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Silver Magazine – November/December 2023

Silver Magazine – November/December 2023 Issue

“Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver” by Kaminer Haislip

It was truly an honor for Silver Magazine to invite me to write an article about me and Leigh Magar’s recent exhibition Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver at Aiken Center for the Arts in historic, downtown Aiken, South Carolina. We are thrilled to have our artwork and exhibition featured in such an incredible publication. I had a lot of fun working on this exciting project with Silver Magazine and cannot thank them enough!

 

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Cover photograph by Jack Alterman – Flight of Fancy Charleston Rice Spoon by Kaminer Haislip and Blue Baskets by Leigh Magar

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Garden & Gun Magazine – April/May 2023 Issue

garden & gun magazine

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.

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Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver Exhibition – Aiken, South Carolina

indigo and silver

Silver Nest Bowl by Kaminer Haislip and Boo Hag Blue Indigo Baskets by Leigh Magar
Photograph by Jack Alterman

Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver

March 30, 2023 – May 3, 2023

Artworks by Kaminer Haislip and Leigh Magar

Aiken Center for the Arts
122 Laurens Street SW
Aiken, South Carolina

Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver brought together three contemporary artists—a silversmith, textile designer, and photographer—and a curator in 2018 at City Gallery located in Charleston, SC. Curator Brandy Culp worked with Jack Alterman, Kaminer Haislip, and Leigh Magar to weave a story based on their artwork and the Lowcountry’s deep culture both past and present. Haislip and Magar are now bringing a second version of this exhibition to Aiken Center for the Arts situated in historic, downtown Aiken, SC.

This exhibition explores the intersection between the past and present while recognizing that ultimately contemporary art and craft must be rooted in its own time. Inextricably linked, indigo and silver are transformative as raw materials, imbued with symbolism that transcends time and cultures, and imbedded within the early cultural fabric of the Carolina Lowcountry. Although inspired by Charleston’s cultural heritage, each artist brings unique contemporary perspective and original artwork to the exhibition. Interwoven will include silver hollowware, flatware and jewelry, textile art, and artist renderings.

Kaminer Haislip is the only practicing silversmith in Charleston that continues to employ traditional metalworking techniques and tools that have been used for centuries. As a contemporary silversmith, she is inspired by as well as carrying forth the city’s long-standing silversmithing tradition—the silver and metals manufacturing trade was vital to Charleston’s economy from the eighteenth through the early-twentieth centuries. With a nod to the past, she is most inspired by today’s domestic rituals and enhancing daily life through the creation of functional handcrafted objects that are entirely contemporary in form.

Additionally, Haislip received an artist grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission for a film project about her silversmithing. A television screen in the gallery will have the videos playing for the visitors to view. In the films, Haislip demonstrates traditional silversmithing techniques, such as how to make a silver bowl and silver serving spoon, and discusses her work in detail. This engaging educational element will enhance the viewer’s experience of the exhibition and illustrate silversmithing in an exciting way.

Milliner turned textile artist, Leigh Magar has established a small-batch label that combines art, fashion, history, and performance. The “Seed to Stitch” project was inspired by her sea island home’s Indigo history; both rich and tangled. The story of a young girl; Eliza Lucas Pinckney who had the vision of planting indigo and with the work of the enslaved, it was made into a cash crop in South Carolina during the mid 1700s. She interweaves design and nature with her local garden where indigo is grown and then used to create one-of-a-kind collections. Her work includes hand-dyed and hand-stitched garments and goods, textile art, and installations. Magar is inspired by traditional and simple sewing techniques, such as quilt making, rag quilting, and hand sewn-textiles, which she interlaces with contemporary, non-traditional elements.

In addition, Haislip, and Magar will create a collaborative installation for the exhibition inspired by the silhouette and miniature—art forms with long-standing Lowcountry traditions. Providing a modern look at historically significant mediums, these artists are transforming materials important to Charleston’s cultural fabric into contemporary art and inspiring appreciation of waning craft traditions among future generations. Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver will be a unique showing of silver and textile art as it relates the theme of indigo and silver.

Opening Reception – Thursday, March 30 from 6-8pm

Aiken Center for the Arts will host an opening reception for Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver on Thursday, March 30 from 6-8pm. It will be a great opportunity for the public to meet the artists in person and talk to them in the gallery with their artworks.

Stories from the Big Chair – Friday, March 31 from 6-8pm

Friday, March 31 engage with the exhibition during a free wine reception from 6-6:30pm in the main gallery and the power and craft of storytelling beginning at 6:30pm in the upstairs Brown Pavilion. Limited seating for storytelling, reserve your chair for $10 on Aiken Center for the Arts’ website. Join the guest speakers as they share perspectives, build points of connection, and unearth the wisdom and inspiration amongst us. Exploring the meaning of “Interwoven” from their perspectives will be Kaminer Haislip, silversmith, Madame Magar, indigo artist, and Dr. Walter Curry, local author and a mystery speaker.

Artist Lectures – Saturday, April 1 from 1-3pm

Lectures by artist Leigh Magar of the textile design studio Madame Magar and silversmith Kaminer Haislip will take place in the upstairs Brown Pavilion on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 1pm-3pm.

Kaminer Haislip will present a lecture on the history of colonial Charleston silversmithing and how it relates to her contemporary silver designs. She will describe her handcrafted process in which she uses tools and techniques employed by silversmiths for centuries. Nationally recognized for her metalwork, Kaminer is the only silversmith practicing in Charleston. Inspired by Charleston’s long-standing silversmithing tradition, she feels compelled to carry it forth.

