Liberty Square Hosts Jewelry Trunk Show

Artist Michal Ann Carley will present her new artglass jewelry and décor in a holiday trunk show Saturday, December 8 from 1 – 5 pm at the new Board Room in Liberty Square. The restaurant, retail, and art complex is located at 7755 Highway 42 in Egg Harbor. Complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the sale and artist’s reception where Carley will be available to discuss her work with visitors.

A painter for 30 years, Michal Ann Carley, who holds Master of Art and Master of Fine Art degrees from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and who was a professor of art at Cardinal Stritch University, made a transition to artglass in 2001 when she discovered the ancient art of lampwork. Her paints are now miniature coils of glass and precious metals, made molten in a torch’s flame and worked into beads and tiny sculptures that she then fabricates into unique pieces of art jewelry. Each work is designed with precious and semiprecious stones and Sterling Silver and Gold. The artist also creates kiln-formed glass works of home décor, and panels for architectural applications. The results are striking combinations of color, light and beauty.

Carley derives inspiration from the visual complexities of the natural world. “I study the forms, color harmonies, and organization of nature to derive stylizations, motifs, and designs for my artglass. My work mimics, on a microscopic scale, geologic and geographic formations, which were created by volcanic eruptions, meteors, and with water and sand abrasion. My resultant artglass jewelry is richly organic in both its conception and aesthetic,” Carley explains.

Richard and Pamela Wegner, owners of Liberty Square, say they were instantly captivated by Carley’s work and wanted to provide an opportunity for others to enjoy seeing it and hearing the story of its creation. “I think Michal Ann’s jewelry is stunningly beautiful and it makes me feel I am wearing something very special. The combination of precious metal, glass, color and design is gorgeous. Michal Ann’s work is also affordably priced” Pam Wegner said.

Carley has been Curator of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Art Museum, Director of the Northwestern Mutual Life Gallery at Cardinal Stritch University, and a freelance art critic for numerous national publications. As a practicing artist for over 30 years, her work is enjoyed in numerous private collections.