Monday, April 26, 2010

The Arrival of Sydney Lynch

4/26/10
We have received new work by Sydney Lynch! Sydney is an artist from Lincoln, Nebraska who works with a wide range of colored stones, oxidized sterling, 18k and 22k gold. Her collections are divided into two lines; One of a Kind and Designer.

I think Sydney's artist statement is one of the best I have read. I would like to share it with you:

Artist Statement:
When I was young I loved rummaging through my grandmother's bureau drawers, enchanted by her treasure trove of costume jewelry which she kept in a jumble of tiny boxes, each with its own story. Growing up in rural Connecticut, my passions were creating and curating my collections of objects found and acquired, and, as my mother used to say, "working with my hands". I progressed from hand-loomed pot holders to making bowls out of natural clay from a local stream bed, to oil painting.

While working on the Navajo Reservation midway through college I fell in love with the wide open landscape and moved West permanently. Soon I met my first silversmiths who made me want to get my hands on some silver and start making jewelry. I finished my BFA at the University of Colorado, and after 10 years of making jewelry in Boulder, I settled in Nebraska, first on a farm and then in Lincoln. I now work with three assistants and my husband, Craig Roper, who manages the business end of the studio. flower blossom

My design vocabulary derives from a wide range of sources which reflect my personal interests: the natural forms of rocks and seashells that I've collected since childhood, the lines and contours of landscapes where I've lived and traveled, the rich surfaces and intriguing shapes I find in weathered areas of the city. I'm interested in tribal and ancient jewelry that illustrates the human need to arrange found objects in new and meaningful relationships.
Recently I have been working on a series of designs inspired by the subtle repetitive forms of the flora and wild grasses of the prairie. In miniaturizing a vast open landscape by creating these pieces, I am able to focus on the details of my surroundings which might otherwise be easily overlooked.

Working with the materials is the most exciting part of the process for me. Simply put, I like making things. In my One of a Kind pieces, I exercise my love of color by incorporating a wide range of colored stoned in endless combinations. My other body of work focuses on oxidized sterling combined with 18k and 22k gold. It's important that my work be both sculptural and wearable. Many of my designs are abstract, leaving the wearer open to create a personal, intuitive relationship with the piece.
(artist statement from http://www.sydneylynch.com/)

Come and enjoy Sydney's collection. Mother's Day is right around the corner and I have yet to meet a woman who would not love to make a piece of Sydney's work their own.
-Diana

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Lili Our Champion!

I am so excited to announce that Lili, our beloved web manager and merchandiser, was just announced as the winner for the Music of the Spheres contest for the Month of March! The contest was open to all vendors and the challange was to photograph their chimes as displayed in their gallery/store. Lili's picture will be featured in the Chimes in Action newsletter!
In my opinion, the others who entered did not stand a chance! Who else would have come up with the idea to put the Westminster Chime (the biggest Poppy has carried) in the middle of an Alice in Wonderland window? The chime was accompanied by an Avner Zabari table, Ed and Kate Coleman ceramics, a Terrel Powell original piece, CoryMcCrory ceramics, Lisa Kaser prints and an Allen Design's Clock.

Fortunately for Lili a picture was taken of the window before the chime sold. There have also been multiple other items sold. Come and take a peek before next week when it transforms into the Paint the Town Purple in support for Relay for Life.



Congratulations Lili!

















ZN Blog's Mention of Artrageous Event!

I was so excited to find Grace's mention of her adventure to Columbia this Friday on her ZN Blog! I hope you enjoy!
-Diana

Artrageous Friday at Poppy

April 20, 2010 - 7:43



Well, It's been a busy few weeks around here putting together a nice
batch of enamal goodies to send out to one of our favorite galleries,
POPPY, in time for the Artrageous Friday event on April 23. Better yet,
I will be there in person as Poppy's featured artist for the April
Artrageous Friday.


So if you're in the Columbia, MO area, stop by The District and
check out all the exciting happenings on Artrageous Friday. Don't
forget to stop by Poppy to check out the ZN Collection in spring colors
and say hi!






Monday, April 19, 2010

Welcoming Spring Artrageous Style



After the winter we just suffered through I was beyond excited with the abundance of sunshine we have recently been blessed with. Although I'm fortunate to have a job that surrounds me with vibrant art year round nothing compares to Mother Nature's original work. There is something special that occurs when she is ready to introduce Spring to us. Being able to walk outside surrounded by blooming flowers and budding trees is truly energizing to my soul. With signs that Spring has arrived it's time to celebrate! What better way to celebrate then coming downtown for a night of art!


Artrageous Friday is April 23 from 6pm to 9pm.
We are very excited to
announce our featured artist:
Grace Wang-Bishop of ZN Creative Arts


ZN Creative Arts is a Chicago-based studio known for the bold, modern reversible jewelry pieces designed and created by Grace Wang-Bishop. Begun in 2003, ZN Creative Arts (named after Grace's Chinese Name, Tzu-en) creates wearable works of art by utilizing enamel on copper, sterling silver and semi-precious stones; geometric and three dimensional shapes that recall the angular bones of contemporary architecture. In addition, her creations add a level of modularity that allows women to not only partake of the initial design process, but also act as designer each time the piece is worn. Some items, in fact, offer up to four different looks in one piece.


Grace's Industrial Design background has helped her find innovative ways to structure materials into 3-dimensional objects. However, her Asian heritage naturally factors heavily into her designs as well. She spent her formative years in Taiwan, where beauty abounds in the form of calligraphy, poetry and the ancient folk art of Chinese Knotting. These iconic techniques and motifs of the culture are obvious in her work; they emerge reconceived in thoroughly modern ways.


Contemporary and classic, simple but complex, ZN Creative Arts jewelry pieces are creations that can be whatever you want them to be at any given moment.
This Friday is going to be filled with beautiful jewelry, mini cupcakes,
champagne and good company!
Don't miss out on the fun!
-Diana