Tag: local art

Art Happens in Storied Congress Space

November 1, 2014 |
Krikawa Jewelry

The Krikawa Family, left to right: LeCarie Whitfield, Chief of Operations (Patrick’s Wife); Patrick Swartz, Master CAD Modeler (Lisa’s brother and John’s best friend from High School); John Krikawa, Chief Technical Officer; Lisa Krikawa, Founder, CEO, Head Designer. Photo © Balfourwalker.com

Art Happens in Storied Congress Space
Krikawa Jewelry Designs is upping the ante downtown, adding its new design studio, gallery and retail space to an already critical mass of cool on Congress

The eastern end of Congress exerts a gravitational pull downtown – with a steady diet of food and drink phenomena. But it’s time to start walking west, where a faceted flash has been added to the mix…and a long-standing Tucson designer has raised the game along the far reaches of downtown’s entertainment corridor.

Lisa Krikawa – award-winning jewelry designer and the last graduate of the University of Arizona’s metal-smithing program in 1997 ––is moving her studio downtown, the first jewelry house devoted to a mix of contemporary wearable art gallery, jewelry bench, local artisan resource and offices. It’s an ambitious new project launched by her 17-year old Tucson family-operated company, following a year of research and planning. Leasing the 4,200 square-foot space once occupied by one of Tucson’s first jewelers (Daniel’s Jewelers), Krikawa has carefully renovated the historic jewelry store, exposing its brick and tiles, and preserving touches like the Daniel’s mosaic street tablet, under the sparkling direction of Baker-Hesseldenz Design and architect J. Chauncey Meyer, known for their innovative urban modern spaces.

Since opening shop in her garage, Lisa has forged a singular niche in an international arts landscape, where her couture-design custom rings, her extremely detailed layering of the old-world mokumé-gané technique on heirloom pieces, and her high-tech, intricate swirls of gems set in precious metal are renowned. As much at home carving her own jeweler waxes as crafting 3-D CAD-modeled designs, Lisa has built a business showcasing environmentally-clean and ethically-certified pieces, with a mystique unlike anything else you’ll see in Tucson. Krikawa has thrived under Lisa and her family’s symbiotic partnership, growing into an organization of 11 employees and over 5,000 custom designs for clients from Australia to Canada, and from Germany to New York, California and Tucson.

After multiple moves across the city, from garage, to a Sam Hughes studio and most recently to St. Philip’s Plaza, Krikawa says the 21 E. Congress St. relocation, opening November 22, signals that her studio is growing up, a perfect marriage of high art, community vision and unerring instinct for what’s cool.

“We’re artisans who belong downtown,” confirms Krikawa, who notes that everyone working at the company has his/her own art. “All our choices convey our vision of creative expression, and sustain our desire to be part of a dynamic community integral to our customers’ experience.

“When I saw the space I saw it as a possibility for anything,” she continues. “I knew it was right for Krikawa.”

With its tall ceilings and brick walls left raw, the innovative structure is being built out in a multi-faceted layout resembling a small design city. In a bright front exhibition area, visitors will observe handcrafted modern displays showcasing works of top-tier artisans; further into the 1,600 square feet of gallery showroom space will be a congenial lounge area as well “play stations” for customers to visualize and personalize the process of creating custom jewelry pieces. Further back, Krikawa gets even more interesting with window views in to the creative nurseries – the soldering, CAD and tooling stations, as well as the jeweler’s bench. Krikawa offices are in the back.

Lisa Krikawa has a vigorous agenda for her front exhibition space, and has invited approximately 30 premier artisans to be part of the first show, an installation called Local Flavors, on view through January 31. The collection features contemporary jewelry pieces, hats and other wearable art, making for a gallery experience that’s both intimate and communal, spiced up by unusual offerings that mix metals and patterns. Intuitive and diverse, the Local Flavors show is influenced by local design and what feels right. “It’s experimental, it’s fun,” Lisa observes. “It’s thoughtfully curated, but it also has a freshness relatable to everyone.”

Architecturally-styled Erik Stewart jewelry, as well as urban designs by Maureen Brusa-Zappelini and unique silverwork by Sam Patania, are among the works and artists represented. Like a fine digital mix made by a friend, the collection works because of the detail and the quality.

For the opening, Krikawa also is introducing a new line of sterling food-related charms, a whimsical nod to the foodie and fashionista locavorism of her Congress counterparts. A portion of charm sales will support the Food Bank, a philanthropic practice Krikawa routinely provides to local nonprofits.

A hint of Krikawa’s unique downtown programming is evident in its planned extracurricular activities, including DIY workshops, which will allow customers to be involved in the CAD design and even the polishing of their custom pieces. “Art is personal expression and we want those who wish it, to have a hand in their own jewelry,” she asserts.

This type of DIY involvement, although somewhat revolutionary in the jewelry business, is of growing interest, and Krikawa excitedly talks about the creative empowerment planned in her studio.

“I’m a Tucsonan who always has believed in the spirit of downtown,” the metalsmith says. “With this space, I can continue my business as a successful commercial venture, but also open up to new creative options for myself as an artist and for the community as a whole.”

Krikawa’s dynamic sense of possibility is jumping at the chance to explore the less orthodox. “I don’t want to put any limits on what Krikawa might do downtown,” she smiles.

