Friday, July 5, 2013

Jackalope Collective: Stephanie Vogele

We're down to about 2 weeks left on our campaign and we're still a bit behind our goal. Here is Jackalope Collective member Stephanie Voegele to open your hearts and hopefully wallets.

Education: B.F.A. with an emphasis in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
 M.F.A. from the University of Georgia in 2010.
Lives and Works in: Wisconsin, as a  Lecturer in Jewelry & Metalsmithing and the First year Program at the University of Milwaukee.
What is your work about?
Silhouettes of faceted formations, shiny plastics, neon leathers and vintage jewelry all are a part of my current investigation. I am inspired by saturated color and subtle shifts in surfaces that I stitch together in a variety of wearable gems.


What are you looking forward to most about going to Amsterdam?
Connecting with jewelers and galleries from all over the world. This will be my first time surrounded by so many international jewelry artists. I’m excited to have the opportunity to not only see a variety of work but to actually speak to the artists who make it!
What artists to you respect/admire?
I look up to many of my mentors and friends.  Mary Hallam Pearse, Yevgeniya Kaganovich, JoAnne Burke, Susie Ganch, Frankie Flood, Rob Jackson, Martijn Van Wagtendonk and Rick Johnson. All of the people I listed have been a part of my life during various transitions and changes. They are tremedous artists and educators and I’m so lucky to call them friends.


What’s the best advice you were ever given about being an artist?
You have to take risks not only with your making but also with your career choices.


Anything else you’d like to add about Sieraad, why we deserve funding, or whatever else you’d like to say.
I feel honored to be a part of such a talented group of American Jewelers. As a team we hope to showcase a diversity of innovative work that is coming out of America!


Please consider donating to our campaign to help ease the financial burden of showing at Sieraad for Stephanie and the group at large. And thanks so much to Stephanie for taking the time to be interviewed!