Artist Statement

 

I believe that art should be a reflection of the individual artist and a statement about how he or she views the world. I have always felt very passionately about nature, especially the desert country where I now live. My art is a way for me to express my feelings about the beauty of nature, and to share that beauty with other people. When I create jewelry pieces, I begin with a natural element that appeals to me and think of how I can best reveal its beauty. That focal point is the beginning of the piece, which may have few or many other elements added. I think jewelry is such a wonderful art form because it allows for many diverse natural and human-made materials to be put together into myriad variations that are pleasing to the eye and to the soul, and it is appreciated in such a real way as we wear and enjoy it.  Art is an expression of who we are as people and a celebration of the best parts of life. I sincerely believe that we all need to experience art, in some way, to live life to its fullest.

 

  

Background

 

Growing up I lived in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. I received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (art, theatre, and English) from Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana, coursework for a B.A. in Art from Kent State University, and an M.A.T. in Art Education from Kent State University. I have taught junior high art in Mentor, Ohio, and gifted elementary art in Garland, Texas. Currently I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I am teaching high school art and working part-time as a jewelry designer.

 

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© 2009, Mary Hershberger. Updated: August 2009.