November 13, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
The popular South Street Gallery is making a comeback, now sharing the historic building space at 149 South St. with Norn Gift & Garden, a full-service shop providing custom holiday gift and event decorating services.
The community is invited to a holiday open house to mark the grand opening of these well-paired businesses on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event will feature art, holiday decor, floral arrangement demonstrations with Thanksgiving and other holiday themes by well-known master floral designer and artist Tori Samuel, light bites, and a chance to get an early start on holiday shopping.
The word “Norn” means “three sisters” in Greek mythology, the perfect name for Norn Design Studio, run by Marshfield resident Cori Sharp and her two sisters, Kitty Garry and Kyle Wollock.
“The downtown is so walkable — just the right place for a brick and mortar business to complement our online business,” Sharp said. “I had been looking all around the South Shore before this opportunity opened up. This location felt right, and the historic building meshes well with what Norn offers.”
The re-invented space offers a mix of original oil paintings, watercolors, etchings, and drawings by 19th- and early 20th-century artists from South Street Gallery owner Jack Hobbs’ personal collection — changing the earlier focus on local artists on consignment — that blends together seamlessly with Norn’s offerings, ranging from vintage baskets and exquisite floral arrangements to lighted snow globes set on a bed of holiday greens, and beekeeper Hobbs’ own honey.
Creating personal design plans
Under the theme of “Discover the Art of Gifting,” Sharp designs custom gifts for corporate, personal, and “all life’s significant moments” as well as working with clients and event planners to create personal design plans — ranging from small home parties to larger scale events and holiday decor.
The shop also has a focus on creating meaningful custom gifts featuring fresh, local artisan products “that delight recipients” — “usable, meaningful, and sustainable,” along with fresh flowers, plants, and tasty offerings made in small batches by South Shore businesses.
An orchid repotted in a recycled cork container is an example of the shop’s unique offerings. “Other items are from Europe and New York and Atlanta shows,” Sharp noted.
Current art offerings include works by the late Peter Spataro, who taught in the Hingham Public Schools system and did a great deal of painting in Hingham, and the late Arthur Wilder, a Vermont resident “who at one time managed the Woodstock Inn and painted on the side,” Hobbs said.
Works by the late John Loughlin — a Massachusetts landscape artist whom Hobbs painted with many years ago — are also featured. “I’ve been collecting his work over the years,” he explained.
There’s also a small collection of paintings by Hingham resident Michael Weymouth and other local artists on display.
“In the future, other art collectors may add to the gallery’s offerings on consignment,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs’ late mother-in-law, Gloria Barbuto, started a high-end upholstery and interior design business at this location in the 1970s called “Hingham Upholstery.”
In 2000, Hobbs bought the 1860s building from her, maintaining the interior design focus while starting to sell local art. “The shop morphed into more of a gallery, operating as such from 2000 to 2020, when we closed due to COVID,” Hobbs explained.
After meeting Sharp through a mutual acquaintance, the two developed an interest in reopening the gallery and locating her business within that space, bringing back the interior design facet and changing the focus on the types of art offered.
“The intent is to take a hybrid approach, with a multi-faceted focus — a unique place to browse and shop,” Hobbs explained.
For further information about Norn, go to www.norngiftandgarden.com. The South Street Gallery website will go live soon.