One thing that inspired me to contribute to The Community Reporter was the open conversations with colleagues and friends who have lived in their communities for 5, 10 or 22 years and do not know their neighbors. Community is composed not only of our public officials, the mayor, or the coffee shop owner, but also of people who work full-time corporate jobs and take additional time to create art, assist others with gardening or become trusted babysitters. Let’s take a look at one of our neighbors who, outside of work, builds art for all of us to admire and enjoy. Meet Jean!
How long have you lived in St. Paul?
I have lived in St. Paul for about 20 years now, after buying a house in the Little Bohemia neighborhood.
Tell us a little about your day job and where art fits in.
In my non-art life, I work in mental health. I have always been interested in advocacy and mental health, which is why I earned a master’s in social work and have worked in the field ever since. That was 36 years ago. I work a lot, which is why art, in general, making things is so appealing. It’s a good way of redirecting the challenges of work.
The name of my business is Wildarabesque. I got into jewelry making as a child when my mother taught me to make beaded earrings and work with wire. I also took a silversmithing class in college. Then I worked on my career for a while, and once it was established, I returned to making jewelry. That was about 10 years ago, although I’ve made jewelry in some form for the past 20 years.
I use silver, copper, brass and bronze to make a fairly eclectic style of jewelry, framing and accenting beautiful natural stones. My style incorporates a lot of different elements, whether it’s some southwest influence, whether it’s natural botanical influences, or even something I call “whimsy Goth”, with bats, spiders and skulls.
I will be doing several art fairs this summer. I just finished the Art-A-Whirl and the spring art crawl at the Schmidt Artists Lofts. I will be participating in the Loring Park Art Fair, the Minnehaha Falls Art Fair, the Powderhorn Park Art Fair and the St. Paul Fall Art Crawl at the Schmidt Artists Lofts. I will be adding more shows to my official schedule as I get more information about them.
Woah! Busy lady. How can people find your creations?
You can find me online on Facebook, Etsy and Instagram under the name Wildarabesque. I post most of the new jewelry that I’m making and the shows that I’m doing on Instagram.
Now to the non-business stuff. What do you love about St. Paul?
That’s a tough one because there are so many places that I love in St. Paul. I’m really enjoying the new strip of vintage stores opening along West 7th. There are so many good restaurants and cute shops.
Advice to an artist who may shy away from taking risks.
To someone new who’s trying to put their art out there, I would say: do what you love, and don’t pander or compromise to please an audience or a customer, because it’s not gonna be what you love anymore. Do what moves you to make art, and the people who like what you’re doing will find you and appreciate it.
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