3 minute read
ANALY JEWELRY
from OTK Issue 05
by One To Know
Never Give Up
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
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By Jade Emerson
Analy Alvarado grew up playing with her mom’s jewelry. In high school, Analy brought her collection of statement earrings to show-and-tell. She wasn’t able to explore her creative interests around jewelry when she later worked as a secretary in a school district, but that changed when her DACA permit expired. This was nearly three years ago.
She got notice saying she had to resign but used that opportunity to return to her passion, letting her creativity flower. “I took it as the biggest opportunity to quit and find something else to do, something that I wanted,” Analy says.
While in limbo waiting to receive her green card, Analy began to research different hobbies to fill her time. Analy says that’s when she had a “light bulb” moment: She discovered polymer clay jewelry-making. Not only did she fall in love with making jewelry, but she began to see possibility in the craft. About eight months after she started making jewelry, Analy Jewelry was born.
“My family is small-business oriented. My mom has cleaned homes for a long time. My dad has had his own business for a long time. All my family members in Mexico have their own businesses too. So, it was already in my DNA to want to do something,” Analy says.
After eight months of trial and error and giving her creations as gifts, Analy started an Etsy shop. Analy’s mother, Gris, began to help with the business. She was the one who first encouraged Analy to use the intricate detailing which has now become the business’s staple. Analy has married and moved out, but she transformed her childhood bedroom into her studio, meaning she could spend her working days with her mom.
“I was a little scared [that] after I got married, I wouldn’t see her as often. So, I was like, ‘What’s the best way I could see my mom?’” Analy says.
With its innovative designs, Analy Jewelry stands out from other jewelry businesses as the only business to embed the ear post into the earring to prevent it from falling off. With Gris’ love of floral details and Analy’s love of modern, geometric shapes, Analy Jewelry offers elevated artistry.
Gris says her favorite part of working with her daughter is seeing how their ideas combine when they’re together. She loves finding inspiration from runway shows.
Jewelry-making has transformed both Analy’s and Gris’ lives. Now, the duo looks forward to working; they’ve found financial freedom, and most importantly, they get to spend each day creating together. Analy and Gris prove that when one door is closed, a better one can be made out of clay.
“I encourage anybody that ever wants to start something [that] it’s possible. We just have to endure. Trust yourself that you have something good and that you’re making it better,” Analy says.
Women Painting Women
May 15–September 25
Women Painting Women, organized by the Modern’s chief curator, Andrea Karnes, features 46 female artists who choose women as subject matter in their works. International in scope, this presentation includes portraits that span the late 1960s to the present. Women Painting Women recognizes female perspectives that have been underrepresented in the history of postwar figuration. The artists here all place women— their bodies, gestures, and individuality—at the forefront.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell Street • Fort Worth, Texas 76107 www.themodern.org
Amy Sherald, A Midsummer Afternoon Dream, 2020 (detail). Oil on canvas. 106 × 101 inches. Private Collection. © Amy Sherald, Courtesy the Artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Joseph Hyde
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