Aug. 27, 2001 – The art won't be on the walls for this Friday's monthly Da Da Wine Down social gathering at Cafe Amici. It will be worn by local models.
Fabric art by Sloop Jones, enameled copper jewelry by Loretta Pshsniak and glass bead jewelry by Linda Crist will be featured, along with wines of Baron Philippe de Rothschild from Chile's Maipo Valley. Jazz keyboardist Sally Smith will provide music, too.
All three artists are represented by The Color of Joy gallery and boutique in American Yacht Harbor, which is coordinating the art aspect of the evening.
The get-together, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cafe Amici in Riise's Alley, is open to the public, with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and door prizes to be awarded at the end of the evening. There is a $10 fee for the continuous wine tasting and seminar that will go on throughout the evening as long as the featured wines are available.
Bellows International will present the wine tasting and seminar.
Chile's Maipo Valley is one of the South American nation's most noted wine-producing regions. A recent addition to the Baron Philippe de Rothschild labels produced there is Escudo Rojo, a full-bodied, fruity blend of classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot plus Chile's own Carmenère.
Sloop Jones is a hand-painted textiles art studio that was inspired by owner Terry Mckoy's travels through Guatemala. "I was struck by the vivid colors of the Mayan Indians and their contrast with my gray suit, white shirt and black shoes," he recalls. In 1989, Mckoy and Barbara Alperen set up their studio on a quiet bay at the easternmost reach of St. John. Starting with T-shirts and small throw rugs, they have developed a product line of more than 30 garment designs, as well as rugs as large as 6 x 9 feet that are custom coordinated with a client's interior decor. Bright colors and playful images are hallmarks of Sloop Jones fashions that are promoted as being fun to wear.
Loretta Pshsniak, a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, came to St. Thomas as a student enamelist in 1985, working at the Stanton Studio. She and four other women also working in the medium formed a cooperative, the Caribbean Enameling Guild. Pshsniak employs Caribbean motifs in her painting designs on copper with an eye toward creating timeless wearable art.
Linda Crist began designing bead jewelry in 1995, having moved to St. John after retiring from the U.S. Postal Service in Memphis, Tenn. She creates her work using beads from many lands, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Germany, Japan, China and India. Some are hand made; some are vintage pieces crafted prior to World War II. Crist works in a wide range of colors and styles, creating accessories to complement virtually any outfit.
