We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Jaffe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.
Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I am a firm believer in dedication, and hard work. I like to do something for my art everyday-even when life gets in the way. If you just make a phone call or plan something the process moves forward. Just like a mosaic, all the little bits add up to something greater.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, New York. I have been making art ever since I was a child. For my first masterpiece, I glued the Milton Bradley game, Candyland, to the basement walls of our house.
Luckily my parents were not angry.
Most Saturdays during our grade school years, my sister and I attended The Fiedel School for Creative Arts, a unique art school for children located in a historic mansion in Bayville, Long Island.
I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics and glass from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During my college education, I spent a semester studying in Rome, Italy where the inspiration for implementing mixed media into assemblages was born.
In the early 1980’s, I worked in the garment center in New York City by day and hung out at New York Experimental Glass Workshop on Great Jones Street in the Bowery at night. A few years later, I founded Germantown Glassworks with a former classmate. We produced functional glass objects d’art which we exhibited at the American Craft Council shows and sold in galleries and retail stores across the nation.
After relocating to Miami, I began working as a public artist and have installed large scale outdoor sculptures throughout the State of Florida.
These installations range from a veteran’s memorial to a historical tribute in a roundabout.
During this timeframe, I also created several series of mixed media assemblages, mosaic paintings and sculptures. My current series centers on portraits of iconic women. Each portrait in this collection depicts a narrative about historic figures who have helped shaped the world we live in today.
My practice is fueled by a passion for collecting nostalgia and the challenge of how to give old treasures a new and exciting life. I find objects at antique shops, thrift stores, yard sales, and online and upcycle them. Once collected, I reconfigure vintage buttons, ceramics, glass, and plastic toys into portraits which are then encapsulated in resin which produces a contemporary look.
The refashioned portraits tell the story of the subject and evokes memories and personal connections. It is here where the complex interplay between memory and the emotional resonance of objects is considered.
The unexpected combination of materials sets my artwork apart and gives it strength, unique perspective, and joy.
I also do commission work for customers’ favorite iconic figures oftentimes using their own personal mementos.
While I have had my work shown at museum and gallery shows throughout my career, I am most proud of the personal connections I have made along my journey and feel blessed to have a passion.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My studio practice and subject matter evolved after my move to Miami in the early ‘90s. There was no glass shop nearby and so the region’s bright hues and subtropical climate made mosaics an optimal medium to explore. I began to pursue larger pieces with a more enduring presence.
My work has been selected by public juries and commissioned by private enterprises for numerous interior murals and outdoor projects. My business experience prepared me to efficiently manage substantial budgets and work with community leaders, architects, and landscape designers – occasionally involving local students in the creative process.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I keep in touch with clients and people interested in my art through Instagram and Facebook where I post my artwork being created from start to finish, from the creative process to the treasure hunting for materials and inspiration for my work.
I also have a website
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @stephaniejaffeart
- Facebook: @stephaniejaffeart
Image Credits
Alain Fleitas Photography Lisa Vollmer Photography Ron Oppenheimer John Biondo