We sat down with Joanna Lovett of Joanna Lovett Sterling. She's been a member since 2019, but in talking for this spotlight, Joanna realized she has been doing the Circle Craft Christmas Market since 2011, so she feels like she has been part of the co-op for much longer.

Joanna makes jewellery that speaks to her life interests and experiences. She got her first taste of working with precious metal back in junior high shop class - the first class in the school’s history to open the door to girls. While she went on to work in what she calls her “real” job, where she had to wear nylons, she later came back to her true passion. 

Now when she walks into the quiet space of her studio in the mornings, she loves knowing she has hours ahead where she can get lost in the rhythms of her tools. Little things delight, like how solder flows in exactly the right places, and the intoxicating way silver feels when it is being shaped and perfected into exactly her vision.

Covid has had some unforeseen effects on her art & creative process, reminding her why she loves her craft. People have reached out for her to create very personal pieces. Out of the blue she heard from customers who told her what her work meant to them. These kinds of connections kept her going when normal face to face meetings were cancelled. She also tackled designs that she had been putting off, like her Anna’s hummingbird. They are wildly popular

birds and she had been asked to add them to her collection many times. The difficulty she had in the design is that they are shape-shifters. “I had to decide on how they looked to me, and just focus on that”. The necklace grew out of how they look when they are putting on the brakes approaching a flower or feeder. The earring design came out of how they

looked as they dive down to explore. The earring size had to be just right; big enough to be noticeable but not weigh down the ears. The quiet gave her the time to get it just right, which she never seemed to have, pre-Covid.

Joanna also had the time to take on a special commission for the Vancouver Art Gallery gift shop. The pieces were to tie in with the current exhibit From the Earth featuring the work of Edith Heath and Emily Carr.

Edith Heath started as a studio potter and evolved to designing tableware that is still extremely popular today, made in the Heath factory in San Francisco.

Joanna’s project was to create medallions from a selection of Edith Heath buttons from a private collection generously donated to the gallery. The finished pieces are shown in this photo below.

“To me, the fun thing about the buttons she made was that is no matter how successful she became, Edith continued to personally make these 'kiln fillers'. Each button is a different size, which required my settings to be unique. In preparation, I numbered each one and then engraved the number into the corresponding setting on the back of each finished piece. My goal was to enhance the beauty of Edith’s buttons by opening up a peek hole in the back of the setting and securing the button with a

silver or bronze stitch that goes through the button and rivets into the setting”.

Joanna recommends making a trip to the VAG to see the show, on till March 2022.

Like everyone, Covid forced changes to her business. She got busy and created an online shop with the help of a friend who walked her through the process. And now she is treasuring reconnecting in person with customers, show organizers, gallery owners and fellow artists. She found a taste of show life again with Harmony Arts this past summer, and looks forward to holiday shows and busy days in the Circle Craft store this winter.

In the meantime check out Joanna’s work here Joanna Lovett Sterling and on Instagram @joannalovettsterling

If you would like to be featured in a member spotlight contact diane@circlecraft.net.

It's time to get to know one another again!

September was a bit of a roller coaster month; some of the biggest days we have seen for a while, and also some of the slowest days we hope to never see again! Here's how it ended up.

Target: $72,250

Sales: $63,575 (88% to target)

To compare:

September 2020: $37,703 (+69%)

September 2019: $79,543 (-20%)

The increase in sales over last year is having a huge impact on our inventory levels in the store - we NEED your work! The store is looking very empty and we won't be able to sustain and grow our sales without a serious infusion of new inventory. October is already trending up over 2019. Please contact the store, make an appointment and bring in your newest pieces to help the co-op continue the move into healthy sales numbers.

Anna and the store team will be directly contacting all members with new drop-off and withdrawal protocols in the very near future. You will receive access to new forms at this time.

A reminder; please don't drop off your inventory without making an appointment. The store is working towards procedures that will be efficient for everyone. Your consideration is appreciated!

Email inventory@circlecraft.net or call 604-669-8021

Truth and Reconciliation Day

Our store marked this day of reconciliation by wearing masks designed by 75-year old First Nations Manitoba artist Maxine Noel (Ioyan Mani) of Santee and Oglala heritage. Her Sioux name translates as 'Walk Beyond'. Staff also wore orange ribbons, and at 2:15 pm a two-minute silence was observed by staff and customers in the store.

L to R: Alexandra, Hardi, Anna, Jackie

We welcomed new staff in September as well.

Judy Rogers: Assistant Store Manager

Pegah Tobassinejad: Sales

Natalia Soto Leites: Sales

Grace Ya-Hsin Liu: Sales

We are looking for volunteer members to represent the co-op and store at the Circle Craft Signatures Christmas Market this year. We have been given a big booth, free of charge, and we are making a serious effort to drive traffic into the store. There will be an email push offering a store discount for signing up. All products at the booth will be display only, not for sale. It is a great opportunity to talk about the co-op and the store mandate. Please help your store come out of Covid by representing your fellow co-op members at this show. We will be choosing the selection of work from the store inventory, so get your new work submitted to the store asap!