For me, the best parts of May are the budding spring flowers, perfect weather for a walk around the lake, and… Art-A-Whirl! For a whole weekend, artists of Northeast Minneapolis gather to showcase thousands of pieces of art for anyone to come and see. From pottery and blown glass to paintings and custom jewelry, there is something for everybody. Studios are open and inviting, with friendly faces and yummy snacks. Bands play old favorites and new tunes throughout the weekend. Being one of the artists who participates in Art-A-Whirl, I have first hand experience of how much fun the weekend is. Granted, seeing so many people in just a few short days can be exhausting, but the thrill of it all is very worth it for me. I’ve shared a studio in the Carriage House of the Casket Arts Building with Kelsey Lee-Karol for about eight years now, and this past weekend’s Art-A-Whirl was remarkable. Just outside of my studio I saw dueling marching bands and Fancy Ray, our local celebrity. I also witnessed a fellow artist conducting an iron pour, which takes a whole team of trusted members to pour molten ore into molds as a form of casting. That was a fascinating event to watch, but my favorite part of the weekend was reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones! Every year in addition to familiar faces, I get to see custom jewelry I recognize from past art shows. It’s fun to see how other artists’ and jewelers’ and my own work have evolved over the years. I’ll often have people tell me how they saw my jewelry on someone just the other day. This for me is what Art-A-Whirl is all about. Seeing people connect with my designs is so heartening. I can’t recommend attending this event next May any more highly!
The jewelry community in Northeast Minneapolis is vibrant and very talented. Further south in the cozy Linden Hills neighborhood, New Gild Jewelers is thriving as well. Here, we showcase many local artists from all over Minnesota and beyond, including Northeast Minneapolis. While we have antique showcases filled with gifts from under $100, our team also takes on all kinds of custom jewelry design projects, repairs, antique jewelry restoration and watch battery replacement.
Here you can find the work of the lovely Inna Boie, Jen Bellefleur (co-owner), Karla Bradley, Susie Crouse, Aisha Formanski, Tamara Grabinger, Betty Jager, Emily Johnson, Britta Kauppila, Kelsey Lee-Karol (co-owner), and Gina Mount (my own!) If you still have some gift searching to do for “moms and proms” or “dads and grads,” and can’t wait till next year’s Art-A-Whirl, stop in at New Gild Jewelers! Hope to see you soon :-)G
Interested to see more of what we have to offer at New Gild Jewelers?
Visit or contact our jewelry studio during Art-A-Whirl or anytime of year!
