"SWEET MERMALADE"

ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, AS I WAS WALKING PAST A FAMILIAR CORNER GROCERY STORE ON THE WEST SIDE OF PROVIDENCE, A HAPPNIN' SPOT CALLED "THE MARKET", I WAS CAUGHT BY THE SURREAL IMAGE OF A GLORIOUSLY DECORATED "CAKE" BY PROVIDENCE ARTIST JESS PERRY. THIS CAKE WAS TRIPLE-TIERED, WITH NUMEROUS MINI TABLEAUS INVOLVING SORROWFUL LITTLE WORRY DOLLS, OCCURRING ON EACH TIER. JESS' MEDIUM OF CHOICE IS, I GUESS WHAT ONE WOULD CALL, MULTI-MEDIA??? I CALL IT HILARIOUS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I GOT HER NAME FROM kHYM, THE ULTRA COOL OWNER OF THE MARKET AND COMMISSIONED A SUMMER PIECE FOR THE FRONT DISPLAY WINDOW AT ARGENTUM. WE MET DURING THE WINTER AND JESS SHOWED ME A SKETCH OF HER IDEAS. THIS IS WHAT SHE CREATED. ACCORDING TO JESS, SHE IS NOT YET DONE....."I FEEL LIKE SHE NEEDS SOMETHING MORE, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IT IS.....I GUESS SHE'S A WORK IN PROGRESS" JESS CREATED THIS PIECE WHILE WORKING AND STUDYING FOR HER MASTER'S DEGREE IN ART EDUCATION. LUCKILY FOR THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH COUNTY, SHE FOUND THE TIME TO CREATE THIS "MERMALADE". SHE WILL BE ON DISPLAY FOR ONLY A FEW WEEKS DUE TO THE HEAT THAT PENETRATES THE FRONT WINDOW DISPLAY, AS WE WOULDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO THIS SWEET MERMALADE!

THE FAST TALKIN' TEXAN

TRUST ME, YOU WILL MISS SOMETHING GREAT IF YOU DON'T COME TO THIS OPENING!!!! RONNIE BORDEN IS A RECENT TRANSPLANT FROM ONE OF THE BIGGEST STATES IN THE UNION TO ONE OF THE SMALLEST....ALL IN THE NAME OF LOVE. WHAT COULD BE A BETTER REASON? HIS WORK IS ABOUT COLOR AND IS TEEMING WITH LIFE, AS IS RONNIE HIMSELF. ARGENTUM'S HALLWAY IS CURRENTLY ADORNED WITH SOME OF HIS WORK, AND ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 2ND FROM 7-9PM, WE WILL HOST A SHOW OF HIS LATEST WORK. SO, PLEASE, COME AND TALK WITH RONNIE, THE CONVERSATION IS LIKELY TO BE BOUNDLESS....

JESS ZAKOWSKI OPENING

AWESOME NIGHT FOR JESS ZAKOWSKI. LOTS OF DELICIOUS FOOD PROVIDED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, GREAT TURNOUT, ONE SOLD PHOTO IMAGE ALREADY! HERE ARE SOME PICS OF JESS AND PAUL AND OTHER GUESTS.

NEW SUMMER STUDENTS

THIS SUMMER I AM LUCKY TO HAVE TWO VISITORS FROM TAIWAN WHO WANTED TO LEARN SOME BASIC METALSMITHING AND STAINED GLASS CONSTRUCTION SKILLS AT ARGENTUM. HERE IS A PICTURE OF WEN JENG, AND THE RING HE MADE THIS WEEK. WEN AND HIS MOM HAVE A PASSION FOR LEARNING NEW SKILLS AND ARE A DELIGHT TO HAVE AROUND THE SHOP. PLEASE STOP IN AND SAY HI NEXT TIME YOU ARE IN TOWN!

BRACELET BY AMY SUNDSTROM

CHECK OUT THIS GORGEOUS PORCELAIN BRACELET SET IN STERLING BY ONE OF MY STUDENTS, AMY SUNDSTROM. AMY WORKED HARD ON THIS. IT WAS A TEST OF HER PATIENCE AND STAMINA, BUT SHE DID IT. MARVELOUSLY, I MIGHT ADD.

JESS ZAKOWSKI SHOW OPENING

COME SEE THE MYSTERIOUS WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER JESS ZAKOWSKI. THE SHOW OPENS AT ARGENTUM ON SATURDAY, JUNE 21, FROM 7-9PM, AND HER WORK WILL BE ON DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 31, 2008. YOU WILL BE FASCINATED TO LEARN HOW SHE CREATES THESE ABSTRACT AND VISUALLY STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES.

WELCOME SPRING!

BE SURE TO STOP BY ARGENTUM SOON. WE HAVE ADDED MANY NEW ARTISTS AND JEWELRY DESIGNERS THAT ARE SURE TO PLEASE! NEW ART BY PEG MEEHAN, JULIANNA RICCI, JEWELRY BY MARYANN SHERMAN, FOX CUB DESIGNS, POTTERY BY DEB LANG BEAUDOIN. ALSO, REMEMBER THAT THE MICHAEL KACHANIS SHOW WILL BE COMING DOWN BY JUNE 1ST...DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS ARTIST'S WORK. YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!