Madame Magar will present a lecture about her work and indigo farm that is inspired by nature, art, and history. She will talk about the rich yet tangled South Carolina indigo history that inspired her “seed to stitch” design philosophy and Madame Magar Blue School. Leigh will discuss her thought provoking, out of the box, one of a kind collections that intertwine art installations and performance with her design studio and shop.

For additional information on the exhibition, events, and programs visit www.aikencenterforthearts.org.

 

South Carolina Arts Commission

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This project is also funded in part by a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.

Charleston Magazine – September 2018

Charleston Magazine interviewed silversmith Kaminer Haislip about the collaborative exhibition Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver, which includes her, textile artist Leigh Magar, photographer Jack Alterman, and curator Brandy Culp. Maura Hogan wrote the lovely complimentary Charleston Magazine article below. The exhibition will be on display at the City Gallery in historic downtown Charleston, SC August 25-October 7, 2018. An artist lecture will take place Saturday, September 8 at 2pm.

Visit Kaminer’s website Blog for details.

 

charleston magazine september 2018

 

charleston magazine september 2018 cover

Forging Ahead

By Maura Hogan

Kaminer Haislip was more or less born with a silver spoon in her mouth. “We always had a set of silver for every day,” she recalls of her childhood in Aiken. It’s no wonder she now creates functional works of art in the precious metal—from sleek pitchers to delicate jewelry. After she earned her MFA in silversmithing from Winthrop University in 2005, stylish Southerners began seeking Haislip’s striking pieces; among them was Reese Witherspoon, whose lifestyle brand, Draper James, included her “Magnolia Bowl” in its inaugural 2015 collection. Haislip’s latest project is an exhibit at the City Gallery, “Interwoven: The Art of Indigo & Silver,” guest curated by Brandy S. Culp, which displays her work alongside that of photographer Jack Alterman and textile artist Leigh Magar.

Early inspiration: I grew up in my family’s hardware and appliance business. Being around all of the tools and equipment showed me that working with my hands could be a career. I became interested in metalsmithing in high school when I saw the metal sculptures at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC.

Artistic aesthetic: My work is clean, fluid, and modern. I like the traditions of silver, but I try to design within my own time and not just replicate the pieces my grandparents had.

On the process: I make everything entirely by hand through almost the same techniques as colonial silversmiths. Fortunately for me, technology has advanced—I have rolling mills for silver sheet, compressed gas for my torch, and polishing machines for buffing.

 

silversmith Kaminer Haislip

Silversmith Kaminer Haislip’s elegant-but-practical works are on display in a new City Gallery exhibit

Hidden meanings: Most of my pieces have an underlying concept. My “Nest Bowl,” made of woven sterling silver wire, stems from the idea that how one builds a home by selecting objects is similar to how a bird collects things like twigs and branches for a nest.

Creating a home: My home décor is very eclectic—everything from midcentury vintage and antique pieces my husband and I have inherited to Michael Moran furniture. Contemporary art rules the walls, but we collect from all craft media and periods.

“Interwoven”: Indigo and silver were integral to Charleston’s early economy. Indigo crops generated wealth, and silver was a literal display of that capital. While Leigh and I are both inspired by our mediums’ historical significance, our work is very contemporary in form. Jack’s photos explore indigo and silver through portraits of other local artists who are also influenced by the materials.

Exhibit highlight: Leigh and I collaborated on an installation inspired by the silhouette and the miniature, both traditional Lowcountry art forms. I made three silver oval frames, and Leigh created silhouette-inspired indigo textile portraits to go inside.

To see the full feature, visit http://charlestonmag.com/features/forging_ahead

Silver and Indigo Exhibition Opening + New Designs

silver and indigo exhibition

Silver Rice Spoon by Kaminer Haislip and Boo Hag Blue Indigo Baskets by Leigh Magar
Photograph by Jack Alterman

Silver and Indigo Exhibition Opening + New Designs

Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver exhibition opens to the public this evening, Friday, August 24, with a reception at City Gallery from 5-7pm. See below post for details on this Charleston silver and indigo exhibition and the Press page on this website for publicity. An artists’ lecture will take place at City Gallery Saturday, September 8 from 2-3pm. Both events and the gallery are free and open to the public.

Kaminer Haislip’s silver objects and jewelry exhibited in Interwoven is for sale. Purchases can be made by going to the Interwoven Exhibition Shop category on this website or by emailing info@kaminerhaislip.com. To view the pieces in the exhibition, visit the Interwoven Exhibition Portfolio category on this website. Both categories are temporary and will only be up for the exhibition duration.

Interwoven will be on view August 25-October 7, 2018. Do not miss this rare chance to see Kaminer’s silver objects and jewelry in person! Her fine art exhibitions mainly take place in the northeast and in museums around the country. It is extremely uncommon for her large scale hollowware to be seen in Charleston due to the lack of contemporary craft and design venues. We hope you will not pass up this extraordinary opportunity!

Kaminer’s website has been updated with her latest designs created specifically for Interwoven. Visit the Interwoven Exhibition categories mentioned above to view the artworks in the exhibition and to make purchases. Also, visit her Home and Jewelry Shop categories for additional new designs that are not in the exhibition.

Rio Grande

 

A wholesale supplier to jewelers and metalsmiths since 1944, Rio Grande is proud to sponsor the work of acclaimed silversmith Kaminer Haislip in Interwoven: The Art of Indigo and Silver.

 

 

Kaminer Haislip’s involvement in this exhibition is funded also in part by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs and the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Program, through their joint administration of the Lowcountry Quarterly Arts Grant Program, and by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation.