Elephant Art Meets GeoArt

This afternoon I was delighted to check my inbox and get the professional images from last Thursday’s Asian Elephant Art Conservation Project (AEACP) benefit, entitled ‘Elephant Art and the Plight of the Asian Elephant’ held at the fabulous GeoArt Showroom. Cynthia and Glenn were avid supporters of AEACP when I began working with them over a year and a half ago and it was one of the first organizations they got me excited about.

When David Ferris, AEACP Director, (we are pictured together above) approached me about modeling an elephant painted dress for the benefit last week, of course I said yes! Giving back with a nod back to fashion is always a good time, and I enjoyed networking with everyone in the room from all walks of life-gathering because they had one great idea in common: to raise awareness and funds for endangered Asian elephants.

In order to help out, GeoArt by Cynthia Gale donated a portion of the proceeds from each piece sold that evening back to AEACP, in addition to providing the venue and jewelry for all models. Cynthia modeled a beautiful elephant painted scarf around her waist and if you want to see some more pictures you should check out our Facebook group page. Photography credits go to nicholashermanphotography.com. To find out more about the Asian Elephant Art Conservation Project, check out their website at www.elephantart.com.

Meticulous Mother-of-Pearl

I wanted to share the technique that GeoArt By Cynthia Gale uses to create our mother-of-pearl designs with everyone! Attached are a series of photos which illustrate how the designs for the Forget-Me-Knot and Love Letters Collections were made. The rough shell is first scraped to reveal irridescent mother-of-pearl on both sides. Stencils of the outer shapes of the GeoArt design silhouettes are then roughly cut from the shell and shaved to a thin, even thickness. The design is cut out of paper and lain on the pearl. A tiny saw is then used to cut the intricate openwork by hand... one-by-one... simply amazing. The shell is then polished to a high sheen, the silverwork soldered and attached, and viola- you are one of a kind!

Intern Insider: The NY Gift Show

First the Accesorie Circuit and now the NY Gift Show- not a bad start for my first time interning with GeoArt by Cynthia Gale! I left my house in my new dress nervously awaiting the day's task. Once I got into New York, I started my walk towards the Javits Center. Once inside I met with my supervisor, Olga. We walked passed the booths to GeoArt where we met with Cynthia. We were able to chat about the day's events and orders. They wanted me to learn how to write orders, but I was scared and nervous about making mistakes. Luckily, I only wrote up one sale and it was for samples- Phew!

Cynthia encouraged me to walk around the show and observe other companies' set-ups and designs. For someone who truly loves accessories, I enjoyed that walk and marveled at the creativity. The booths were gorgeous and filled with some of the most unique jewelry I've ever seen. The designers that showcased their work were humble and easy to talk to. The day ended with several orders and making sure all the jewelry was zip-locked away and displays were carefully taken down. I learned valuable information that day, not just about the lines and different collections. Cynthia and Olga explained the importance of talking to customers and creating a dialogue to better understand what the buyer is interested in for their customer. Also, listening to Cynthia and Olga talk to buyers helped me when it was my turn. All in all, it was a successful day with knowledgable and valuable lessons learned.

Komodo Dragons Anyone?

Let's stray away from jewelry for a moment and visit Rinca, a small island in the midst of the Komodo Islands where my family and I recently made a side trip to explore the wildlife during our annual Indonesian Production trip. These babies can sprint up to 30 MPH and carry a venom which can kill you. We strolled out into the forest led by a 90 pound guide carrying a forked stick-not very reassuring! Meeting a lizard the size of a refridgerador in a field somewhere in the middle of a remote Indonesian island will not be noted on my list of favorite tourist activities!

A Sterling Day at Koi Boutique

We love our retail customers! On Monday, I caught the New Jersey Coast Line to Spring Lake where Olga and I set up a GeoArt By Cynthia Gale trunk show for a drop dead beautiful boutique called Koi. The owner, Rich Yanni, treated us to a delicious lunch at the Black Swan(*note- the crabcakes feature crabmeat from Maryland but ARE NOT Maryland crabcakes- sorry to be so difficult, Rich!) and we spent a lovely afternoon meeting Koi customers and selling our wares.

