KENDRA STUDIO JEWELLERY (KENDRA ROBERTS)
IN THE ARTIST'S WORDS
I make one-of-a-kind, timeless, memorable jewelry for people to wear as their own talismans to celebrate a special person, place or event in their lives. The nature of my jewelry – beautiful semi-precious stones and shell crafted through the physically demanding art of lapidary – is an ironic, yet spot-on reflection of my artistry and personal self. After a year of concurrent family tragedies, I traveled to the high desert of New Mexico as an undergrad, where I discovered my labor of love by banging metal, igniting torches, soldering, cutting and polishing stones, thus drawing upon my “tomboy” roots. This newly found artform ultimately saved my life and gave me a singular purpose. The tactile nature of this artistic process, involving sweat, blood, tears, and mess, continues to captivate me; the end products yield an earthy, royal-like beauty. This is truly why I love making jewelry: we wear jewelry for a variety of reasons, commemorating life milestones and events. The relationship we have with jewelry is very different than with any other artwork; it is so intimate and yet it becomes a very visible part of one’s personal expression. It is an honor whenever my work is worn.
ABOUT KENDRA
An artist, curator, program developer and producer, Kendra Roberts has demonstrated her creative, analytical, and strategic acumen throughout her two-plus decade career. As the founding creator of Kendra Studio Jewellery (KSJ), she is an award-winning artist and published writer, has exhibited her work throughout the U.S. and internationally, and even made an appearance on a major American television network. Donning many hats, she has developed innovative non-vocational educational arts programming across multiple disciplines, designed and curated visual art exhibitions in multiple and concurrent gallery spaces, and coordinated production, marketing and presentation of staged performances and special events in both indoor and outdoor venues. Kendra is founder of Common Ground Arts (CGA), an arts consultancy curating public art in traditional and non-traditional public spaces. Through her vast experience as a committed arts advocate and collaborator, she brings the perspective of a self- produced working artist, curator, and arts administrator to her work as the newly appointed director of public engagement at Blackfish Gallery, Portland’s longest running artist owned/operated gallery. Kendra received her B.A. at DePauw University and her Master of Design from the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. She is a fellow of the Next Generation of Leadership program in Columbus, OH; committee member for Converge 45: Art on the 45th Parallel; member of the Arts Council of Lake Oswego’s Public Art Committee, and currently serves as president of the Portland Art Dealers’ Association. A former Midwesterner and NYC-ex pat, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their dog, enjoying all the magic this state and region have to offer.