Meet Lee O! Lee is a multi-media artist with a fine art degree from Clark University. Even though Lee graduated back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, she has never stopped learning and growing as an artist. Her never-ending quest for knowledge led her to Laguna Beach, CA where she recently painted with world-renowned marine life muralist, Wyland. With praise and encouragement from Wyland, Lee decided to pursue art as a career instead of just a hobby. This is Lee’s first gallery show.
Lee wants her art to appeal to a variety of tastes. She admires many styles of art and doesn’t feel the need to commit to just one style or medium. We hope you will enjoy the many faces of Lee O!
Show runs November 1 through January 31, 2025.
Lee Onderdonk Art Opening
November 1, 2024, 6-9pm La Petite Galerie at Rapscallion Pub
3 Arnold Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
Kyle Brodeur is a survivor and a warrior whose life was changed in a second at the young age of ten years old by an impaired driver. That night, Kyle became paralyzed and lost his hero, his father, Michael Brodeur.
Kyle has survived thirty-two surgeries, many sedations, and a full year in a coma. Determined to live life to the fullest, Kyle gives back to his surrounding communities each year and loves to bring smiles to people’s faces.
Kyle is an amazing artist whose paintings bring immeasurable joy. He is also an athlete who is pushed by Michael DiDonato in a Hoyt running chair, and he is also a presenter who, alongside his mother, brings awareness on impaired driving. Kyle and Lisa Brodeur are best-selling authors of “A Mother’s Journey Through Faith, Hope, and Courage” and their new release “If I Can Smile, I Can Live”.
Kyle has received several awards including the Celtics Hero’s Amongst Us; MIAA Partnership; Fox 25 Hometown Hero; Charlton Humanitarian; and the MetroWest YMCA Inspirational Award for his resilience and courage, particularly during the Boston Marathon in 2023. Kyle lives at home with his mother and stepfather Lenny. He has four sisters and is a proud uncle to eight nephews and nieces.
Show runs August 1 through October 31, 2024.
Kyle Brodeur Art Opening and Book Signing
August 1, 2024, 6-9pm La Petite Galerie at Rapscallion Pub
3 Arnold Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
There really is nothing more beautiful than spring, summer, and fall in New England. Let’s be honest: it’s what makes us put up with the winters! Here at Raps, we love nothing more than being outside in the fresh air, so we have prioritized making our patios beautiful, comfortable, and welcoming. We hope to see you soon for al fresco dining along with our famous Rapscallion hospitality, freshly cooked food, and hand-brewed beer. Everyone is family here!
At Rapscallion, we don’t just do something eco-friendly for one day a year — environmentalism is in the very fabric of who we are. We are true believers in environmentalism and making eco-conscious decisions on a daily basis, and we figured that Earth Day would be the perfect time to fill you in on our eco-friendly practices.
In our restaurants, we only use recyclable, compostable packaging for our takeout orders, and our heating and cooling systems are on timers so that we save as much energy as possible. We also only use eco-friendly cleaning supplies for all of our cleaning, and we wash our own bar linens in an on-site, water-saving washing machine using Earth Breeze detergent sheets that are purchased with extremely minimal packaging. We also use low flow toilets (that are also hands-free!)
Speaking of water, we serve filtered tap water for our patrons in glass only. How is this eco-friendly? Tap water is eons more eco-friendly than bottled water! Bottled water not only uses plastic, it is also manufactured — yes, manufactured, as it does have to be inserted into said bottles and shrink-wrapped in cases or packs after all — and shipped in gas-guzzling trucks. (As a side note: tap water is also far safer than bottled water as it is more highly regulated.)
We also Bokashi recycle all of our food and paper scrap. OK OK, what the heck is Bokashi, right? The Bokashi method is used for composting ALL organic food waste, including meat, dairy and fats. The process uses lactobacillus bacteria to predigest waste matter, which eliminates odors and decreases composting time. Bokashi is a great pre-composting method for diverting all food scraps — not just veggies — from going into the landfill, with the added bonus of accepting paper products.
Our company has also taken a decidedly purpose-driven approach to our venues in that we seek out existing buildings that are in need of repair in which to house our restaurants. Our Acton location is an antique 1700s farmhouse that we have renovated and repaired so that it is warm, inviting, and efficient while also maintaining its original beauty and roots. Our Sturbridge Pub hails back to the 1800s and we have made significant improvements there as well. Lastly, our beautiful brewery in Spencer was an early 21st century building that used to be a garage!
We utilized the expansive space for our brewery and cooler and renovated the front office into a taproom. Very little was wasted in all these renovations as we truly believe in waste not, want not. For example, when we ripped out walls or old structures, we reused the wood for doors, trim — and even our bars. We have World War II parachute tables throughout our venues as well as loads of other antique furniture and decor. Most our light fixtures at the Sturbridge Pub are from mills in Pawtucket, RI, and we also have some old emergency room lighting from the Ukraine. We love recycling!
Speaking of our bars… did you know that a tremendous amount of our liquor and wine is chosen with the environment in mind? Most of our vodkas — Prairie, Hanson, Crop, and Square One — are organic and small batch. Beyond being organic, Prairie consistently donates funds to various environmental organizations. In fact, through May 31 of this year, Prairie has committed to donating $20,000 to the Xerce Society for their Pollinator Conservation Program. For every Prairie cocktail a customer buys, Prairie donates a $1. So when you ask for Grey Goose and we ask if Prairie would be ok, this is why!
