Donna Armstrong was a bookkeeper already planning her second (post-retirement) act, but her epiphany came when her Brazilian exchange student gave her an amethyst. A follow-up trip to Oro Preto, a Brazilian village in the heart of the gem trade, put Donna on her new path. Studying at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) she earned diplomas as a Color Stones Graduate, Diamonds Graduate, and a Graduate Gemologist; she also belongs to numerous metal guilds—and her work in reticulated silver is second to none. Her pieces are clean, simple, and eternally elegant, inspired by her pristine Idaho surroundings and showcasing some of the world’s most beautiful stones. Come to Third Thursday and hear Donna explain the intricacies of fusing metal, along with some secrets of the gem world…

As a high school student, Carolanne Stalteri fell in love with a ring she couldn’t possibly afford—so she taught herself how to make it. And with that, this classically trained pianist had found her passion—creating mixed metal, stunningly intricate jewelry. Carolanne’s work routinely encompasses multiple metals, three types of gold, and up to nine stones, not to mention Japanese techniques like Mokume Gane and Shibuichi. Each piece is a work of finely crafted art with striking individuality, making it a mention a showstopper to wear. Come to our first Third Thursday of the spring season, meet Carolanne, and take a closer look.

Mimi started her artistic life as a textile artist, specializing in pillows, custom baby blankets, and mixed-media wall sculptures made from myriad materials, including African mud cloth. Her recent turn to collage, however, has been a unqualified success; by applying acrylic paint to exotic papers, adding texture with stamps she carves herself, and stitching pieces together like quilts, she creates an astonishing depth of color and raises layering to, well, an art form.  
Come to our Third Thursday event to see Mimi in action.