Tessa (Giffin) Adams opened Shore Thing Studio and Emporium in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in April 2019 after retiring from a long-term career of teaching in Halifax. With roots embedded as deep in the soil as the community itself, Tessa knew it was time to come home, to where her mother, Elaine McLeod, grew up in the first house built in Liverpool and her father, Fred Giffin, worked for Bowater Merse
y Paper Company. Once settled beside her beloved ocean, Tess turned her eye to creating an environment in which people could purchase handmade creations by the many talented artists in the area, learn how to create their own unique pieces themselves, and have a shop that provided the supplies to do it. She was thrilled to find the perfect location in the building that had housed the Advance newspaper, the very location that her mother’s career had begun. After retiring from his career in the blood lab at Queens General Hospital, Tessa’s husband, Mike Adams, joined her at the shop, and together, they have built Shore Thing into the vibrant hub of unique handmade art, classes and supplies that it is today. Growing from a core group of about 20 local artisans, it has grown into a collaboration of over 50 Nova Scotia artists and artisans with at least 80% from Queens County, whose efforts are proudly displayed for sale within the walls of the sprawling shop. True to Tessa’s vision, Shore Thing Studio and Emporium also continues to provide varied and popular instruction through classes, as well as providing art supplies to all.
