About The Artist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maureen Shankey, B.A. Fine Art, M.A. and M.F.A. Metalsmithing & Jewelry

I was always in love with gems. Since they need metal to be worn, I became a metalsmith. Now I love gems and metal equally!

My jewelry and vessels are abstracted impressions of nature fabricated, electroformed, and cast in sterling silver with 24 karat gold keum boo and lots of luscious gems and pearls. All pieces are signed if space is available, and materials identified. I use 100% recycled metals.

The two most inspiring books I have are Art Forms in Nature and My Eye Is in Love. My morning walks along Tampa Bay, which I can see from my studio, take longer than they would most people because I stop to collet leaves, sticks, and shells, and take photographs. My work has become more complex as my collections grow.

I taught Metalsmithing & Jewelry at colleges and universities in Illinois and Florida. Several former students are now accomplished jewelers who sell internationally. One opened a gallery that carrries my work, one was featured in Vogue, and another won second place on Bravo's Project Accessory.

My collections are wide and shallow, a lot of designs but only a few examples in each, so my jewelry is very exclusive. You won't see yourself coming and going! Many are one of a kind because I search out one of a kind stones. Select custom pieces are available upon request.

All designs are copyrighted by Maureen Shankey Jewelry.

Galleries

 Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg, FL, voted Best Jewelry in Tampa Bay

Argentum et Aurum, Fond du Lac, WI

Awards

Best in Show, Beaux Arts Festival of the Arts, Miami, FL

Best in Craft, Varied Treasures, Lisle, IL

First Place, Professional Artist Exhibition, Springfield, IL

First Place, Pinecrest Gartens Festival, Pinecrest, FL

First Place, South Miami Art Festival, South Miami, FL

First Place, Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Bits and Pieces, Hallandale Beach, FL

First Place, Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Movement with a Mechanism, Hallandale Beach, FL

First Place, Florida Society of Goldsmiths Three Metals, Hallandale Beach, FL

First Place, Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Container, Hallandale Beach, FL

Award of Excellence, Ocala Arts Festival, Ocala, FL

Second Place, Professional Artist Exhibition, Springfield, IL

Second Place, Form, Fashion, andPhotography, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Second Place, American Association of University Women, Elgin, IL

Second Place, Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Bead, Hallandale Beach, FL

Award of Distinction, Riverside Avondale Preservation Art show, Jacksonville, FL

Second Place, Florida CraftArt Member Show, St. Petersburg, FL

Award of Merit, M.F.A. 2001 Show, Chicago, IL

Award of Merit, Florida CraftArt Festival

Tuition Waiver Scholarship, partial, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Honorable Mention, Florida CraftArt member Show, St. Petersburg, FL

Florida CraftArt Festival Collectors' Circle

Exhibitions

Member Shows, FloridaCratArt, St. Petersburg, FL

Art in the Garden, Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg, FL

Professional Artist Exhibition, Springfield, IL

Florida Craftsmen, St. Petersburg, FL

Handmade, Miami, FL

Objects of Desire, St. Petersburg, FL

Metalliferous, Chicago, IL

M.F.A. 2001, Chicago, IL

Three Rivers Art Festival, Pittsburgh, PA

Form, Fashion, Photography, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Lisle Library, Lisle, IL

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Miami Dade College, F.aculty Shows, Miami, FL