PAST EXHIBITIONS

About the Working Artist Program

Canal Street Art Gallery, in Bellows Falls, Vermont, is pleased to present: Judi Forman, the next artist to participate in the Working Artist Program. This program is an artist’s studio and exhibition space within the Gallery, and is open during the Gallery’s regular hours, Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am-5pm, and on 3rd Friday Gallery Nights, from 5-7pm. 

“I find inspiration in the work of my teachers and other jewelry artists, but then it boils down to just what happens between me and the materials. I love the synergy between the metal, my ideas and the tools. Some of my favorite pieces are the result of serendipity such as how a particular piece of copper responds to the heat of a torch on a particular day and acquires a one-of-a-kind patina.” -Judi Forman

Judi Forman, based in Westminster, Vermont, is a metal artist creating one-of-a-kind artist jewelry. Forman works with silver, copper, niobium, titanium, and steel, using metal-working techniques such as anodizing, imprinting texture, and drawing with colored pencil. The artist uses layered sheets of metal, shaped into works such as “Three Moons Brooch” and riveted together. Using patina and colored pencil, the artist creates abstract compositions often inspired by nature on the multiple surfaces she has shaped. Forman’s most recent work using colored pencil on copper, adds both bright color and texture to the artist’s jewelry.

The goal of the Working Artist Program is to provide artists with an affordable space to complete a project, explore a new body of work, gain exposure and sales, or prepare for a solo show. Visitors to the Gallery now also have a unique chance to engage with an artist as they create their art. The public is welcome to come in to learn about and experience the process of art making. By offering a working and exhibiting space which is open to the public, with new artists every one to three months, the program contributes opportunities for dialogue, events, and classes to the community. 

The Working Artist Program is open to all artists with priority for local artists. Working Artists are expected to interact with gallery visitors, discuss their artwork, process and practice, and answer questions. Artists process their own sales and curate their own space. Upon completion of the program, artists present a self-curated solo show within their space to coordinate with a Bellows Falls 3rd Friday Gallery Night event.

Artist's Statement

I first encountered the magic of being able to turn raw metal into jewelry when I was 15 and a student at The Putney School in Putney, VT. An expensive habit, I left metalwork behind when I was no longer connected to a school that could provide me with a studio. About 18 years ago I started taking metalwork classes at The League of NH Craftsmen in Hanover, NH. Thus began a renewed passion for creating jewelry. I have continued to take classes and workshops from some of the top metal-smiths and jewelry artists in the country.

I find inspiration in the work of my teachers and other jewelry artists, but then it boils down to just what happens between me and the materials. I tend not to draw my designs on paper and when I do, the outcome will bear only a slight resemblance to my drawing. The designing happens in my imagination and the image I wake up with in my head becomes a different piece entirely when I get into the studio.  

I love the synergy between the metal, my ideas and the tools. Some of my favorite pieces are the result of serendipity such as how a particular piece of copper responds to the heat of a torch on a particular day and acquires a one-of-a-kind patina. I’ve been working mostly in silver, copper, and niobium and am currently exploring steel and a little bit of gold. I’m always looking for ways to add to color and texture. In 2020 I began using colored pencils on copper, which adds a new dimension to my work.

The best part for me is seeing someone wearing my work and being told they wear it every day. It’s a wonderful feeling to have something that arose out of my head, become a piece of jewelry that someone finds a personal connection to.

Follow Us