about us

ASA Gallery is a fine art website for a family of artists. The most ‘experienced’ members of our gallery are Carol Asher and Betty Shew, sisters born in St. Louis, MO with life-long interest and involvement in art. Their original training was in the graphics field (or as it was known back then, ‘commercial art’) and each has worked in that capacity: in fact, Carol is currently the head of the graphics department for an advertising specialties firm. Both women retained their love of the studio arts, however, and reconnected with this side of the art world at different points in their lives.

Betty has been developing her paper art skills for many years now, offering her work for sale at craft shows, and exhibiting (and often winning awards) at area juried art events. She has gained recognition in the St. Louis fine craft world, and has a loyal following of collectors of her beautiful and unique work.

Carol came back to fine arts later on in her life when her children were nearly grown. After a series of life interruptions and a move back to St. Louis, she is producing art that includes paintings, mixed media, gourd art, printmaking and assemblage.

Corey Ackelmire is Carol’s youngest child; she has an MFA in metalsmithing and her three dimensional work is detailed and elegant. Lately she has been working mostly with copper. She lives with her husband, Nathan Dube, in Carbondale, IL. Nathan also has a master’s degree in metals, and teaches at SIU. His recent work has been in silver, interpreting the toys of boyhood. Both of them exhibit around the country in juried shows and also sell their work at galleries and fine craft shows.