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Helena Fox Fine Art Trunk Show – December 2 & 3, 2022

helena fox fine art

helena fox fine art

Helena Fox Fine Art in historic, downtown Charleston, SC

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

Helena Fox Fine Art Trunk Show – Charleston, SC

Helena Fox Fine Art represents my handcrafted silver designs and regularly carries a curated selection of my silver hollowware, flatware, home objects, and jewelry in their stunning historic, downtown Charleston art gallery.

They are hosting a special event featuring my artwork on Friday, December 2 from 5pm-8pm and Saturday, December 3 from 12pm-4pm. Our Friday event will be part of the downtown Charleston artwalk for the month of December and we are thrilled to participate.

I will exhibit a wider variety of my silver functional home objects, original jewelry designs, and Christmas ornaments than what the gallery usually shows during this festive holiday shopping event. I hope to see you there!

Helena Fox Fine Art

106A Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-0073

www.helenafoxfineart.com

New Palmetto Jewelry Series

palmetto cuff bracelet

Silver Palmetto Cuff Bracelet by Kaminer Haislip

New Palmetto Jewelry Series

I am extremely excited to announce Palmetto Jewelry Series, my new silver jewelry collection inspired by the palmetto tree! My previous Gorget Jewelry Series was partly inspired by the gorget’s prominence on the South Carolina state flag. In addition to the gorget or crescent moon, the flag includes a distinctive palmetto tree. Palmetto tree designs for so many items, especially jewelry, have been done in the same, tired way, so I decided to approach the topic with fresh eyes and an unexpected design.

sc flag

South Carolina State Flag

South Carolina is known as the “Palmetto State” not only for the abundance of Sabal Palmetto trees, the state tree, that are ample along the coast, but also for the important role the tree played in the American Revolution. Palmetto logs and sand were used by American Patriots to build a fort on Sullivan’s Island to protect Charleston in anticipation of a British attack. On June 28, 1776, the British military attacked the Patriot fort from the sea, but they were unsuccessful due to the cannon balls sinking into the spongy fibrous palmetto logs and sand. The American victory that day over the British at the Battle of Sullivan’s Island was a turning point in the war and led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

sabal palm tree

South Carolina Sabal Palmetto Tree

My two great-great-great-great-great grandfathers, Captain Joshua Hadley of the North Carolina Continental Line and Robert Martin of the South Carolina Militia, fought in the battle that day. In 1946, one hundred and seventy years later, their great-great-great grandchildren, my grandparents James William Franklin and Theodocia Kaminer Martin, married. I feel very fortunate the little palmetto fort was able to repel the aggression of the British as the outcome may not have been the same.

The palmetto tree became a proud state symbol and appears on the state seal, adopted in 1777, and on the state flag. Also included on the state flag is a crescent moon or Gorget that relates to the same battle in which I based the aforementioned Gorget Jewelry Series on.

silver palmetto earrings

Silver Palmetto Earrings (Large) by Kaminer Haislip

Palmetto Jewelry Series was inspired by the strength and fortitude of the palmetto logs and Patriots on that important day in American history. The upper part of the tree where the V shaped frond bases are left on the trunk, also known as boots or bootjacks, inspired the repetitive V unit in the design. The round element capping the end of the earrings and cuff bracelet references the cannon balls that sunk in the palmetto and sand fort walls.

palmetto hoop earrings

Silver Palmetto Earrings (Small) by Kaminer Haislip

Each jewelry piece was handcrafted in sterling silver and has a hammered texture on the surface, which reflects the light beautifully. You can shop the entire collection in my website store in the Jewelry category.

Thank you for your interest in my work!

Cinco de Mom-o Fundraiser Event – May 5, 2022

cinco de mom-o

Cinco de Mom-o Fundraiser Event

I am excited to participate in the Cinco de Mom-o fundraiser for the non-profit Florence Crittenton Programs on Thursday, May 5! This festive event will take place at Under the Almond Trees, located at 190 King Street in downtown Charleston, SC, from 4-8pm. There will be a food truck, raffle drawings, a silent auction, and local vendors such as myself.

I will have a selection of my silver jewelry, baby gift items, and functional home objects displayed for sale. A percentage of my proceeds will be donated to help this wonderful organization with their programs.

Located in downtown Charleston, Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina has been serving the state of South Carolina since 1897. Their mission is to provide hope, safety and opportunity to young women in order to instill self-worth and self-sufficiency. They value the right of every pregnant young woman to obtain the education, skills, and support needed to have a healthy start in life – for both herself and her child.

