Good news for jewelry lovers who miss Burlington’s late, great Grannis Gallery: Goldsmith Timothy Grannis is setting up shop in the South End — on the corner of Howard and Pine, to be exact. The new studio, called Alchemy Jewelry Arts Collective, also houses Connie Coleman, Marie-Josée Lamarche and Jane Frank, and opens to the public with a reception this Friday.
The 2000-square-foot space — former home of Limited Edition Woodworks, which moved in with Sterling Hardwoods around the corner — features a display area in front and a capacious workroom in back. There Grannis will focus on sculptural pieces as well as jewelry. His wife Susan Hurd gets a room of her own, too; a corner office she plans to use for writing autobiographical fiction. “I am really excited about it,” says Hurd, who also reveals she’s playing “wild guitar” in an “old-timey and eclectic” local band called Lucky Penny.
The new hive of creativity is clearly energizing the couple, released from the rigors of retail after 10 years in their Bank Street shop. In the new studio, Hurd says, “Timothy wants to make the stuff that comes out of his heart and soul” rather than focusing on producing for the market. Not that his and the other artists’ works won’t be for sale; after this weekend, the showroom will be open by appointment and on special occasions. “We’ll carry these four jewelers and probably periodically do shows with other designers,” Hurd notes.
Late last week, the new studio was far from presentable. Sawdust tracks covered the carpet, and the back room was piled with yet-to-be-organized pieces of metal and tools of the trade. An initial new paint job had dissatisfied; Hurd and Grannis were starting from scratch with new colors. But a spiffy green awning outside suggested the spot was already transformed, and by this Friday, it will be. Let the alchemy begin.
This article appears in The Fashion Issue.
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