Updates, Part 2: An Arts Market / Gardiner Museum Collaboration

Since this spring, I've been very grateful to be a featured artist at the Gardiner Museum Shop in Yorkville, Toronto. The Museum's beautiful collection is dedicated to ceramics and pottery from around the world and spans hundreds of years; but the Shop also features impressive work from all sorts of different Canadian and international artists, and I was so thrilled to be invited to join them. The Museum staff has been a joy to work with and my gemstone jewelry has been a hit with their customers!

When I first met with the Shop's curator in March, I proposed the idea of doing some collaborative jewelry pieces with a couple of Canadian ceramicists, and she loved the idea as it would be quite unique to their collection. However, for various reasons, this idea didn't come to fruition until around June - but when it finally did, I was so thrilled with how it all worked out!

I had stopped by Arts Market to check on my mini-storefront and came across a new vendor at the Riverside location: Leora Israel, a.k.a. The Otter Potter. She had filled her display with the most precious handmade miniature ceramic vases, bowls and ring dishes, each with solid 18k gold detailing (photos of a couple of examples below!). I loved her style and I knew I'd be able to create some beautiful jewelry to complement her work. So I emailed her and asked her if she would be interested in collaborating on some pieces for the Museum.

Lo and behold, when she emailed me back, she was ecstatic and definitely wanted to work together; it turns out that she first tried her hand at making ceramics during a series of classes at - where else! - the Gardiner Museum! So this collaboration was actually very special to her, and she was lovely to work with. She ended up creating a whole bunch of pendants in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns, and from these I selected a few and created necklaces with them.

 
 

If you get the chance to stop by the Gardiner Museum, keep an eye out for our pieces - we're really proud of the results! We're also working on some similar pieces that will soon be out on display at Arts Market at 790 Queen Street East, and they'd be great holiday gifts for the creative types on your list!

J


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