Celebrating collaboration
As an artist, I’ve shared before how inspiring and uplifting it is to collaborate with fellow creatives. Just recently, I started back to meeting weekly with my local artistic ally, Kathleen Mattox to talk about all things art. Even if we’re physically distancing, this connection is vital.
Last month, when I saw two of my favorite lampwork glass artists’ gorgeous online show, I just had to cheer. Kerri Fuhr Keffeler and Stephanie Dieleman have been friends for almost 15 years and, in Kerri’s words, “met over their mutual love of beads.” Their creations end up in my own designs all the time.
In this month’s post, I want to celebrate their inspiring collaboration. If you’re a fan of beautiful glass lampwork beads and jewelry, you’re in for a treat! Feast your eyes on their stunning work from a recent online show and look for an announcement about upcoming plans.
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
Stephanie: “We’ve always done shows together — you only have to pack half the boxes! We usually do artisan shows in US and Canada, but they’re all closed. I wanted to place to sell not just jewelry and interact with customers. We’d been losing that.”
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
Kerri: “Selling online is much less hassle, gives us more time to be in the studio creating beads and jewelry for our amazing customers. We each have a large customer base and many of our customers purchase from us both, so it seemed practical to group everyone together into one online space where they could easily purchase from both of us.”
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
Perhaps some would not be willing to share the spotlight, but Kerri and Stephanie understand the many benefits of collaborating with other artists.
Stephanie: “We’re there to support each other. ‘You make lunch, and I’ll post on Facebook.’ It’s nice to have a partner, since we make beads by ourselves all the time!”
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
Kerri: “It’s so much fun being able to do this together since we know each other so well and we are used to working together as we have in our travelling show days.”
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
Kerri: “The beauty of online shows is that we can host a show together, even though we live far apart. It’s also really helpful to have two of us to take care of group administration and make sure that our shows run smoothly and that we are able to keep our customers happy and entertained.”
(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission
(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission
Announcing the next Stephanie and Kerri Show: Black Friday weekend
Stephanie: “The next show is massive—three days starting November 27th, the day after U.S. Thanksgiving. It will be the biggest show of the year with the best bonuses and giveaways.”
If you would like to view and participate, join their Facebook group. I’ll be there too, cheering them on!
The Stephanie and Kerri Show (Facebook group)
