Artist Highlight - Liam Hughes

Hometown:

Ishpeming, MI… but I split my time between Milwaukee, WI, and Nenagh, Co Tipperary, Ireland now.

Preferred Mediums:

Folk Art Jewelry

How many years have you participated in the Art on the Bluffs, Inc. Art Walk?

This is my first year.

Where did you go to school, earn a degree, or formally study art?

I have my BFA from the Portland State University.

What is your art about & what inspires your work?

I recover pieces of broken antique and contemporary dishes and turn them into wearable pieces of art. The shards and their history and the techniques used in making the original piece inspire my work.

What is your creative process like?

I follow the folk art tradition of Pique Assiette which translates to “stolen from the plate.” This leads me on a path of recovering and recycling things that would otherwise be discarded and turning them into something decorative and useful.

How or when in your life did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an artist. I was blessed with very supportive parents who encouraged my creative endeavors.

Where can your work be viewed? 

www.LiamShardJewelry.com

What shows have you displayed in?

Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts, Chicago One of a Kind, New York One of a Kind, Southwest Arts Festival, and the Tempe Festival of the Arts.

What do you most enjoy about the art scene in St. Louis/Metro East?

I’m just getting my feet wet in this part of the country, but I’ve found people here to be genuinely interested in the artistic process and appreciative of craftsmanship.

Artist Highlight: Mary Hummert

Hometown: St. Libory, IL

Preferred Mediums: Broken and Discarded jewelry pieces, architectural salvage and furniture hardware, to name a few.

How many years have you participated in the Art on the Bluffs, Inc. Art Walk? This will be my third year.

Where did you go to school, earn a degree, or formally study art?  Self taught other than fine art courses at SWIC. 

What is your art about & what inspires your work? My art consists of upcycled one of a kind wearable art and home décor pieces which are greatly inspired by the Victoria era, nature, history, religion and other oddities with a small nod to the growing steampunk genre.  My art is very “green” as I use elements and materials destined for the landfill and/or recycling bin.

What is your creative process like?  I become inspired by nature, fashion, thoughts, people, etc and when the inspiration becomes an obsession I turn that into a piece of wearable art in the form of a fine art belt buckle or headband or one of my statement necklaces.  Most recently a lot of my inspiration has turned into small wall sculpture.  Very cool, odd - yet whimsical and interesting. 

How or when in your life did you know you wanted to be an artist?  I’ve been a creative soul all my life but recently really focused on my creative side 4 years ago.  

Where can your work be viewed?  My work can be viewed on line at www.pairabelles.com and at several local retail shops.  Also I am an artist at the Foundrie in Chesterfield Mall, an artisan boutique. 

What shows have you displayed in? I am a proud member of the St. Louis Craft Mafia and display my items at most, if not all, of the St. Louis Craft Mafia events such as “Green with Indie”, “Indie Craft Revolution” and Strangefolk Festival.  I’m also privileged to be one of the hand picked artists at Kay Weber ‘s Art and Craft Show in Belleville as well as Country Treasure shows throughout the year.  I’ve been an award winning artist at the Clinton County Art Guild Show and vend at numerous art/craft shows in the greater metro area.  I’ve also been featured on Great Day St. Louis (next airing is August 1^st).

What do you most enjoy about the art scene in St. Louis/Metro East? The appreciation between the artists and their individual art is amazing.  There is great effort to alert each other of the “good” shows and speedy internet advisement of any upcoming events that would be a good fit for each other’s individual art.  The advertisement for sponsored events is awesome .  Such great pride in the St. Louis artisan community and the shared respect is simply untouched.

A Call for Artists!

Calling All Artists!

Now is the time to apply!

Officially, all artists must submit an electronic application through zapplication.org

Zapplication.org is an online resource tool for artists that provides assistance applying to shows and festivals. They have a national following and we anticipate this forum will be beneficial to our artists. If you need any assistance registering online with Zapplication.org or completing the application process, please contact us at artists@artonthebluffs.com.


If you have any other questions about participating on the walk as a vendor, business or entertainer, please contact us at info@artonthebluffs.com.

We've Set the Date for the 4th Annual Art Walk!

WE SET THE DATE!

The 4th Annual Art Walk will take place on 

Saturday, September 22, 2012! 

The staff members of Art On The Bluffs Inc. are very excited to present the 4th Annual Art Walk! We have many exciting plans in store for this year and we're planning the best walk yet!

We are now accepting artist applications!!

Art On The Bluffs Inc. will be utilizing Zapplication.org for the application process!  Please visit our website at www.artonthebluffs.com for more information!

Please come out and support the Art Walk!

We are busy planning and preparing for our annual Trivia Night April 14, 2012!

Besides answering trivia questions, be prepared to participate in a few other fun activities! This is a great way for you to support your community and enjoy a night out with friends!

Please join us and help us keep the art walk an annual event and support the arts in Columbia!

Winner's Announced!

We've counted the ballots and here are the People's Choice Winners:

Eagleview Brice Hamilton

Parkview Eli Jennings

CMS Sydney Rey

CHS Jamie Lanman

ICS Ally Curry

Columbia Rehab Jim Bush

Congratulations to all of our talented artists and thanks to all who participated!

A Beautiful Day for an Art Walk!

This year's art walk was a wonderful success...the weather was gorgeous, the shorter venue appreciated, the artisan displays were beautiful, the music pleasant...all worked together to make the day very well attended and enjoyed! Thank you to all our patrons who came out to "walk the walk".

Photos were taken by Steve Reich.