To learn more about this important non-profit and their mission, visit https://www.florencecrittentonsc.org/

Helena Fox Fine Art Show – February 12, 2022

helena fox fine art helena fox fine art gallery

Helena Fox Fine Art – Charleston, SC

Helena Fox Fine Art represents my handcrafted silver designs and regularly carries a curated selection of my silver hollowware, flatware, home objects, and jewelry in their stunning historic, downtown Charleston art gallery.

They are hosting a special Valentine’s Day event featuring my artwork on Saturday, February 12 from 12pm-4pm.

helena fox fine art

This Valentine’s Day mini trunk show will feature my original jewelry designs and silver home objects, so you are certain to find something sweet for the love in your life.

old exchange building

Old Exchange Building in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina

This show is part of the inaugural Exchange District shopping event, which includes Meeting Street to East Bay Street and Tradd Street to Queen Street in historic downtown Charleston. The Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon sits at the end of Broad Street and is the focal point of the Exchange District. There are many locally owned retail shops, galleries, and restaurants within these boundaries, so this new district and event will highlight these fabulous businesses.

A fun Valentine’s Bingo game will be part of the event and enhance the shopping experience (see below for details). I hope to see you there!

valentine bingo charleston

bingo card charleston

 

Helena Fox Fine Art

106A Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

843-723-0073

www.helenafoxfineart.com

Wildsam Field Guide 2nd Edition – January 2022

wildsam_cover

wildsam

Kaminer Haislip was a Contributor to the Wildsam Field Guide first Charleston, South Carolina edition and now the second edition is available. A new illustration of her with Helena Fox Fine Art Gallery, her Charleston gallery representative, was added to this updated version by the incredibly talented Stitch Design Co based in Charleston.

Order your copy of this insightful travel book to read her interview at https://www.wildsam.com/collections/city-guides/products/charleston-2nd-edition

“For tireless seekers of the authentic.”
– The Wall Street Journal

wildsam field guide

Quail Forever Benefit Event – November 22, 2021

quail forever

Quail Forever Benefit Event – Monday, November 22, 2021

I am very excited to participate in this Lowcountry holiday market and benefit event for Quail Forever co-hosted by the Charleston Mercury! I will have my silver jewelry, functional home objects, and Christmas ornaments displayed for sale.

The event will be held Monday, November 22 at the Boone Hall Cotton Dock in Mt. Pleasant, SC from 4-9pm and the details are above. I hope to see you at this festive, Southern event!

Save the Date!

Save the Date for Holiday Trunk Shows!

trunk show

This fall and holiday season I have a great line up of trunk shows scheduled, so please save the date! Below are the events I have scheduled so far and more details will be posted on my website Blog closer to the dates.

Helena Fox Fine Art – Charleston, SC – Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6

Mistletoe & Merlot – Aiken, SC – Thursday, November 18 from 6pm-9pm and Friday, November 19 from 9am-5pm

Silver Showing with The Charleston Silver Lady – Lexington, SC – Wednesday, December 8

 

New Gorget Jewelry Series

New Gorget Jewelry Series

gorget pendant

Gorget Pendant Large

For the Daughters of the American Revolution American Heritage Competition “Rise, and Shine Your Light on Your Revolutionary War Patriot”, I designed and created a silver necklace based on my great-great-great-great-great grandfather Captain Joshua Hadley’s military service during the Revolutionary War. The design process required a lot of research and thought, which I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from. To my great surprise and esteemed honor, it was awarded First Place in the Jewelry category and later received a South Carolina House of Representatives House Resolution. Details about both can be read on this Blog page. The necklace garnered such a positive response that I decided to do a spin off jewelry series based on one of the necklace elements, the Gorget.

The Gorget traces its history back to medieval times when it was worn as a piece of armor around the neck to protect the throat. Over time the shape, size, and function changed and by the 17th century it became a symbol of rank among military officers of many countries. At this point it was suspended around the neck with a chain or ribbon and was purely decorative.

silver gorget pendant

Gorget Pendant Small

The white crescent shape on the South Carolina flag is thought to be partly inspired by the Gorget. The original flag flown during the American Revolution Battle of Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, SC on June 28, 1776 had a blue background with the white crescent in the upper left hand corner. The flag played a prominent role in the battle that day and the Americans successfully defeated the British, which was a turning point in the war and led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

My contemporary interpretation of this historic form was inspired by its prominence during the American Revolutionary War in which my great-great-great-great-great grandfather Captain Joshua Hadley was a Continental Army officer. He participated in many important battles throughout the American Revolution, including the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. I feel the Gorget is my way of honoring that important event in American history and my ancestor. It also speaks to the place in which I live and Charleston’s important role in the early days of the American republic.

gorget earrings

Gorget Earrings

This new jewelry collection includes two pendants and one pair of post style earrings. Shop the new series and my other silver jewelry designs in my website store Jewelry category.

