While highly professional in the complex technical processes of her craft, she appears in no way hide-bound to the mere technicalities of the jeweller's work bench, with her many other interests ranging far and wide. This wonderful artist is chock-a-block full of cheerfulness and humor, just to name two of the ingredients of her rising popularity in North America.

Spotlight on the artist.....

Lisa ( www.linhardtdesign.com ) is the Founder and Creative Director of Linhardt Design, a custom and ready-made jewelry Gallery located in New York City. Lisa is a trained goldsmith/silversmith and creates sculptural jewelry that is harmonious with our environment.One of Lisa's specialties is designing one-of-a-kind engagement rings that incorporate recycled metals and ethically-sourced stones.

Lisa Linhardt was born and raised in New York City (Jamaica, Queens) where her artistry was nurtured in a vibrant and diverse cultural melting pot. She studied dance at Benjamin Cardozo High School, art in Greece & Italy, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA from New York University. Lisa took jobs as a freelance music photographer and dancer while pursuing a career in graphic design. She eventually became an Art Director and managed her own design agency that included clients such as UNICEF, Salzburg Festival Society, and RecycleBank.

For the past decade, Lisa has explored jewelry design through personal experiments, professional mentors, and formal training in New York (School of Visual Arts and Fashion Institute of Technology), California (Revere Academy), New Mexico, and Maine. Lisa's designs are often inspired by her time living in Scandinavia when she was introduced to the work of many mid-century masters in jewelry design. Her heart is in New York City however and has been for many generations—as the Gallery's name "Linhardt Design" was created in hommage to Lisa's relatives who emigrated to the Lower East Side of Manhattan through Ellis Island at the turn of the century.

Since opening the Linhardt Gallery in May of 2008, Lisa has been coined the "green jeweler" by New York Magazine; who also named Linhardt Design a "Critics' Pick" for the East Village. Lisa's jewelry has been showcased in Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week NYC for three seasons in a row. The jewelry has also been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Numero Paris, and Harper's Bazaar. ( www.linhardtdesign.com/blog/ )

Welcome aboard. Welcome to Hamburg!

Wolf Keller
Facilitator

( www.waxjewelrydesignstudio.com )

"Just as the artifacts of the Aztec, Mayan, Egyptian, and Native American civilizations have given Keith insight into their respective cultures, and through his designs he tries to reflect the cultures to which he is exposed.

He often incorporates unusual, natural materials such as meteorite fragments, fossils, and custom carved gemstones into his one-of-a-kind pieces. These materials mirror his fascination with the natural elements of the Earth, and the mystery of the sun and stars.

Keith Belles grew up in central Indiana. His family was instrumental in his pursuit of a career in art. At age eleven, his father taught him the craft of cutting and polishing stones, and also exposed him to the arts of woodworking and photography. Later, Keith's sister taught him in high school art class, and encouraged him to pursue art as a career. Heeding her advice, Keith studied ancient art and trained as a sculptor and metalsmith in college, then went on to earn his living from his skill and creativity.

A talented, self-taught figurative carver, Keith lays claim to over 20,000 carvings. His low relief carvings are cast (using the lost wax process) into Platinum, sterling silver and 18k gold. Keith received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Sculpture and Metalsmithing from Indiana State University. He works and resides in Pittsburgh, PA. His work includes both private and public commissions and in 1998 he was honored by the Platinum Guild with an International Design Award for his Eclipse Ring design.

WAX specializes in one of a kind and limited edition jewelry in sterling, gold, platinum and precious stones. The emphasis is on custom-designed pieces including engagement rings and wedding bands, by award-winning in-house designer Belles. The studio is offering unique works by other local and international designers and artists. ( Hilde Leiss from Hamburg is proud to be one of them )

WAX is located on the corner of Ellsworth and Spahr in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood. ( you can see the window at the end of the bridge )

Wolf Keller
Facilitator

Not fussy or ornate, her jewels focus on the aesthetic power of form from the sleek and geometric to the bold and organic, using the widest array of gems and metals in her palette.

In kind, the environment she has created to sell her work is equally inspiring. Her nearly 500-square-metre retail space celebrates art as a lifestyle, not only showcasing wearable art in contemporary jewellery by Hilde Leiss and others, but also art expressed in a variety of media, including apparel, hats, handbags, footwear, ceramics, glass and furniture.

According to her husband and gallery facilitator, Wolf Keller, her decision more than three decades ago to build her business in this way has made her a recognised force in the art community. " She was among the first in Germany to introduce the concept, " praises Keller, noting that she represents the works of nearly 100 talents about whom she has a strong sense. " She has succeded in establishing a communication centre in Hamburg for both German and international arts and craft, an achievement many museums only dream of."

Leiss’s gallery has become an integral part of the city’s cultural life, as well as a meeting place for the creators of exceptional contemporary jewellery and high quality arts and crafts products. She presents exhibitions of colleagues from around the world and tends to her flock of apprentices and goldsmiths in her studio. In fact she has trained more than four dozen apprentices in 32 years, all of whom have earned government accreditation as journeymen and master goldsmiths.

The common thread throughout her gallery is an ethos centred on exquisite craftsmanship and aesthetic qualities, as well as innovation of statement. Highly industrious with a keen eye for the arts, Leiss embodies a pay-it-forward philosophy that has anchored her gallery in the art community as a nurturing environment for those who make and appreciate the art that expresses our lifestyles.

From the article " Selling the Jewellery Experience " by noted jewellery industry expert and copy writer Deborah A. Yonick www.yonickwriting.com

Untitled from Hilde Leiss on Vimeo.