Rockbridge County/ Lexington - Mega Trends Meet Rural American Main Streets
by Stephen A. Clerico
Artisan Center of Virginia - August 7th, 2008

Sylvan Spirit has two homes in Virginia ... Lexington and Richmond. Co-owners Maureen & Rebecca Worth are mother and daughter, skillful jewelers, and diverse in their approach to marketing. Rebecca writes, "My mother and I create our jewelry for those people who are looking for one-of-a-kind, art pieces. Custom design for individuals, or even creating a collection exclusively for a particular group or institution has been successful for us on many levels. Customers appreciate exclusivity and we enjoy making pieces that are not merely pretty, but have meaning behind the design. A few projects we have recently completed are our "Hannah" headpiece collection for Miss Virginia available at Saks Fifth Avenue, a Frida Kahlo jewelry collection for The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and a Thomas Jefferson "Twinleaf" collection for Monticello and The Jefferson Hotel."

With a background that includes travel abroad and a Hampshire College degree in Cultural Anthropology, Rebecca adds, "Its not just art that I enjoy bringing into my work. My thesis researched the role of pottery in the identity of the Native American Pueblo people and how their styles of pottery changed when artists such as Maria Martinez began making pieces for western tourists. I discussed the impact of these changes within the Pueblo culture and the implications of the terms authenticity and traditional. The changes in our society trend toward the "cookie cutter" method and are evident in the mass produced products in stores, and that weird stretch of fast food joints that pave the way to almost every city and small town, and even our approach to thinking and politics. I personally have come to embrace just about anything that is born from originality. An artisan can certainly use the help of an assistant or make a large quantity of items, but they are making sure each piece continues to have the essential elements that sparked the original design."