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

dar dar

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

captain joshua hadley

Captain Joshua Hadley silver necklace by Kaminer Haislip

I am so incredibly proud to announce I have been honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution with a prestigious award for the annual American Heritage Competition. My sterling silver necklace Captain Joshua Hadley was awarded the American Heritage Award for Crafts, First Place in the Jewelry category! It is such an honor and privilege to receive this prominent award for my artwork. The theme this year was Rise, and Shine Your Light on Your Revolutionary War Patriot and Captain Joshua Hadley is my great-great-great-great-great grandfather and DAR Patriot.  

american revolution
Captain Joshua Hadley silver necklace by Kaminer Haislip

Captain Joshua Hadley served in the 1st North Carolina Regiment, Continental Army from 1775 until 1787. My design for this necklace was informed by detailed research I did on his service in the Revolutionary War. The five units comprising the necklace were hand pierced from sterling silver sheet and formed utilizing traditional silversmithing techniques. Each charm has a specific meaning and they are outlined below.

Captains wore an epaulette on their right shoulder to signify rank, so when worn that charm is the upper right side. Captains also wore a white cockade on their hat to identify their status, so the radiating circular shape is my interpretation of the ribbon rosette. The surface designs on the epaulette and cockade were hand drawn onto the silver sheet and then etched with an acid technique to create the textured lines.

The center form is a Gorget, which traces its history back to medieval times when it was worn as a piece of armor around the neck to protect the throat. Over time the shape, size, and function changed and by the 17th century it became a symbol of rank among military officers of many countries. At this point it was suspended around the neck with a chain or ribbon and was purely decorative. Additionally, the white crescent shape on the blue South Carolina flag is thought to be partly inspired by the Gorget shape. Captain Joshua Hadley fought in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, SC on June 28, 1776. The flag played a prominent role in the battle that day and the Americans successfully defeated the British, which was a turning point in the war and led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, the Gorget also represents Charleston in this piece and where I live. On the back of the Gorget is hand engraved “Captain Joshua Hadley”.

gorget

Back of Gorget charm on necklace hand engraved 

Joshua Hadley was an Original Member of the Society of the Cincinnati and an eagle is their insignia. The fourth charm represents his membership in the oldest patriotic organization in the United States. I used the Society of the Cincinnati eagle that is on his graver marker as inspiration for the design, which was etched with the same technique as described above. 

society of the cincinnati eagle

Captain Joshua Hadley’s grave in Tennessee

The final charm is in the shape of North Carolina, which represents his home state during the war and his Regiment. On June 20, 1775 he joined other patriots to form an association of the Sons of Liberty at Liberty Point in what is now Fayetteville, NC. The document they signed that evening contained the statement “We stand ready to sacrifice our lives to secure her freedom”. A granite memorial later erected at the site to commemorate the event includes their names and that statement. Hand engraved on the front of the state is that phrase and the date is on the back.            

north carolina charm

Front of North Carolina silver charm with hand engraving

north carolina silver necklace

Back of North Carolina silver charm with hand engraving

liberty point north carolina

Liberty Point in historic, downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina

revolutionary war monument

Monument at Liberty Point in historic, downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina

american revolution monument

Captain Joshua Hadley’s name on the monument

The theme of this year’s competition, Rise, and Shine Your Light on Your Revolutionary War Patriot, motivated me to dig deeper into my great-great-great-great-great grandfather’s military service in order to create an artwork representative of his patriotism. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and learning experience, which broadened my knowledge of the war and put my artwork on a new path. The United States of America has an extraordinary history that should be studied, celebrated, honored, protected, and passed on to future generations proudly. Hopefully through this silver necklace Captain Joshua Hadley’s contribution to the American Revolution as well as that part of our great country’s history shines.

I will receive the award formally at DAR Continental Congress in June and I am so excited to highlight my wonderful Charleston DAR Rebecca Motte Chapter during this special event! Rebecca Motte’s father Robert Brewton and grandfather Miles Brewton were two of the most accomplished and talented silversmiths of colonial Charleston. Hopefully I am representing our chapter namesake well!

Through both this award and my involvement in DAR, an exceptional national non-profit organization and genealogical society, I strive to honor my American Revolution patriot and family heritage. For more information on DAR and our dedication to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children please visit http://www.dar.org/.

“How did you get into silversmithing?”

“How did you get into silversmithing?” is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive.

