‘There’s nothing I can’t do’: Bethlehem artist builds creative empire in church-turned-studio

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — For Molly Wilshere, art has never been just a hobby. It’s been a lifelong journey that has taken her from circus tents to city streets, from Renaissance fairs to the heart of downtown Bethlehem. Today, she runs multiple craft businesses, creates large-scale art installations and shares a historic church-turned-studio with her community.

“I’ve been sewing and doing art since I was about three,” Wilshere said.

Her mother, a professional seamstress who worked with the Muppets and the Washington Opera, introduced her early to creativity. By age 14, Wilshere was apprenticing under a sculptor at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Later, she painted murals across Baltimore, Annapolis, Northern Virginia and D.C., and made wedding dresses for high-profile clients in New York City.

Her artistic pursuits weren’t limited to visual arts. Wilshere spent 11 years performing with a circus, traveling the country as a child performer.

“After 9/11 happened, we were more stateside, and that’s when I started working for a sculptor,” she recalled.

By 18, she had launched and sold her own etched-glass business, which still operates today.

Now, Wilshere divides her time between managing Wayward Leather, her multifaceted craft company with more than 100 products, and building an ambitious event venue on 186 acres in Virginia, designed to host a Renaissance fair and immersive light shows.

“I’m working 20-hour days currently, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “It’s for the benefit of a lot of other artists.”

Her path to Bethlehem came through a series of art projects in the area, including large-scale window displays for Nordstrom and intricate work on Philadelphia’s historic Chestnut Street Bridge. Living out of an RV during these projects, Wilshere realized she needed more studio space. The solution? A church.

“Commercial spaces and residential spaces are very different, but I thought, there’s gotta be a way to have a work live setup… I think a church,” she said.

The North Side church, on the corner of Center and Wall Street, was abandoned at the time, and soon after she expressed interest, the property came onto the market. After navigating zoning changes, Wilshere and her partner, Mike Bianco, transformed the space into a live-work studio, with a large sanctuary shared with the neighborhood.

The church now hosts a monthly movie night and potlucks for neighbors.

“It really lets people have a few hours to get to know their neighbors,” Wilshere said. She emphasizes that her work goes beyond art, aiming to foster connection and community.

Despite her decades-long career and wide-ranging accomplishments, Wilshere’s passion remains rooted in possibility.

“I’m luckily at a point in my life where there is nothing I can’t do,” she said.

Her vision for the future combines art, commerce and community, including her Virginia project — a handcrafted village showcasing artisanal architecture and design.

“There’s this idea that you have to choose between being a businessperson or an artist,” she said. “No. You can be both. And we’re giving people the ability to connect.”

In Wilshere’s world, the line between art and life, between creativity and community, is intentionally blurred.

“I create home for a lot of people,” she said. “Bring more happiness. Life’s too short.”