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G etnes
hanksgivingable
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FASHI0N+BYAMBERSCHADEWALD
PHOTOGRAPHYDANNYSEIPP
WITHBILLANDROSIEEVERETTJEWELRYDESIGNEBSrtrr
Diamonds may be forever o r promise to be your best friend, but they'reno t the only rocks around who can successfully accessorize an outfit.Glowing amber , watery-blue larimar and soft natural pearls all wovenin silky gold settings are sure to make a girl's heart sing day or night.Everett Designs specializcs in using a more artistic approach to qualityjewelry, ietting stones and gems speak for themselves, without thecorporate touch.
Husband and wife Bill and Rosie Everett have been in business lorover 30 years, designing, constructing and selling beautiful, uniquenecklaces, rings, pendants and earrings. Buying raw stones and shapingthem to perfection, the couple is 100 pcrcent hands-on.
"Some mass-produced jewelry is even made with computers," RosieEverett says. "Thejewelry doesn' t touch anyone's hands."
With a mall on every corner and multiple big chain jewclers inside,thc Evcretts are proud to olfer a more persona lized cxperience. Alongwith their assistant Kristi Talamantes, the three artists work together tocreate less traditional, morc artistic pieces with sophisticated styling.
"Buying raw stones means we can construct our own design. we're notmounting someone else's designs," Bill Everett says.
While the Minnesota Everett Designs gallery is located in Deephaven,the couple opened thei r f i rst s to re in the Dominican Republ ic in 1979.After serving for the Peace Corps on the island, Bill Everett fell in lovewith not only the tropical paradise, but its abundancc of beautifulamber.
Buying and selling small amounts of the gem eventually turned intoa full-blown business, attractins both Dominicans and tourists alike.
Ilverett Designs now htwo locations on the islathat serve the large numbec' f international cl ients whc'ften spot their work whiv'acationing.
Siome of thei r best-sel lp, iecesar e those made wi
antique Spanish coins. Th e pure si lver coins are found underwatoff t he coast of t he Dominican Republ ic on shipwrecks dating bato thc 1600s .
"People like the story behind fthe necklaces]," Bill Everett sa"They'rc wearing a piece of history."
F'ashionable, classy and still totally wearable, Everett Designs aims create jewelry that will get worn - to the office, on dinner dates while grocery shopping. High-end jewels usually tend to be paired wispecial occasions, meaning many women only get a limited numberchances to show off their favorite pieces.
"We make unusual jewelry people can actually wear," Rosie Everesays. "With a nice suit, or a pair of jeans."
Working in the gallery on a Tuesday morning, Rosie advertises thework wcaring a string of sparkling ambeq coin pearls and amethyall linked with sterling silver
"Injewelry, it secms as though everything has already been done," ssays. "But the fun part is reinterpreting things." #
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>ANilTS+ENTERTAINMENTr;nut?i5ffi?ir??,**',.,*.,*LIFEISABLASTFORAHTISTKERRYDIKKENWalking past a new condo development in South Minneapolis, adisplay of bri lliant w indows adorned with flowing curtains may onlyjust catch your glance.Taking a step off the sidewalk,one will discoverthis particular set of windows is far from t lpical. The curtains aren'tactually fabric at all - only a coarse,do t pattern sandblastedonto thewindows for the illusion of real curtains. With some dots the size ofquarters and others the tip of a pencil, together the gray speckscreatea beautiful illusion, unique to a set of condosdesignedby Minneapolisartist Kerry Dikken.
Dikken startedBlastedArt Inc. ten yearsago and has sinceperfectedthecraft of sandblastingglass,rocks, metals and deni m with personalizeddesigns. From wine bottle labels and garden rocks to prestigiouscommercial and residential projects, Dikken's work is blasted onsurfacesall over the city. Some of his larger scale work i ncludes a12O-footwall of glass in the Minneapoli s-St. Paul airport, a productdisplay in the Target Corporation headquartersand an etching in thenew W Hotel in downtown Minneaoolis.
"Walking around the city I can find evidence of my work almostanywhere. My sister always brags that she has a famous brother, butin reality, no one really knows it's my work," Dikken says.'And to behonest. that reallv doesn't bother me."
Growing up in a smallMinnesota town, Dikkenworked in a grain elevator.The constant flow ofgrain over the wood floorscaused a slow erosion,turning the floorboardsinto soft, strange shapes.So when Dikken discoveredsandblasting,he becameenthralled by the id ea ofcontrolled erosion.
Because of technologicaladvances,the practice ofsandb las t ing i s muchdifferent today than whenDikken first picked up thetrade. The tedious task of
making stencils by handconsumed hours, whereastoday a machinedoesth ework for you.
"No longer using yourhands kind of makes theold processa lost art," headmits. "But I wouldn'tgo back to that world . Noway."
Humble, yet no doubtproud of his work, Dikkenis currently working on aproject closer to home, turning his Minneapolis house into a set odream condos. With everything from a glass sink to walls and ligfixtures,Dikken is usingsandblastedglassto give the roomsa whole nedimension.Dikken is hoping to put all-glassbathtubs in the condos,buwater weight might make it impossible.'Apparently the water could shatter the glass,"he says,noting that can be frustrating when an artist ic idea cannot be put to use.Organizing the condo project during the past four ye ars,Dikken hfinally been able to mee t with architectsand engineersto hammer outhe detailsfor hi s glasshouse.
"I'm not a developer,I'm an artist - meaning everything will be uniquand handcrafted, " he says,overlookingthe plans. 'And becauseI'm stgoing to be living there, you know everything will be picked with thbest intentions." #
