Three Bainbridge Island Jewelers Will Be Showcased During the Grand Opening of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

Jane Martin. "One Two Necklace", Copyright 2013. Sterling, mixed metal, and stones. Photo Courtesy of Facere Jewelry Art Gallery. On Friday, June 14, 2013, at 11:15am, a "Celebration of Art!" will commence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will preface the grand opening of the brand new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA). At noon, visitors will be invited to view for the very first time several of the museum's galleries.

The Rachel Feferman Gallery

In the Rachel Feferman Gallery, the largest single gallery, jewelry from two Bainbridge Island aritsans, Jane Martin and Laurie A. Lyall, will be showcased as part of the collectively curated exhibition First Light: Regional Group Exhibition.

Jane Martin

Matte metal beads in rich earth tones with irregular color patterning encapsulate Jane Martin's unique signature style. Ms. Martin's passion for mixing colors, which started first in art school where mixing paints on her palette was far more fun for her than painting, has led her on a journey into the exciting world of metalwork. At this juncture, she has entered into a dance with her medium. Ms. Martin allows the metals, the machines, and the patina to play their own unique roles in the formation of her jewelry. Though she directs the form by shaping the metals into spirals, twists, and geometric shapes, she allows the metal press to have the final say in perfecting the design. When choosing the palette for her patinas, she only partially mixes them, encouraging  color and surface irregularities.

Laurie A. Lyall

Laurie A. Lyall has dedicated her life to the art of metalworking. An esteemed goldsmith since 1975, she has chosen jewelry as her primary means of expression. She got her start in New York, where she attended the School for American Craftsmen, and then apprenticed with an acclaimed goldsmith in West Germany until 1975. Upon receiving her certification as a graduate goldsmith, she returned to the US and began the process of learning the business side of jewelry. She is known for her bold, architectural style and dynamic use of colored metals to create dazzling movement and achingly beautiful jewels.

The Garden Gallery

Little & Lewis

The Garden Gallery is a unique "transitional space" located between the entrance to two classrooms and the George and David Lewis Roof Garden, a sustainable roof featuring "riverscapes" of rocks, sedums, and grasses, with large handmade concrete boulders made by the artists. Known in the horticultural art world as Little & Lewis, George and David have collaborated on their visionary concrete sculptures since 1992. The Garden Gallery has been designed to feature smaller-scale artworks in permanent display cases. For the museum's inaugural event, the Garden Gallery will highlight the work of internationally celebrated metalsmith, Heikki Seppä, who retired from teaching to Bainbridge Island in the early 1990s.

Heikki Seppä

Heikki Seppä trained as a goldsmith in Helsinki and then as a silversmith in Copenhagen. After spending nine years working in Canada, he relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was appointed head of the metals department at Washington University. He worked alongside his students, empowering them, encouraging them, and challenging them to master the special properties of the metals and the techniques of the trade fully. This, he believed, was the only true way to shatter the old molds, allowing the precious metals to transcend functionality and become true art. His dedication to the craft and his unwillingness to allow silversmiths to remain marginalized in modern culture drove Mr. Seppä to demonstrate everything that could be done with silver and other metals. He literally broke all the molds--the cup, the box, the pitcher--and introduced his students and peers to the art of reticulated metal, shell form technique, and his famous synclastic and anticlastic forms. His favored medium was jewelry, though the prolific artist also made sculptures, hollowware, and ecclesiastical objects. Several of his pieces will be on display in the Garden Gallery during the BIMA's inaugural event. In addition to the spectacular jewelry and sculptures offered by the talented artists I've mentioned, the museum houses several more galleries filled with works from local and regional painters, sculptors, and multimedia artists. I invite you to browse the museum's website to learn more about the opening event and the month-long "open house" the museum will host for visitors.