Beachcomber Designs Jewelry

 Local artist Lisa Johnson is a seeker of artifacts, small pieces of manmade and natural objects which long ago have been discarded and forgotten.  These treasures unearthed in her wanderings, often on the shore of Lake Ontario, are what inspire Johnson to create jewelry for her business Beachcomber Designs. 

Discovering beauty in a common stone or a weathered piece of beach glass, Johnson is compelled to enhance the object’s simplicity by translating it into an attractive piece of jewelry to be worn and enjoyed.  She forges silver to dress up her earthy finds, or makes a mold of a textured natural object, such as a tiny feather, to create a silver replica.  

Another of Johnson’s passions is to create intricately woven beadwork.  Using ancient off-loom techniques such as peyote stitch and right angle weave, she painstakingly threads hundreds of beads into a finished piece of jewelry.

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op will feature Lisa Johnson’s jewelry for the month of April.  Among her interesting selection of wearable art will be necklaces, bolos, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

The public is invited to meet the Brighton artist on FirstFriday, April 5^th from 6-9pm and on Second Saturday, April 13^th from 12-4pm.  Additional gallery hours are on Wednesdays from 12-5pm. 

Jewelry by Beachcomber Designs is available for purchase along with a variety of other artwork on display by Shoe Factory House Artists.  Free admission.

Location:  The Shoe Factory Art Co-op, 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607. 
Phone: (585)732-0036
Website:  www.shoefactoryarts.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/theshoefactory
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/theshoefactory

Double Whammy Art Shows

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op will be hosting two new art exhibits in September. The first show “Green: What Does It Mean?” will be held at The Shoe Factory’s second floor gallery and opens with an artists’ reception on First Friday, September 7th from 6-9pm. The second show “Clouds in My Coffee” opens a block away at Starry Nites Café that same weekend on Sunday, September 9th from 2-4pm.

In support of Rochester’s “Greentopia”, an eco-fest that starts the following week at HighFalls, 17 artists have created their own interpretation of “green” for The Shoe Factory’s “Green: What Does It Mean?” show.  Paintings, photography, mixed media, fiber art, found objects, and recycled glass will be on display by artists from the Rochester region and from as far away as Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan. 

 

Participating artists include Robin Annlot, Kim Bellavia, Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Marian Cameron, Nils Caspersson, Margot Fass, Monica de Gastyne, Jennifer Fletcher, Kim Guare, Patrizia Lafler, Mike Maiellano, John Midla, Colleen Virdi, Mino Watanabe, Heather Whitney, and John Whitney. 

 

The show runs through September 29^th and will be open for the Landmark Society’s Inside Downtown Tour.

 

The Shoe Factory Art Co-op is located at 250 N. Goodman St., Studio 212 (second floor), Rochester, NY 14607.  www.shoefactoryarts.com

Exhibit hours:  First Friday, September 7th 6-9pm, Second Saturday, September 8th 12-4pm, WednesdayS 12-5pm thru August 29th, Friday, September 28th 5:30-8:30pm, and Saturday, September 29th 11am-4pm.



“Clouds in My Coffee” will feature 11 local artists at The Shoe Factory’s “satellite gallery” at Starry Nites Café.  On display will be clouds and coffee themed artwork in the form of paintings, photography, and fiber art created by Chloe Bennett-Larson, Phil Bliss, Beth Brown, Marian Cameron, Shannon Elliot, Cathryn Leyland, Stan Merrell, John Midla, John Retallack, Todd Ryan, and Mollie Wolf.   

The exhibit runs through November 24th.  Starry Nites Café is located in the unique Flat Iron Building at 696 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607 and is open daily.  Call (585) 271-2630 for hours or visit www.starrynitescafe.com.

 

Admission is free for both exhibits and artwork is available for purchase.