UrbanSparkle 2020
November 13th – January 15th, 2021Opening Reception* - November 18th from 4:30-7:30pm
*see our Eventbrite for timed ticket entry
UrbanGlass presents UrbanSparkle, an annual exhibition of artists exploring the material of glass as adornment. What sparkles better than fresh designs that change how both glass and jewelry can be used and perceived?
Opening to the public Friday, November 13th in tandem with NYC Jewelry Week, UrbanSparkle offers the fresh perspective of five artists working in varying techniques with flawless execution. Holiday shoppers in search of a one-of-a-kind gift or the perfect piece to wear this season can browse these special collections by expert makers.
Five artists have been selected for their nuanced and distinctive approaches to wearable glass. Lenise Omeasoo, SaraBeth Post, Gillian Preston, Melissa Schmidt, and Roxann Slate have created objects of adornment that emanate their bold explorations in the material.
About the Artists-
The women in Lenise Omeasoo’s family are commonly given a variation of the Antelope word when receiving their Indigenous name, which she honors in her jewelry business Antelope Women Designs. Through Omeasoo’s journey of reconnecting with her Blackfeet Piikani culture, she became fixed on the transformative capabilities of fashion. After years of beading she fell in love with the idea of accessories evolving with one's style. Her collection of hand-beaded jewelry for UrbanSparkle features motifs of her family heritage, her connection with her culture, and a myriad of ways you can freshen up your look with just a simple change in jewelry.
SaraBeth Post holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass from the University of Louisville, KY. Currently, she lives at Penland School of Craft as a fellow in the Core Fellowship. SaraBeth has interests in nostalgia, emotion and metaphysics. Glass is her medium of choice because of its properties in alchemical magic. Her studies in jewelry and sculpture have helped her formulate color palettes and textures that offer a gateway into a more luminous world through her work. The jewelry featured in UrbanSparkle is a mash up of two of her signature jewelry styles: the CHUNKY Line and the Tier Series.
The name behind Broken Plates, Gillian Preston creates her jewelry by cutting from hand blown glass into dynamic and angular wearable designs. The process begins in a hot glass studio, where layers of bold, crisp colors are applied to molten glass and blown into a flat surface (or plate) that serves as the blank canvas for these glassy wearables. Preston cuts each plate into pieces before they are polished and composed into their final form. Broken Plates makes reference to the work’s origin, and the result is a line of jewelry that offers a new perspective on current trends and captures the stunning qualities of hand blown glass.
Known for her whimsical feminine aesthetic and soft palette, Melissa Schmidt is making her work out of her St Louis studio. Her incorporation of unusual materials such as 35 mm slide film, papers, foils, and natural materials within the glass bubbles are just the tip of her vast mixed medium artillery. This take on capturing what is precious offers a new facet to understanding glass as a vessel. Her compositions are informed by her interest in the principles of scale, texture, balance, and color in reference to interior design. Built to last, her pieces are as strong as they are beautiful.
New York-based artist, Roxann Slate grew up in a family of glass artists and has been flameworking since she was 10 years old. She has worked extensively at the Corning Museum of Glass with glass artists from around the world. Roxann works in the interplay of what she wants the glass to become and what the glass wants to be: Each piece is negotiation. It's important to her that every piece is well crafted and easy to wear. The jewelry doesn't live until it's worn, and the pieces she has created for UrbanSparkle represent the liveliest of her collection with their incredible volume and statement.
Shop this incredible exhibition onsite or online HERE!
