Jewelry and Textile Design
in Western North Carolina
Featured Exhibition Work
*
Featured Exhibition Work *
“For as long as I can remember, making art has been at the core of my being. It was a secure, confident part of me that allowed me to best express myself and it never let me down. I started metalsmithing in high school, and earned a BFA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I had big dreams of pursuing an MFA and making my life about art, but I felt a bit burned out and needed some time to plan my next move. Then the 2008 recession hit; I was scrambling to pay my bills and no longer had access to a studio. It didn't feel possible to pursue my dreams when I was just trying to survive, so I put them on hold.
That break lasted over a decade, while I discovered bicycle racing and pursued it at the international elite level. I moved to Asheville, NC to better support my cycling career, but I struggled to find meaningful and stable work, so I started my own business. I felt that a big part of me was missing, but as time passed, my identity as an artist felt more foreign and impossible to return to.
My brother-in-law suddenly passed away just before the pandemic and the years following presented one challenge after another. I had to step away from bike racing when I endured a devastating knee injury that took over a year to recover from, while struggling with chronic health issues. Throughout these challenges, I turned to drawing, painting, then weaving and metals workshops to help cope. My long dormant creativity blossomed and I told myself that I would finish my projects and develop a regular practice once I had enough time and money to do so...
Then Hurricane Helene hit last fall and absolutely turned my world upside down. When it was safe enough to do so, I found a community studio and dove headfirst into metalsmithing. It's been carrying me through all of the uncertainty, anxiety, fear and sadness that have been building up over the years.
For Still Here, I reimagined a forged sterling silver necklace that I made twenty years ago in undergrad. One arm of the necklace holds a dimensional copper moonflower, while the other has a bud that nears bloom. A third component shaped like a vine with leaves holds the necklace closed at the bottom. I applied a white patina to the flowers and oxidized everything else to be blackened. To me, the moonflower symbolizes a light in the darkness, as it only blooms at night. The bud represents potential and hope as I enter a new chapter of recommitting myself to my art practice, and finding my voice again.”
The original necklace from 2005.
“On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated my home in Western North Carolina. I was fortunate to sustain relatively minor personal property damage, but it was more than I was prepared for on a number of levels. In the storm, I lost quite a few trees on my forested property, but my garden thrived this year with the additional sunshine.
When it was safe to do so, I joined a community jewelry studio and found a lot of solace through working with metal again. Every day I would look at my flowers with gratitude and encouragement. Each set of earrings I’ve made refers to a flower in my garden to honor their resilience and hope. For Earrings Galore, I wanted to challenge myself by only using sterling silver sheet metal and wire to fabricate a cohesive collection.”
D I S C O N N E C T
“The three stone settings in this brooch appear to be connected, but they are suspended and don’t actually touch each other.
To me, this reflects relationships on social media when we feel close to people despite not engaging directly with them.”