I discuss it briefly in my Bio posted on my website, but I get the same question so often I decided to share more of my story on my Blog.

 

silversmithing studio

Kaminer Haislip working in her silversmithing studio

 

Aiken, South Carolina, which received Southern Living’s 2018 award for The South’s Best Small Town, is my hometown. I grew up in my family’s business True Value Hardware & Appliance, which is located on the main street of Aiken’s historic downtown. My grandfather Bill Franklin started the hardware store as a side project when he was an accountant at Savannah River Site. When my parents Det and Lyanne Haislip were married, my father took over the business.

 

True Value Aiken SC

True Value Hardware & Appliance in historic downtown Aiken, SC

 

As children, my brother Wylie, cousins Anne and Franklin, and I spent a lot of time there, especially at Christmas. As you can see in the picture below, we had so much fun with the toys, go carts, and window displays!

 

hardware store 1980's

Kaminer with her brother and cousins in the hardware store as children in the 1980’s

 

In high school, I worked in the hardware store and that is when my interest began in making sculpture and jewelry. Being around all of the tools and equipment, putting together bikes and toys, and cutting keys is now an obvious connection to how working with my hands became my career.

 

True Value Aiken SC

True Value newspaper feature from 1990’s

 

When I was in high school, I took the industrial tech class, because I wanted to learn how to make sculptures in metal and wood. Being the only girl in the class did not bother me at all and I took to learning welding and wood working immediately. One of my first wood sculptures is shown below. Displayed in a downtown Aiken park not far from my family’s business, it was my first artwork exhibited outside of a school setting.

 

sculpture

Sculpture from high school in 1990’s

 

I knew by then I wanted to be a professional artist and major in jewelry and sculpture in college, so I sought out a college with a strong jewelry and sculpture program. After careful deliberation, I decided the small liberal arts college Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC would be the best fit for me. Alfred Ward, an English silversmith from London, was head of the jewelry and metals program and I was excited to study under such a renowned silversmith.

 

silver ebony wood spoon

Silver and ebony wood spoon from undergraduate studies

 

The first functional silver object I made studying under Alf was the silver spoon with ebony wood handle shown above. This piece is significant to my work, because it was the first time I laminated silver and wood. I continue to use this method of fabrication for spoon, teapot and coffeepot handles, because it creates strength in the handle and a beautiful line of silver down the center.

 

art gallery

Kaminer and her brother Wylie at her first gallery exhibition

 

From there I was hooked on silversmithing, because it combined my interest in jewelry techniques and sculptural forms. My graduation exhibition with my classmates in Charlotte, NC was my first commercial art gallery exhibit. Pictured above is me with my brother Wylie looking at one of my display cases at the opening reception. After graduating with my BFA in Jewelry and Metals, I moved to Charlotte and started my MFA silversmithing studies under Alf at Winthrop.

 

Sir John Cass London Metropolitan University

Kaminer and her professor Alf at Sir John Cass London Metropolitan University in London, England

 

While in graduate school, I focused on silversmithing and immersed myself in it completely. During that time, I also taught the Jewelry II and III classes and jewelry workshops at Winthrop. Additionally, I interned and was a docent at the Mint Museum, where I learned up close the history of craft and design and how a professional institution operates. During the summer of 2004, I went to London for a family trip and my MFA thesis research. Alf and his wife were in England visiting family, so he was kind enough to meet us in London and show us around. Pictured above is me with Alf in the stake room of Sir John Cass London Metropolitan University, where Alf was formerly head of the silversmithing and jewelry department.

 

silver teapot

Perched Flight silver and ebony wood teapot

 

In 2005 I graduated with my MFA in Silversmithing and Design with a minor in Sculpture. The first teapot I made was Perched Flight and it is silver with an ebony wood handle that is laminated with silver in the center. It was the central piece to my MFA thesis exhibition and after was accepted to five national exhibitions and one international exhibition. I became very attached to it, so it is now in me and my husband’s collection.

Immediately following graduation, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina and established my studio and business. Three years later my husband Matt and I had our wedding reception at the William Aiken House. My hometown was named for William Aiken and he is my great-great-great-great uncle.

 

Charleston Weddings Magazine

Charleston Weddings Magazine feature – see full article on website Press page

 

My path to silversmithing began at a very young age, but it wasn’t until I started my business and began exhibiting my work nationally that people started asking me “How did you get into silversmithing?”. When I thought about it and shared my story, I realized how unusual it is for a girl to grow up in a small southern town hardware store and become a contemporary silversmith. Really?!

For less lengthy answers to frequently asked questions, visit my FAQ page on my website!

 

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