We also carry Tres Agaves organic tequila and Machtazo Mezcal tequila that is hand-made using old-fashioned Mexican techniques and organic processes. Our Koval Ginger liqueur is small batch and made with 60 pounds of hand-peeled ginger per batch. We proudly carry Tarsier gin which donates a percentage of profits to conservation efforts in Asia for habitat to protect the Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate.
Our Alverdi wines from Italy are 100% organic. In fact, Alverdi means “to the green” in Italian, and their beautiful labels are inspired by the flowers seen growing on the walls of homes and buildings in Italian towns and villages. Alverdi has a mission to create wines with a responsible approach to preserving the environment and a respect for traditional winemaking values. We are very proud to serve Alverdi wine here at Raps!
In our brewery, we are exacting in our methodologies so that we never waste water. We brew only full barrels as every brew uses the same amount of cleaning water, whether half or full. We send all of our Honey spent grain to be reused in Brew Biscuits, which all Rapscallion dogs love. The rest of our spent grain is sent to local farmers for agricultural feed.
We also like to note that serving our own beer from kegs eliminates a tremendous amount of packaging and transportation, making even our beer an eco-friendly product. So let’s all raise a reusable glass of eco-friendly beer or organic wine and toast to Earth Day! May we always strive to improve our carbon footprint and leave the world a better place than we found it. Santé!
Christine Murphy grew up in central Massachusetts and from an early age, she has enjoyed all forms of art. During her school years she took every art course that was available.
Christine enjoys a wide variety of art styles and using different mediums. Using nature as an inspiration for her work she includes natural objects in her art or as a subject matter.
Most recently she has been using a pyrography pen for her artwork along with other mediums to make for a variety of styles.
Simply, art brings Christine happiness.
Christine Murphy Opening
May 9, 2024, 7-10pm La Petite Galerie at Rapscallion Pub
3 Arnold Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
We are so pleased to announce the formation of the Rapscallion HOPS Foundation. Spearheaded by Spencer and Sturbridge mug members, HOPS — which stands for Helping Others through Philanthropic Support — provides financial support to mug members in need and community-centric charitable organizations.
Mug Members and Rapscallion work together to host charitable events that raise funds for these important initiatives. Working as a team, we are able to provide funds to mug members and the community at large when the need arises.
Reach out to HOPS@visitrapscallion.com with any questions or inquiries. All correspondence is completely confidential.
Located in central Massachusetts, Heather Croteau has had a passion for art since childhood and has worked in many different mediums. She received her degree in Photography in 2009 and worked as a florist for more than 10 years. She currently works as a merchandiser in the balloon industry. These influences, as well as her love for nature, can be seen in her colorful works.
Heather Croteau enjoys most forms of creative expression, but has been focusing her artistic voice through pointillism since 2017. Pointillism is a technique of painting (or drawing) in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism.
Using Stabilo fine art markers on bristol paper, Heather layers thousands of tiny dots in many colors to create the vibrant images. While meditative, this process can be very time consuming, with most pieces being finished an average of three months after the initial light pencil sketch for composition.
Heather Croteau Opening
February 6, 2024, 7-10pm La Petite Galerie at Rapscallion Pub
3 Arnold Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
We always say we have the best mug members, and we can prove it!
Mug members from Sturbridge and Spencer hosted a food drive at Rapscallion Brewery and Rapscallion Pub. They decorated boxes and partnered with Raps to create signage and promote the drive. Boxes were placed at both locations and we all worked to spread the word.
The food drive only lasted for 10 days, from 11/15-11/25. In that time this is what we collected:
Above ^^ is the haul from Spencer.
And that ^^ is the haul from Sturbridge!
Sturbridge items were donated to Wales Community Food Pantry serving the tri-community area of Wales, Holland, and Brimfield. Spencer items were donated to Mary Queen of the Rosary Church Food Pantry serving Spencer and the surrounding area as needed.
Thank you to our mug members for organizing and to our patrons for donating!
George Ludway was a cartoonist and watercolor artist from Grand River, Ohio. After serving his country in the US Air Force pilot during WW2, he returned home to Grand River to the home he grew up in with his mother, sister and three brothers to practice and refine his talent as a full-time art cartoonist.
Throughout his life, he made a meager living selling his cartoons to publications like the New Yorker, Field & Stream Magazine and other publications.
At seventy-five years old, he decided to teach himself water color painting. His nick-name was “Shanty” because he loved making paintings of shanties around Lake Erie. As a self-taught painter, he created works until he was eighty-five. If you have ever been to the Lake Erie area east of Cleveland, you will relate to the scenes in his paintings.
George’s Artwork
George Ludway Opening
November 1, 2023, 6-10pm La Petite Galerie at Rapscallion Pub
3 Arnold Road
Sturbridge, MA 01518
Starting Tuesday, October 3, Sturbridge Pub is pleased to offer our new fall menu! Chef Oné has added some delicious offerings that will be sure to pique your interest. NEW this fall we are offering daily specials that are kind to your piggy bank — e.g. on Mondays, kids eat FREE and on Wednesday all handhelds are $10! Check it out below and remember that we also offer online ordering for pickup on those busy nights when you don’t feel like cooking. See you soon!