Garden & Gun magazine highlighted in their 2023 April/May issue Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver, the collaborative exhibition that includes silversmith Kaminer Haislip and indigo textile artist Leigh Magar. The exhibition will be on display at Aiken Center for the Arts in historic downtown Aiken, South Carolina March 30-May 3, 2023. Visit Kaminer’s website Blog for details.
Helena Fox Fine Art in historic, downtown Charleston, SC
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
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
Dawn Corley, also known as The Charleston Silver Lady, is an antiques historian and expert on silver. She will have a special showing of Kaminer Haislip’s contemporary silver objects and jewelry at her Lexington, South Carolina location on Thursday, December 8 from 4:30pm-6:30pm. In addition to Kaminer’s work, she will have on display antique objects and silver pieces from her own private collection.
The event will be hosted at 212 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072. Please use the side door as a private entrance. Parking is available for guests in a parking garage across the street as well as at a Counseling Center next door.
This festive holiday shopping event will be very shiny and bright!
I already have two great holiday trunk shows planned for Christmas season 2022, so please save the date! Below are the two fabulous 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, December 2 from 5-8pm and Saturday, December 3 from 12pm-4pm
The Charleston Silver Lady – Lexington, SC
Thursday, December 8 from 4:30-6:30pm
Helena Fox Fine Art in downtown Charleston, SC
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Charleston Magazine Club hosted its July gathering at Helena Fox Fine Art gallery in historic, downtown Charleston. The fun event was held two nights due to very positive demand and it was a private reception with premier American painter West Fraser and silversmith Kaminer Haislip.
West is the gallery’s featured artist for August with an exhibition of his recent paintings, so the group was able to preview his new artwork. Kaminer’s silver functional home objects, flatware, and jewelry is regularly carried at the gallery and she exhibited a wider selection than what they typically show for this special event.
Kaminer Haislip, West Fraser, and Helena Fox
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Each night both West and Kaminer gave a presentation on their artwork detailing their inspiration, artistic process, background, and how their careers have progressed over the years.
Kaminer Haislip presenting her artist lecture
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Kaminer Haislip presenting her artist lecture
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
West Fraser presenting his artist lecture
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
West Fraser presenting his artist lecture with
Kaminer Haislip’s silver tea and coffee service in the foreground
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Charleston Magazine Club members were treated to delicious refreshments of wine, cocktails, and food by Goat Sheep Cow, Helena Fox Fine Art’s neighbor on Church Street. Kaminer Haislip’s silver appetizer fork and condiment spoon were used to serve the tasty meats, cheeses, and spreads.
Silver Sounding Series Appetizer Fork by Kaminer Haislip
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Silver Sounding Series Condiment Spoon by Kaminer Haislip
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
After the artist lectures, the guests were invited to view the artwork in the gallery and talk to the artists.
Kaminer Haislip with a Charleston Magazine Club member
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Kaminer Haislip with a Charleston Magazine Club member
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Kaminer Haislip’s silver functional home objects were displayed throughout the gallery and her silver jewelry was shown in a display case.
Kaminer Haislip’s silver tea and coffee service, silver and glass Ziggurat Tray, and silver Charleston Rice Spoon
Kaminer Haislip’s functional silver objects
Kaminer Haislip’s silver serving spoons
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Kaminer Haislip’s silver jewelry
Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography
Kaminer Haislip’s silver bangle bracelets
If your group is interested in hosting a similar event with Kaminer, then please get in touch with Helena Fox Fine Art. Kaminer really enjoys sharing her artwork and giving insight into her handcrafted silversmithing process!
New South Finds is an online magazine by Linda Jerkins, a longtime newspaper features writer who wrote a column called Southern Made for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In the column, which appeared twice a month for six years, she profiled more than 400 artists from across the South, including Kaminer Haislip. Her enthusiasm for discovering and writing about Southern artists and their work continues with newsouthfinds.com.
She and Kaminer recently reconnected and she interviewed Kaminer about her current artwork for the December issue of New South Finds. The lovely, complimentary feature is below.
Kaminer Haislip wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she creates stunning silver spoons and more in her South Carolina studio.
The artist: Haislip grew up in Aiken, SC, and worked in high school at her family’s True Value hardware and appliance store, cutting keys and working around lots of tools and equipment.
The experience influenced her interest in sculpture, jewelry and working with her hands. So she signed up for an industrial tech class to learn how to weld.
After high school, Haislip earned a BFA in jewelry and metals and an MFA in silversmithing and design from Winthrop University. There she studied under Alfred Ward, an internationally acclaimed silversmith from London.
The company: Founded in 2005, Kaminer Haislip Designer + Silversmith is based in Charleston.
The art & materials: Sterling silver hollowware, functional home objects, serving utensils and jewelry. She also works in gold for custom commissioned pieces.