Krikawa Jewelry Design’s new space opens Saturday, November 22, 6-9pm., with its Local Flavors exhibit, 21 E. Congress St., downtown. Showroom and design appointment hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, 10am-4pm. (520)322-6090, Krikawa.com.

 

 

interview: alexsey’s art

November 22, 2012 |

I came across Alexsey Kashtelyan, a local artist and illustrator, as he was working on a t-shirt design for local band Young Hunter at Café Passé. I was intrigued by the piece he was working on, which combined the graphic impact of hyper-stylized text (a note: Alexsey does some work in Hebrew, and/but, interestingly enough, the style of his “Young Hunter” text reminded me a lot of classic Arabic script) with the nuance of detailed illustration. I took a few photos of him as he worked, then followed up on the meeting by emailing him with a few questions about his work and the sources of his inspiration. Check out the photos and interview below, and take a look at more of his work here.

 (Click image above for detail.)

Zócalo Hannah: What has your art education—formal and informal—consisted of?

Alexsey Kashtelyan: My art education isn’t too different from that of other artists around the world. I started doodling since I could, and didn’t stop! Otherwise, formally, I have a minor in Studio Art from the University of Arizona, with a Marketing Bachelors. I still wish it were the other way, but… Cold feet got me.

ZH: There seems to be a macabre element and/or fantastical element to much of your work. Where does that impulse derive from?

AK: You know… I really can’t say! I’ve just always been drawn to the horrific and fantastical  Maybe it’s because my brother forced me to watch horror movies when I was a child, an Frey and Jason somehow burrowed their ways into my psyche. I’m also a fan of metal, especially the doomier side of things, and the art that follows along has always fascinated me. But – ironically, I was terrified of evil, satanism, etc. all throughout my early youth because of irrational fears stemming from an overactive imagination, or something. I once didn’t even let myself listen to a single KISS song because I thought they really were knights of Satan! Anywho…these days, it’s mostly just a side of the imagination that really inspires me. And if nothing else: it looks cool. Skulls will never go out of style.

ZH: A lot of your text is in Hebrew. Also, you’re originally from Russia. What international, multicultural, or religio-cultural influences does your art contain? How does your life as an American but also as a multicultural citizen inform your art?

AK: Well, I suppose I should tell the story about that. So, every Jewish person has default citizenship in the state of Israel should you decide to move there. Along with that, to promote American-Jewish relations, as well as subtly try and boost the Jewish population, there’s the “Birthright” program that allows any Jew from the ages of 18-26 to get a free ten day trip to Israel. I went on that trip as a pilgrimage to the Uganda Bar in Jerusalem, where the band Om performed a five-hour long set released as a double vinyl called, simply enough, “Live In Jerusalem.” Anywho: I get to the bar, an there’s this band setting up called “Lili Franko.” They had a great set, I rocked out, and they invite me for falafel. Sadly, I had to get back on the tour bus to get to our hotel. Some facebooking later, I proposed that I do some art for them, and a few months later… Here we are! Great folks. And writing in Hebrew is a great artistic challenge as well; I’m a huge fan of the style of writing used in Torahs. And then, of course, there’s the old Russian fairy tales and the artwork that goes with them — I’m a huge fan of Bilibin and Repin. Those two are pure magic. But enough ramblin’ — in sum: Being multicultural has had a huge effect on my art, from the way I view it in an international and historical perspective, to the influences that physically manifest themselves in my work.

ZH: Who commissions art from you? What sort of art do you like to do?

AK: Most of my commissions come from bands in Tucson, though as I noted before, I’ve had some commissions from Israel, and from some friends in Portland, including illustrating a short story or two. But mostly: Tucson bands. I’ve always been interested in the psychedelic artwork that came from the 60s/70s San Francisco scene. All the illustrations for the Fillmore are gorgeous. But more importantly, I love the way that the style brought an outward sense of unity and closeness among the city’s culture. My goal is to help catalyze Tucson’s art & music scene in a similar way, if I can. Which is why most of the work I do so far is pro bono. I just want to collaborate and help people grow, and if my art brings the kids in to watch the show, that’s great. One day I hope to be selling prints, shirts, etc. an making a tidy profit… But I’m patient.

ZH: How long have you lived in Tucson? What do you think of the art scene here?

AK: I’ve lived in Tucson for the past 18 or 19 years, since I was five years old or so. I used to hate this town when I was younger because I couldn’t really do much downtown, couldn’t really participate, or simply just didn’t know how. But as of late, I’ve grown to love it. First of all, it’s just simply pleasant to sit around a patio, and always meeting up with someone you know, randomly walking down the street. That same “smallness” is great in that every band seems to knows every other band and plays within every other band, and so on. Just feels good. The “art” scene, however, I’m not too sure of. There’s some unity, but I think just because “art” (as in drawing, painting, etc.) is more of a personal thing, it’s harder to collaborate or even simply meet up over the sake of art. It’s still there, of course. The Art School at the UA really helped me to meet other artists, and get that same sense of community I’m sure musicians here feel. As well as the Art Phag meet up at the Surly Wench, and other art happenings around town. It could also be that the type of art I do primarily deals with musicians, rather than galleries. So… overall… not sure! I still have yet to fully discover it, and that’s amazing.