Walking into a crowded gallery of students and jewelry lovers, the energy inside Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School was exceptionally colorful on the opening of the exhibition Beginning Middle Endless.

Curated by Heather White,  the exhibition was based on the Surrealist “Exquisite Corps” in which twenty neckpieces are on display.  Two different students living in different countries created each neckpiece.  Half of the students are from Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School, Florence, Italy, the other from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA.  The students were asked to create one-half of a neckpiece and Heather White made curatorial decisions on pairings and physically assembled the halves to make whole necklaces in which the unexpected ensues.

I was honored to be invited to be a part of this exhibition.  It’s my first exhibition and it could not have been a more fulfilling experience working with Heather.  Her ability to intertwine the visions and concepts of artists from different corners of the world is remarkable.  Undoubtedly, those skills and her personal creativity have led her to Alchimia.  Selected for the Fulbright Scholarship, Heather has spent the past 3 months doing research and presenting her silicone and urethane plastic techniques to Alchimia students.   Bringing her entire family along for the adventure, Heather is truly an inspiration for me as I begin my journey in jewelry design and consider the different routes I can take in my development.

The following is my statement for the design exhibited, Timeless Ambiguity (right half of necklace):

Born in Arkansas, I have spent the past 2 years studying jewelry design in Colorado, Argentina and Italy.  My time in Argentina inspired me to celebrate my individual spirit, my roots growing up in Arkansas and the colorful energy surrounding me.  Layered, aged, rejuvenated and matured, I believe that life presents us with the beauty of timeless ambiguity. This piece  explores the toxic form.   I strive to embrace the unclear and unappealing forms presented, break them and re-discover timeless beauty seen only when we take a chance on ambiguity.

A glimpse of the exhibition and surrounding onda (energy).  If you are interested in attending the exhibition, it will be traveling to Boston, Massachusetts in Fall 2012.

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