About the Artist
Dana creates jewelry and metalwork in Iowa City, Iowa. She
has a BA degree in Art Education from Iowa State University and a MA
in Fine Art from University of Iowa. Her interest in metal and jewelry
began after she became employed as a goldsmith at Joseph's Jewelers in
Des Moines, Iowa. There she received training in working with precious
metal jewelry and gemstones. The need to be adventurous set in, and she
went to Japan and worked as an English teacher at a private school in Japan for a
year. While teaching, she saw an advertisement for a button manufacturer that
was interested in hiring foreign designers to help internationalize their company.
It was a great creative opportunity to work as a designer for
Iris Company Ltd. in Japan. She designed high-end buttons for coats and womens suits.
A combination of designing and technical knowledge has led Dana these days to
concentrating on making her own designs in Jewelry. She works mostly with
metals. She has a real interest in the natural environment
and preservation of native plants and lands, and likes to incorporate this into her work.
Her jewelry is featured at these galleries:
Iowa Artisans Gallery in vibrant downtown Iowa City, Iowa;
and
Sugargrove, a vineyard and winery in Newton, Iowa just minutes east of Des Moines,
which has special events where you can enjoy delicious wine, food, and art.
Exhibitions and Sales Events:
Reiman Gardens Garden Art Fair Sunday, July 11th, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Prairie Preview XXVII, Parkview Church, 15 Foster Rd, Iowa City, Iowa, March 9, 2010, 6:30 pm. This program features information and displays from local environmental organizations and agencies. I will be exhibiting my prairie inspired jewelry. The keynote speaker is Bill Witt, photographer and author of the beautiful photo essay book Enchantment by Prairie.
7th Annual Art & Flower Festival
Saturday, September 18, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Benefit for Habitat for Humanity at Anna's Cutting Garden in Oxford, Iowa. What a beautiful setting for art. And, what's an art festival without good food? Anna will be making homemade brick oven pizza and homemade ice cream.
2009 Iowa Nature and Wildlife in Art Show, Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 7725 Kirkwood Boulevard SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 21-22, 2009.
Proceeds from this event will support the acquistion of targeted and endangered wetlands in Iowa. Preserving these areas is essential for flood prevention.
Hearst Competitive Exhibit May 31, 2008-August 17, 2008
Metals Iowa: Making Connections Russian State Pedagogical University, St. Petersburg, Russia; May 13-May 22, 2008
Composting Good and Evil: Redesign for Sanctimonius Sinners This is an online exhibition beginning March 15th, 2008 at: www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org
I created a sculpture of various reclaimed materials and objects to make my interpretation of a composter. It's one of the artworks in this exhibition. Brew yourself a cup of tea, then sit down at the computer and take a look....
The Creative Process:
Dana finds inspiration for her work mainly in objects from nature, such as leaves, stems,
seeds, and flowers she sees on frequent hikes on trips to prairie preserves and parks.
Sometimes inspiration will come from wires and metal lying there on her work bench, which
at first seem to be just wires and metal, but have the potential for beauty. She may sketch out designs on
paper, as well as manipulate paper models by cutting and folding that are transformed ultimately
into metal jewelry.
Dana also loves cooking for relaxation and survival, and one of her favorite creative challenges is cooking vegan. Check out her website devoted to consuming just plants.
