We recently connected with Mary Rogers and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

At one point I participated in an exhibition that focused on stretching the boundaries of our work. Each of the artists created a series of works that challenged our normal approach to making, and designed a presentation box representing our response to the challenge.

My challenge developed into “The Roadmap of Life” and a series of Moral Compass Brooches resulted.
Very little in my personal or artistic life has been straightforward, so many conflicting routes presented themselves.

Mary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a jeweler I have always focused on creating jewelry that is personal within a wearable format. Many jewelry artists strive to be cutting edge; I have consciously chosen to create jewelry that although very contemporary is classic and personal. Hopefully it will be comfortably worn thirty years from now, giving no visual clue as to when it was created.

The challenge of creating unexpected but distinctive works lead me to explore unusual metal choices and
techniques. I am primarily self-taught, so my studio practice has been varied. At one point I worked in
niobium, a metal that when anodized created a range of permanent colors and patterns. There was resistance to this work, as the perceived “worth” of this unusual material did not balance the time needed to create with it. My interest in color and pattern was still strong so I began experimenting with 22K Gold,
Shibuichi and Shakudo. The two former metals are used in Japanese decorative sword furniture and
and can develop distinctive colors that create contrast and lovely patterns.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I have always been actively involved in teaching, both in public high schools and the Art League of Houston. Sharing my approach to visual problem solving has been extremely rewarding, and I found that I was always challenged and learning as much as my students.

Participation in the arts is critical in developing problem solving skills which are applicable to
all aspects of a productive, full-filling life. Providing a environment where individuals can develop their own creative voice is always a bit complicated. Structuring a variety of experiences with some boundaries helps students locate a starting point, and gradually as they become comfortable with processes and techniques they begin to take the lead. Balancing my own art practice with the interaction with my students has challenged me to remain focused and organized over many years.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Throughout my career I participated in many of the Wholesale Markets presented by The American Craft Council & The Buyers Market.
After several years of successful shows when I was working primarily in anodized niobium I
attended a market and received no orders whatsoever. Gallery buyer had comments like: “This is the nicest of the “blue stuff” (anodized) we’ve seen but it is going out of style.”

Expensive, annoying and very upsetting! Time for a major rethink. I took a year off from doing the wholesale shows, decided that I needed to refocus on using more traditional materials (ie: valuable metals) while finding a way to retain my artistic voice.

Thankfully my reboot worked!

Contact Info:

• Website: under reconstruction maryrogersjewelry.com
• Other: Contact me directly at: [email protected]

Image Credits
All photos courtesy of the artist. Mary Rogers