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HOT STUFF, Contemporary Sculptural Jewelry
Exhibition Date: April 13, 2018 through June 17, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, April 13, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Late Night at the Library: May 18, 2018 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Featuring the artwork of Rachel Shimpock, Jill Baker Gower, Jessica Calderwood.

This exhibition explores sculptural jewelry that pushes the boundary of beauty, materials, technique and fashion. From electroformed potato chips to colorful enamel and resin resembling human flesh, the women in this exhibition represent the new age of art, craft, and ornamentation.

This exhibition features more than forty works by three of the most unique, young female jewelry designers of the decade: Jill Baker Gower, Jessica Calderwood, and Rachel Shimpock.

MEET JILL BAKER GOWER
Originally from the Chicago area, Jill Baker Gower earned her B.S. in Art Education at the University of Wisconsin and her M.F.A. from Arizona State University. Her educational career led her to a successful career in the arts. Jill's work has been in many juried and curated exhibitions nationwide. A few of the publications her work has been included in are Metalsmith magazine, 500 Enameled Objects and the forthcoming book CAST. Jill was also a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship (2015).

Jill's jewelry is informed by the female experience. This includes everyday interactions and observations of gender-based expectations or generalizations.

The shapes and forms of her pieces come from disparate inspirations including the female form; faceted gems; historic jewelry and metalwork; and tools or implements for beautification or medical procedures. The surfaces of her work are often ornate, etched with lace patterns, and at times are paired with actual crocheted elements. Jill chooses to incorporate skin, red, and pink toned colors in her work primarily to reference human flesh, cosmetics, the body, and blood.

The use of materials such as skin-toned rubber and mirrors reference bodily transformation, examination, and vanity. Meanwhile, the purpose of other materials are selected for their aesthetic qualities, emotional resonance, and preciousness. With these materials, formal considerations, and influences, Jill creates work that she considers both playful and beautiful and at times even absurd or humorous.

MEET JESSICA CALDERWOOD
Image-maker and sculptor, Jessica Calderwood is an artist who works primarily with the media of metal and enamel. Through a combination of traditional and industrial metalworking processes her work makes a statement about contemporary life. Jessica's work is imbued with personal stories and vibrant color.

Jessica received her B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and her MFA from Arizona State University, with an emphasis on Metalworking. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally in curated and juried exhibitions. She has participated in artist residencies with the John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Program and the Mesa Arts Center. Her work has also been published in Metalsmith Magazine, American Craft, NICHE, Ornament, the Lark 500 series, and the Art of Enameling. She has been an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh since 2008. Calderwood is a recipient of a Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship.

MEET RACHEL SHIMPOCK
Rachel's work is an exploration of formal elements that address the essence of the sensual encounter with comfort food. Transforming complex and separate elements into a new kind of whole. With the inclusion of the body as site, jewelry allows her to present the relationship between two influences, which have followed her continuously throughout her life: food and ornament. With this work she represents moments of guilty  pleasure by utilizing form, texture, color and surface treatment.

The conceptual direction of this work is initiated by personal nostalgia associated with the social relationships triggered by food and the interactions that result. The accumulations of her planned and accidental food sentiments are what she is interested in documenting. She had positioned these pieces to evoke the character of social foods that are consumed by or made for two or more people. She looks to metal to confirm her intent to honor and respect the legacy of her craft and present her sense of humor with integrity. Rachel defines herself both as a metalsmith and a proud foodie. She is part of the gastronomic population that knows carrots are better; but would rather wear
her cheeseburger and eat it too.

Thank you to our sponsors:

RIDE THE SOCIAL WAVE!