CJ x BJC Residents Talk
Commence Jewelry co-founder Aaron Decker sat down with Baltimore Jewelry Center residents Adam Fertig, Leslie Shershow, and Samira Saheli, as well as BJC director Shane Prada, to chat about making jewelry, navigating a residency, growth, community, and dreams. We hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation as much as we did!
A D A M F E R T I G
Adam graduated from the Brown|RISD Dual Degree program in 2019 with a BFA in Furniture Design and a BA in Modern Culture & Media. Prior to his time at the Baltimore Jewelry Center, he was an artist-in-residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center.
Some thoughts driving his current practice include: ghosts, rocks, whispers, sewage, very big buildings, very small repairs. He lives and works in Providence, RI.
See more of Adam’s work here
L E S L I E S H E R S H O W
Originally from midcoast Maine, Leslie Shershow has lived all over the country pursuing her passion as an artist, jeweler, teacher, and student. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally; participating in exhibitions at Galerie Marzee, Sienna Gallery, Gallery Loupe, Alliages, and during the Society of North American Goldsmith’s conference. Leslie received her BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and her MFA from San Diego State University. She has held teaching positions at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, San Diego State University, and most recently at New Mexico State University.
See more of Leslie’s work here
S A M I R A S A H E L I
Samira Saheli is an artist living and working in San Diego, California. Her work focuses on symbolism and it’s deep-rooted importance in our everyday lives. In the form of an amulet or talisman, her symbolic works exercise influence on feeling and emotion for the purpose of healing and understanding the environment around her.
See more of Samira’s work here
© Baltimore Jewelry Center
You can learn more about residencies at the Baltimore Jewelry Center, and how to apply here.