Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Hallam Pearse.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My story isn’t linear; after graduating from high school in Columbus Ohio, I went to college on and off for many years. I did this for numerous reasons; the main thing was I didn’t know what the heck I wanted to major in or what I wanted to become plus I was paying for my school and spent time following the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. At one point I started working at an emergency homeless shelter for women and children. Next came a three-year residential program at the YWCA for women who were coming out of jail or a psychiatric facility. I was on my way to becoming a social worker. One weekend I taught a class on making beaded earrings. The following weekend a tough as nails client, who took the class, tells me she got a job. She goes on to tell me she thought she got the job because she was wearing earrings she made, and it made her feel good. I thought well this jewelry stuff is powerful and I literally quit my job the next month and started looking for colleges where I could get a BFA in Jewelry. It was totally blind intuition as I didn’t know anything about jewelry as a degree. I ended up at Kent State where they literally had to ask me to leave after four years because I had enough credits for basically a triple major. Following Kent State, I taught jewelry at two different art centers in Columbus Ohio. I found my love of teaching at these centers. After three years I was yearning to develop my work and make more of a commitment to my practice, so I went off to New Paltz NY to get my MFA in Jewelry. From there I went on to teach at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and then UGA here in Athens GA.
Please tell us about your art.
I make jewelry because I believe in its power. Jewelry takes on different meanings in different contexts; it’s a shapeshifter. I am interested in how and what jewelry communicates, and how jewelry has functioned historically, not just for visual consumption but as a signifier of wealth, class, sexual availability, age, and gender. I’m interested in the portability and wearability of jewelry; its public and private life, the misconceptions and the perception of these intimate objects and how jewelry is involved in so many humanizing exchanges.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
It’s essential that you invite people to your studio to talk about your work. I have a small group of people I bounce ideas off of. Then I have a few folks in an outer circle I ask more technical questions, farther out I have a few cheerleaders and a really fantastic editor. Actually, I have two! Writing is such an important component that it’s essential you have at least one person to edit your writing. I’ve created these concentric circles of support if you will. Most recently I co-founded a group, The Outpost, to work on larger projects. We are an activation group set to amplify the ways we connect and communicate on multiple channels about the craft. It’s really a bunch of smart and talented women who identify as community builders and shapeshifters. So invite people into your studio, start a critique group, host a workshop or attend a workshop and surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is in a number of select exhibitions each year. Currently, I have work in an exhibition, A View from the Jewelers Bench: Ancient Treasures, Contemporary Statements at Bard Gallery in NYC until July 7, 2019. It’s a really exciting exhibition to be in because my work is alongside ancient work and a number of contemporary jewelers whose work I really admire. It’s an opportunity to see the breath of subjects in jewelry and adornment. I have a pretty strong online presence, so if simply google my name you’re sure to see images, that sounds strange to say, but it’s true.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7062016140
- Email: maryhpearse@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Mary Hallam Pearse
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