February 2012: Open It! February 07 2012
Mary Schimpff Webb invites you to Open It!
Mary Schimpff Webb: Open It!
Exhibition dates: February 4 - 25, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 4, 4-7 pm
Artist’s Talk & Enameling Demo: Friday, February 17 at 11 am
Arts on Douglas will be presenting a celebration of fine jewelry making in an exhibition by Mary Schimpff Webb entitled "Open It!"
Mary’s distinctive use of materials and techniques developed over her extensive career sets her apart from other jewelry makers. Her wearable artworks are fluid, sculptural and textured forms utilizing unusual combinations of precious and semi-precious stones with gold, platinum, silver and wood. All of her works are handcrafted, including the gems she often shapes herself.
In addition to making jewelry, Webb also creates sculptural boxes, fine silverware, belt buckles and other unique pieces. During her prolific career, Webb has continued to challenge herself with new styles and techniques to apply to her artwork. She has firmly established herself as a fine craftsman of modernist jewelry.
Mary:
“Each new gem stone, whether is it one that I’ve cut, collected or acquired, brings fresh inspiration to my designs. For instance, the one-of-a-kind agate I used for the Locket showcased on the exhibition invitation was cut by the world famous German gem cutter Bernd Munsteiner. I had the privilege of purchasing the stone in his Atelier in Germany while I was in the country studying gem-cutting and goldsmithing.”
Mary’s keen sense of her materials infuses her jewelry with a unique contemporary quality.
Mary began studying jewelry making at a very early age. Her mother Frances was an accomplished artist and jewelry maker. Webb's childhood was surrounded by art. In the 1970s, Webb opened a jewelry studio with her mother in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Webb has taught and shown extensively through the US. and has been featured in numerous books on fine jewelry and metalsmithing.
Mary Schimpff Webb has been represented by Arts on Douglas since its onset in 1996. Her beautifully crafted designs have been featured in a solo exhibition each February for the past 12 years.