Teaching NYC Students to Grow in More Ways Than One!

On Thursday, August 5th, I was invited by David Saphire, the dedicated Director of the Learn It, Grow It, Eat It Program (www.grownyc.org) in the South Bronx to speak with his students about Career Planning. GeoArt By Cynthia Gale donates to this program via our Go Green jewelry collections and I love to spend time with the kids at their Youth Market where they sell veggies which they grow in their local community gardens. Having learned that I taught Career Planning at the Fashion Institute of Technology, David asked if I would be willing to speak with his group. The kids were amazing and I learned all about how they grow their crops, are taught to prepare tasty veggie dishes, as well as how to correctly read and understand food labels. It's always like that- when you give something, you get something back... what a great afternoon!

A Walk on the Wynn's Wildside

Olga and I love older men! Here we are pictured with Michael Barlerin in June at the Savor Silver Cocktail Reception at the Wynn Las Vegas which was held during the JCK Show. Check out http://www.savorsilver/ to learn more about this cool organization which Michael is in charge of- I am honored to be featured as one of Savor Silver's Designers of Distinction.

FIT-We Are All a Sum of Our Parts

I firmly believe that we are all a sum of our parts. I began teaching Career Planning at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City in the Spring of 2009- I love my students!! Friday, May 21st marked my final class for the semester and here I'm pictured with this year's soon-to-be graduates. Having met my husband Glenn at FIT when I was attending school there many moons ago, it feels exciting to be back in the creative fray! The Fashion Institute definitely served to enhance my love of design, fashion and the arts and is one of the many "parts" that ultimately turned GeoArt By Cynthia Gale from a dream into a reality.

Women's Jewelry Association and Marie Claire Magazine Spring Fling!

When we heard the Women’s Jewelry Association metro chapter and Marie Claire magazine were partnering for a Spring Fling, you didn’t have to ask us twice to go. An excuse to don our sterling and stilettos, Cynthia and I bounced over to the Hearst building—running in heels! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. ;) Along the way we met some incredible women: Nina Garcia (Marie Claire/Project Runway), Joanna Coles (Marie Claire/Running In Heels), Taylor Tomasi-Hill (Accessories Editor, Marie Claire) and Alexis Maybank (Founder, Gilt Group). Their panel discussion covered everything from accessories trends, online business and the defense of print against the internet. We also had a chance to catch up with friends in the industry, such as Cindy Edelstein, founder of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau…whom I caught tweeting mid-event! How awesome is that for good marketing? A beautiful setting for the event, the Hearst Tower provided spectacular views and we were delighted to have the opportunity to take an architectural tour of the building before cocktail hour. Check out the next Marie Claire mag! In honor of SATC2, our favorite ladies of the city are each being pictured on four collectible covers. I would love to get our jewelry on Carrie...

GrowNYC and GeoArt Party at the Water Taxi Beach!

On Tuesday, May 11th, Glenn, Olga, Erica and I headed down to South Street Seaport's Water Taxi Beach for a GrowNYC Benefit. Erica's shoe broke on the walk to the Seaport so Glenn and I were forced to do the Fireman's Seat Carry- good thing you're slim and trim, Miss Erica! The first photo above from left to right: David Saphire, Cynthia Gale, Marcel Van Ooyen, Olga Gonzalez, Erica Simon. The talented Executive Director of GrowNYC, Marcel Van Ooyen, posed for a quick snapshot in the sand with the lovely arches of the Brooklyn Bridge rising in the background. The GeoArt By Cynthia Gale team loves you, Marcel, and thinks the rebranding of GrowNYC will enable you to do bigger and better things going forward! I was asked by David Saphire, the Coordinator of GrowNYC's Learn It, Grow It, Eat It program if I would speak to the high school students involved in the program about Career Planning- I look forward to helping out in the near future. The girls are pictured in photo number two after far too many cocktails as we wrestled over Olga's GrowNYC goody bag that she won in the raffle. Everyone hates a winner! To learn more about this unique organization that GeoArt By Cynthia Gale supports, log onto http://www.grownyc.org/.

