d. marie henderson

I just submitted my application for the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild member exhibition, Urban Renaissance: New Visions of Jewelry and Sculpture.  The ACCI Gallery (Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Inc.) located in Berkeley, CA will host the exhibition in November 2009.

Here is my artist proposal:

Reno, Nevada—the self-proclaimed “biggest little city in the world”—began as a gaming mecca but is now reinventing itself as an outdoor adventure destination and ‘green’ city.  Local residents are slowly reclaiming downtown from the casinos and establishing a small network of upscale boutiques, art galleries, quirky cafés, hipster bars, nightclubs, theaters and museums.

I live downtown in an old, slightly dilapidated brick bungalow built in 1916.  As someone who always sees the potential of things, I am encouraged and energized by the transformation of my neighborhood.  Although the economic downturn has recently stalled this transformation (resulting in abandoned construction sites and empty shop windows), I remain confident that Reno will grow and thrive in time.

I intend to use debris collected from construction sites (concrete rubble, broken glass, scrap metal and bits of plastic) juxtaposed with architectural renderings of planned redevelopment projects (images of a vibrant community enjoying a bright future) to create jewelry works that explore concepts related to urban renewal, growth, decay, identity, community, and the evolution of cities over time.  Precious metals will be used to connect and showcase the found objects and imagery.

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Ideas, comments and suggestions are welcome!

~d.