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Heirloom Fusion
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2017/07 - July
We all have them…treasures too dear to discard. They sit idly in bureaus and boxes and bags.
You can’t take Grandmother’s brooch, Auntie’s silver dollar, or Father’s military medals to Tiffany’s for some kind of curio reformation to display in your foyer.
So what do you do with them, these cherished symbols, brimming with legendary stories of your family’s history?
Mark Edge, one of Smitten’s premier artists, has the answer. He discovered it quite by accident at a showing.
“A lot of my pieces have coins in them,” he said. “People started bringing silver and gold coins to trunk shows. I’d replace my coins with theirs and discount the price by the value of the collectible currency. I went to a show in Mississippi. As usual I said I’d switch out coins if people brought a special one. Unexpectedly the shop owner booked me all day in 15-minute sessions. She told her customers to bring anything that would work in a necklace. What was supposed to be a trunk show with maybe a couple of coin replacements turned into a potential nightmare. But lo and behold, the day transformed into a huge success and a turning point in my approach to art. I felt like a rock star as clients eagerly shared their family heirlooms, handfuls of coins, satchels of granny’s costume jewelry, then gasped with amazement and often teared-up when I married their vintage pieces with my art.”
Mark’s exquisite sense of design transformed client’s family heirlooms into a wearable keepsake, a conversation piece, a show-stopping one-of-a-kind personal masterpiece. And it remolded Mark’s artistic process into a challenging and rewarding venture that eternally stokes his creative fires.
Bring your family treasures to Smitten’s Third Thursday, July 21, from 5:00 P.M. ‘til the fat lady sings and the cows come home. Call (828) 526-9300 in advance to set up a private appointment. Smitten is located at 468 Main Street in downtown Highlands. You can reach Mark at [email protected] and markedge.com.
