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Romancing The Stones

Israeli jewelry artist brings her work to Birmingham Fine Arts Festival.

ances and specialty concessions devel-
oped by local restaurants.
"We work with both gold and silver
Jerusalem jewelry maker will
and add diamonds, opals and other color-
help launch the art fair season fill stones," says Hasson, 30, who has
in Michigan by bringing her
exhibited her studio's jewelry at the Jewish
contemporary work to the
Community Center in West Bloomfield.
Birmingham Fine Arts Festival, one of
"Our jewelry is high-end, and we make
the state's first outdoor shows of the year.
our designs so that they can be worn for
Einat Hasson, who works with Dan
casual or special occasions.
Alsberg in an Israel-based studio, will
"We prefer clean designs, and we have
bring geometric designs to a booth
a way of working with metal so that it
located in Birmingham's Shain Park,
can appear soft. Although the pieces are
flat, they look as if
they are swollen, and
that gives the effect of
being soft."
Hasson, collaborat-
ing with Alsberg for
10 years, especially
likes working with
oxidized silver, which
looks very black after
the metal is processed.
Sometimes the silver is
scratched for special
effects, while other
times, it is left smooth
so that the appearance
is very different.
The jewelry artist is
Artist Einat Hasson frequently wears a gold necklace with a very selective with the
colorful stones she
square diamond that looks like a pillow.
chooses to contrast
with the dark color of
where some 260 artists will show their
the base material. The stones and their
original pieces 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday
shapes offer new ways of giving individ-
and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, May 8-9.
uality to each piece.
The festival, produced by the
What the Israeli artist brings to
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and
Birmingham will be competing for five
the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber,
"Best of Show" awards at the following
will feature exhibitors working in many
levels: 1st Award, $1,000; 2nd Award,
fields, including painting, sculpture,
$750; 3rd Award, $500; 4th Award,
ceramics, fiber, furniture, glass and pho-
$250; and 5th Award, $100.
tography. No commercially manufac-
Hasson, born in Los Angeles to Israeli
tured artwork will be on view or for sale.
parents studying in America, thought
Anticipating a crowd of 80,000 art .
she would become an art therapist and
enthusiasts,
the festival also offers hands- studied for a degree in social work. A
_
on family art activities, musical perform-
visit to the Alsberg studio changed her

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to the Jewish News

AN N

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career direction.
"When I was studying jewelry, we
went to many studios, but I knew exact-
ly where I wanted to work as soon as I
stepped inside the Alsberg studio," she
recalls. "I asked if I could come to study
and started working the next month.
Before long, I was coming up with
designs."
Alsberg, who learned some of his tech-
niques in Germany, taught at the Bezalel
Academy of Art in Jerusalem. In 1978,
he was invited by the East Jerusalem
Development Co. to open a studio for
handcrafted silver and gold jewelry in
Hutzot Hayotzer, a locale for artists on
the sloping hillside across from the walls
of Jerusalem's Old City.
Although the studio has grown, its
guiding principles remain. Each item
begins with a sketch before the actual
processing is attempted. When the
design is completed, the work progresses
as the alloy is prepared, the gold or silver
ingot is cast, the sheets are rolled out,
the wires and tubes are stretched and
stones are added.
Each stone is cut specifically for a
design.
The jewelry makers work with
machines and hammers and have served
clients, some royalty, in 34 countries.
"We have some Judaica, but it is not
our main work," Hasson says. "Most of
our clients are not Israelis so our designs
must be made international."
Stars of David, pieces with ancient
coins found. in Israel and Hebrew let-
tering are available for necklaces,
bracelets, earrings, rings and
brooches. A Tree of Life brooch, for
example, has an ancient coin in the
middle with the appearance of roots
coming out of it.
"If people look at what I'm wear-
ing, they will get an idea of the kind
of jewelry we design," Hasson says.
"They make a statement, but they
do not scream out to the world. I
frequently wear a gold necklace with
a square diamond that looks like a
pillow." ❑

,'trot good with any other discount or special

offer. Not valid an holiday orders

5/ 7
2004

50

The Birmingham Fine Arts
Festival runs 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, May 8-9, at Shain Park
in Birmingham. (248) 644-0866.

24-hour notice please on
specialty items
(some exceptions)
6879 Orchard Lake Rd.
in the Boardwalk Plaza

248-626-9110

The stones and their shapes offer new ways of giving individuality to each piece.

837440