Society for the Encouragement of the Arts

seARTS presents “Local Gems” – The Art and Inspiration of Cape Ann’s growing community of Jewelry Artists

Gloucester, Massachusetts. For the first time on Cape Ann, jewelry designers will take center stage at the seARTS Jewelry Design Salon to be held at the Gloucester House, Compass Rose Room, Thursday, July 12th. The event which includes a slideshow and exhibit is open to the general public. The seARTS Salon series follows the European tradition of inviting members and guests to gather and exposure their artistic passion, increase their knowledge, and engage in conversation about various artistic genres and disciplines such as photography, theater, literature, and in this case, jewelry design.

The evening’s presentation will focus on group of eight greater Cape Ann jewelry artists. While representing unique approaches and wonderfully diverse use of materials, these jewelers have the common thread of finding inspiration from where they live. Whether it is a rusted bolt from a Lanesville quarry paired with 18k gold and diamonds or the soft hues of seaglass tied with bright wire, each artist expresses a visual language of their own. The featured artists include:

This slideshow and discussion will be led by local artist and educator, Claire Sanford. Claire Sanford is a metalsmith and jeweler and a partner of Top Dog Studio with her husband, Charles Crowley. She has work in the permanent collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Arkansas Art Center and has received several grants, including a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in 1999. She is a trustee of Haystack School in Deer Isle, Maine and serves on the Resource Council for the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston.

Among seARTS goals is to build community and economic ties to strengthen the cultural economy of Gloucester and Cape Ann. Jewelry artists compose an important niche which has been growing steadily throughout Cape Ann and the Northshore. Although both seARTS and the Cape Ann Artisans have many jewelry designer members, there is no formal organized group on the North Shore focused on jewelry alone. seARTS Board President and artist, Jacqueline Ganim-DeFalco (Cape Ann Designs) was instrumental in organizing this event. Jacqueline recalls the seed planted two winters ago when a small group met socially together with Kathie McCarthy, owner of London Ventures in Rockport to thank her for supporting so many designers throughout their careers, “At this gathering, it became evident that there is a need to share information on both the artistic and commercial aspects of our work. The collective experience of the local jewelry designers is a rich, untapped resource for both new and established artists as we all face the same challenges in creating and promoting our work.”

The seARTS mission includes the facilitation of strong networks for artists, advocacy for the arts, and programs that attract patrons of the arts to Cape Ann. Programs such as the Salon and Lecture series are the foundation for community education and enjoyment of all art forms on Cape Ann.

The exhibit of seARTs jewelers will be open at 6:30 PM and the presentation begins at 7PM. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seARTS Members, Free for students will a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or at www.seARTS.org. For more information contact 978-281-1222. The seARTS Salon Series is part the Community/Visitor Education Program funded, in-part, by the John and Abigail Adams Art grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and corporate sponsorship from the Gloucester House Restaurant.

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For more information: write Sara Young at ed@searts.org
The Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (SEArts) is a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Adams Arts Fund for Cultural Economic Development.