New Pomegranate Jewelry Collection
My newest jewelry collection has been a long time coming. Last summer I got the idea to design a collection inspired by pomegranates. I love their rich red/orange color and the slender leaves of the trees whose branches arch beautifully when heavy with the ripe orange fruit. I had to find a way to make the rounded shape in a way that I could reproduce consistently and wasn’t too labor intensive. It took many, many attempts and I finally came up with a shape that was kind of a pomegranate/lantern flower combination which is fine by me because I don’t like my work to be too literal, as different interpretations makes it more universal.
Throughout the Fall I worked on a series of one-of-a-kind pieces to use for jury photos for craft show applications, then I started working on a production collection based on those one-of-a-kind pieces. But when the United States came face to face with the Covid-19 pandemic, my creative energy and ability to focus was non-existent. Finally, in early June I was able to get back in my studio and finish up this collection. I think it’s really beautiful and I’m so grateful that I can share it with you and possibly bring some brightness into your life if only in this little way. The pieces are available now at Alberta Street Gallery or from my Etsy shop, AllenMetalArts.etsy.com.
I will be donating 15% of my sales on all items in my Etsy shop to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) COVID-19 Relief Grant program.
CERF+ was started by artists for artists in the craft community as a grassroots mutual aid effort in 1985, and has since emerged as the leading nonprofit organization that uniquely focuses on safeguarding artists’ livelihoods nationwide. CERF+ serves artists who work in craft disciplines by providing a safety net to support strong and sustainable careers.
The COVID-19 Relief Grant program provides financial assistance to professional artists working in craft disciplines who are facing dire circumstances from the COVID-19 crisis with one-time $1,000 grants to meet urgent food, housing, and/or health insecurities. The program will focus on those facing the most severe financial pressures. Priority will be given to eligible artists who have traditionally been underserved by the grantmaking community including people of color and folk and traditional artists.