-Selby (second from right) accepting a check for $5,000 from Zak (seated), Pam and John Sadler, proceeds from Abizak's sidewalk sale. Frederick Hart's bronze sculpture, The Daughters of Odessa, at Something Special, 46 Baltimore Avenue. The sculpture is described as "an allegorical sculpture in remembrance of the innocent victims of all of the brutal acts of repression of the twentieth century. It is a tribute to the delicate and sacred beauty of life." Hart says of his work, "it is essentially a redemptive work even though its subject is profoundly tragic." Barry Becker is Director of the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 6, June 4, 1999 |