City That Never Sleeps Collection featured in the NY Times

Check out our full page feature in the Sunday New York Times! The City that Never Sleeps celebrates New York's distinctive skyline via one of Manhattan's gems, The New York Historical Society. Based on a series of nostalgic Robert Browning city photographs which reside in the Historical Society's permanent collection, this memorable sterling silver and brass jewelry makes a statement that is not to be missed...

GeoArt at the University of Delaware

There I was... hanging amongst the suits in my GeoArt jewels and slick little black dress-fashionistas unite!

On Friday, April 23, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion for The President's Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, my Alma Mater. I'm shown here with U of D's President, Pat Harker, a visionary on the subject of creating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Delaware and beyond. Also pictured is Monica Taylor, VP for Development and Alumni Relations. Present were delegates from federal and state government, including John Fernandez, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development under Obama. Alfred Spector, the Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives for Google, was another distinguished panel speaker. Also attending were members of the local business community, University staff members and U of D students interested in entrepreneurship-a unique mix!

As both a business owner as well as the solo female speaker at the Forum, I found myself in a unique position. As women, we tend to become immediately personal with the audience and openly share our business and life experiences. Therefore, it was instinctual for me to include my husband and teenage children in the conversation. Glenn, Isabelle and Ian sat in the audience and blushed furiously as I referenced them throughout my talk! GeoArt's creative entrepreneurial niche which focuses on globally inspired sterling silver jewelry design, giving back to the community, engaging in international travel and developing close customer contact were all touched upon. I was honored to be quoted in an article that appeared on the front page of the next morning's Delaware News Journal.

Museums and More in Austin

This is Olga jumping in as a guest on Cynthia’s GeoArt blog. I just attended my very first Museum Store Association Show, which was held in Austin, TX this past weekend and I just HAD to write about it somewhere. First impressions: everyone in Texas is awesome, cowboy boots are the new black and museum buyers are the sweetest. It was great catching up with our accounts one-on-one and meeting new clients for product development. Our City That Never Sleeps collection was a hit, with many raving about the designs and we are in the process of adding cufflinks to the collection due to demand! Crazy how a concept can catch on. On the down side, we somehow managed to forget the line plan at the office, so it was a late night of printing from a slow VPN via the hotel room… college years flashback.

On Sunday evening, we had the amazing opportunity to be one of the vendor-hosts of two MSA after parties, one at the Blanton Museum of Art (great job organizing, Mary!) and one at the Ghost Room thanks to David Howell. An excellent opportunity for networking, we were able to follow up our conversations from the Museum with a display at the Blanton and a conga line on the dance floor. Now that everything is rock and rolling at the office, it is time to hold down the fort while Cynthia is off to the University of Delaware for her panel discussion on entrepreneurship this weekend. Never a dull moment!

Dinner Time!

The City That Never Sleeps has inspired GeoArt’s jewelry….as well as its Dinner menu! After we marveled on how beautifully our new NYC skyline jewelry turned out (created in conjunction with the New-York Historical Society) we decided to theme an entire evening around it. Once a year we enjoy putting on our party hats and thanking our clients and friends for their support of GeoArt by Cynthia Gale and th e evening of Monday, February 1st was no exception! Friends from the New York Times, National Geographic, The Council on the Environment, Town & Country Magazine, the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts among others, joined us for a three-course meal where we swapped tables and stories. Top it all off with a fabulous meal by Tinna Brenton, our talented Swedish chef, and we left the showroom/gallery with a smile and a renewed sense partnership with our treasured clients and industry friends.