Shining Examples
Santa Fe’s contemporary jewelry scene is thriving—thanks in part to these forward-thinking artists
Pin (sterling silver, glass beads), Mary Kanda
Silver and turquoise jewelry, which local Navajo and Pueblo artists began crafting in New Mexico in the 1860s and ’70s, will always help define Santa Fe style. But while it gets most of the attention, it’s not the only kind of jewelry that stands out here. These five artists are drawing from local traditions and the region’s confluence of cultures to create work that’s as innovative—and finely crafted—as you’ll find anywhere in the country.
Doug Magnus has been one of Santa Fe’s best-known silver-and-turquoise artists since the late 1970s, making Western-style belt buckles prized by both authentic cowboys and stylish imitators. His fine jewelry designs, however, show off his versatility, and by setting green-blue turquoise in 18-karat gold, he gives the classic stone a fresh and elegant update. Magnus has long been fascinated by turquoise from the Cerrillos Hills, just south of Santa Fe, which are believed to have been mined by the Pueblo Indians as early as a.d. 600. Today he owns 16 of the Cerrillos mines, which are no longer operating, and he uses turquoise he finds
there in many of his pieces, available at the Magnus Studios (905 Early, douglasmagnus.com).
Bracelet (sterling silver, 14-karat gold, emeralds), Keri Ataumbi
Rather than setting stones, Mary Kanda sets colorful seed-beads—using straight-from-the-hardware-store tile grout. The Alcalde-based artist crafts tiny sterling-silver “frames” to look like oak leaves, stars, and circles, among other shapes. She fills each one with beads—in hues like mustard yellow, red, or lime green—then grouts them to create earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and brooches with bright, mosaic-like looks. Kanda first came up with the technique in the 1990s, when she had left New Mexico to spend a few years in New England. “I was really missing the artwork I’d seen in Santa Fe, with all the colors and the primitive, tribal qualities,”
she says. Kanda returned here in 2001, and the oak and beech leaves in her jewelry are a reminder of how both New England and the Southwest have influenced her designs. Her work is available at Patina Gallery (131 W Palace, patina-gallery.com).
It’s subtle pattern, rather than color, that adds interest to Phil Poirier’s work. The Taos-based artist hand-forges his material, known as Damascus steel, by layering two different alloys and then manipulating the red-hot metal to create intricate swirling and wave-like patterns. “Traditionally, Damascus work has more of a wood-grain pattern,” notes Alison Barnett of Patina Gallery, which shows Poirier’s jewelry. “But Phil has six or eight different patterns he works with. He’s very savvy with the technical aspects of his art.” Poirier also designs in 18-karat gold; particularly impressive are his “Pick-Up Sticks” pieces—earrings, pendants, and bracelets that resemble artful scatterings of delicate, precariously balanced gold needles, some accented with diamonds.
Santa Fe’s Keri Ataumbi, a Native American of Kiowa descent, is another metals artist known for her technical mastery. But in creating what she terms “wearable art,” she is equally interested in exploring the relationship between a piece of jewelry and the human body. Ataumbi’s silver cuff bracelets, some adorned with 14-karat gold dragonflies, some with bees and tiny gold or diamond “honey drops,” are show-stoppers. “She’s doing something totally different than any other Native American artists,” says Jamie Khan, director of Shiprock Santa Fe (53 Old Santa Fe Trail, shiprocktrading.com), which features Ataumbi’s work. “She’s unique among silversmiths in general. I can wear her pieces in New York, Dallas, and Santa Fe, and they stand out everywhere.”
Earrings (Damascus steel, 18-karat gold, diamonds), Phil Poirier
Elan Varshay designs 18-karat gold jewelry in a range of elegant styles, from basic (a bracelet of thick, two-inch-long oval links) to blingy (a glittering, rare green amethyst set in a bold ring band peppered with tiny, Swiss-cheese-like holes, some holding diamonds and rubies). Originally from Israel, Varshay created jewelry for couture houses in New York before moving here in 1993. He designed jewelry and belt buckles at James Reid Ltd. before striking out on his own, in 1996, and now sells his work exclusively at Evoke Contemporary (130 Lincoln, evokecontemporary.com), which he co-owns. “My latest collection was inspired by Frida Kahlo,” he says. “I try to challenge myself and take my designs in new directions every few months.”
In fact, while Varshay’s jewelry designs appear to have little in common with the typical “Santa Fe style,” he believes the past is what fuels the area’s forward-looking jewelry scene. “A place like this, that has some history, is very accepting of new innovation,” he says. “It’s comfortable with itself, and exploring a new direction is not going to undermine its established culture. In my mind, combining the new world with the old world keeps the old world alive and makes the new world richer.”