What’s popular:
Other favorites:
Inspiration: The concept of enhancing domestic rituals through traditional silversmithing techniques coupled with a contemporary yet timeless design.
“For me, using a thought-inspiring yet functional teapot enhances the process of making tea,” she said. “When a beautiful, well-designed object and domestic ritual are united, a connection between person and object occurs — and an appreciation of function results.”
Fun, special or unusual requests: Custom-designed commissioned work is a big part of her business. This year she had one large commission that stood out.
“It was a large silver globe titled ‘Mother Earth’ (pictured right) that required many different processes and a lot of problem solving. It was one of the most complicated objects I have ever made and I really enjoyed the challenge.
Big break(s): Two notable collaborations, including:
– A silver sculpture titled “Pillinger” created with designer Constantin Boym for the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition, “New York Silver, Then and Now” in 2017.
– A silver Magnolia Bowl for Draper James, a Southern lifestyle company founded by Reese Witherspoon in 2015.
Awards:
Honors:
What’s new: A small new jewelry collection titled “Gorget Jewelry Series.” ($135 to $175).
Where to buy: kaminerhaislip.com. Also at Helena Fox Fine Art in Charleston.
Get social at: Instagram: @kaminerhaislip
See the full feature on New South Finds’ website at https://newsouthfinds.com/kaminer-haislip/
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!
Mother Earth is a sterling silver sculpture my client Jim Johnson of New Castle, Delaware custom commissioned. Jim has commissioned numerous projects from me over the years and came to me with the idea for Mother Earth. It was inspired by an idea his late twin brother, who was an artist and welder, had years ago. The concept for Mother Earth was based on the idea all life originates from planet Earth. Jim wanted to honor his brother with this sculpture and he was very specific about the design down to every last detail. Based on his description of it from conversations and design sessions we had together, I drew the sculpture to scale of the actual object. After receiving Jim’s feedback and tweaking the design until it was exactly what he had in mind, I set about making it.
Mother Earth is one of the most complex objects I have ever made and required many different technical processes. The 8″ diameter globe element was fabricated with silver wire for the longitude lines and silver sheet for the hand pierced continents. The waterspout and baby were both carved from wax and sent to a high quality casting company in North Carolina. The company made molds of each and cast them in sterling silver. The umbilical cord was made from silver wire and connects to the back of North America where Delaware is located. The finial on top was fabricated with silver sheet and hand engraved with the title Mother Earth on both sides of the sign. The entire sculpture was hand polished to a high shine, mirror finish.
This project required an immense amount of problem solving and was very time consuming to make, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Working with Jim on this special project was a great experience and I sent him regular progress reports with images of the sculpture in process. It truly was a collaborative project and I appreciated his thoughtful feedback each step of the way. When I delivered it to him and he got the see it in person for the first time, to my delight, he was thrilled!
If you are interested in commissioning a custom object or jewelry piece from me, then please check out my website Commission page that has examples of drawings and finished pieces. My Commission Policy outlines the details of commissioning me to make something unique and special for you. Thank you for your interest in my work!
Spring has sprung! Since the holidays passed several months ago and with Easter right around the corner or if you are just doing some spring cleaning, your silver may need to be freshened up with polishing. Mine certainly needs a bit of brightening and inspired this blog post on silver polishing tips.
Polishing silver can be a chore, but by applying my professional tips it will help reduce maintenance and keep your silver lustrous and shiny longer!
Every two weeks I go around my house with polishing mitts or gloves that have polishing compound in them and wipe down all of my silver that is on display and exposed to the air. Airborne sulfur and deposits from the air onto silver are the cause of tarnish, so by wiping off the surface regularly it keeps the chemical reaction from occurring that causes tarnish. Simply wiping off your silver regularly with a glove or cloth that is treated with polishing compound will keep you from having to liquid polish it as often.
To prevent tarnish on silver objects displayed in glass cabinets, I place silver protection strips on the shelves behind the pieces. For flatware or other silver items that are not in use, I store them in dust bags in airtight boxes with the strips placed inside. The strip absorbs the toxins in the air and keeps the silver shiny for much longer. I am always amazed at how well they work when I open my silver chest!
Once silver becomes purple or black, then you must pull out the liquid polish and use it to get your silver bright and shiny again. I prefer Hagerty’s Silver Polish, which can be purchased at most local hardware stores or ordered online. I keep an assortment of old rags and towels around for the task. Old, worn t-shirts cut up into rags work great for polishing as the soft material will not scratch the surface. I also keep an old soft bristled toothbrush in my polishing box for getting dried polish out of small areas or patterned surfaces.
For more detailed instructions on how to keep your silver tarnish free, my step by step process for polishing silver, and the products I recommend, visit my website Silver & Copper Product Care page.
Hopefully these helpful hints and tricks will assist you in getting your Easter table looking fabulous and your silver shining beautifully for the spring season!
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.
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 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!
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 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 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 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.
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.
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.
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 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!