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Openings by Sep 21, 06:20PM in Shop

Encinitas: At Lux Art Institute, Five S.D. Jewelry Labels Are In the Spotlight and Now for Sale

No-brainer gift for the furniture lover in your life? Stump studs. Designer Demi Thomloudis is a metalsmith grad student at SDSU (where Lux had put out feelers in its search for artisans) who grew up hiking in the wilderness of Pennsylvania. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast

Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast

"At Lux we're always bringing in artists from elsewhere," says institute director Reesey Shaw. "We wanted to tip our hats to artists from our community. People are looking for handmade things, things artists worked on themselves while following their own visions." Each of the five designers got her own customizable cubbies in which to display her wares. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
"We wear her earrings all the time," says Shaw of Hulga's of San Diego jewelry. Hulga is an "alter-ego" of NorCo designer Jean Lowe, well known for her low-brow/high-brow installations. Though Lowe is "secretive" about the materials, it's likely the earrings are made of foil, epoxy, and paper. Says Shaw, "I've worn them to the opera and got raves about them." Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
The necklaces by Hulga's of San Diego, $20. (The earrings are $45.) The jewelry images were cut out by Lowe from auction catalogs and are tagged with marker-written labels like "Heirloom," "Roman" and "Important." Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
No-brainer gift for the furniture lover in your life? Stump studs. Designer Demi Thomloudis is a metalsmith grad student at SDSU (where Lux had put out feelers in its search for artisans) who grew up hiking in the wilderness of Pennsylvania. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
The pendants and earrings ($30-$45) are made of reclaimed brushwood, sterling silver, and powder coat. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
NorCo's Thais Pacci launched her line last year; her necklaces feature repurposed textiles blended with recycled sterling silver chains and charms. Here, her pieces range from $75 to $195. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
Jewelry label Rishee is the work of S.D.'s Rachelle Openshaw, a florist for Isari, which provides the gallery with its blooms. "We'd always notice her wearing the most beautiful flower earrings whenever she'd come in," says curatorial assistant Grace Chen, who helped select the artists. The sourcing of Openshaw's clay statement studs started from there. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
Each pair costs $24, and the pieces come in flowers ranging from calla lillies to orchids to pansies. They've already become a breakout big seller. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
Another fast seller has been the work of Jennifer Housman, who is actually the registrar at Lux Art Institute. Of the two cubbies displaying her Housgoods line, one contains pieces inspired by her Balinese honeymoon, during which she saw ceremonial penjor bamboo poles braided with leaves and gifts in front of houses. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast
Housman's Korean jade pendant on the right was inspired by Lux coworker Gemma Brown, who got married while wearing her grandmother's Victorian necklace with a stone stamp in a similar shape. Photo: Chantal Gordon/The Feast

PHOTO 4/10

The last time we stopped into Lux Art Institute — known for bringing in boundary-pushing international artists to work in residence — we learned about the mythical sexiness of horned jewelry.

This week, we return to the Encinitas gallery on another gem-related mission. A few days ago, its store re-opened featuring the one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry by S.D. designers Thais Pacci, Demi Thomloudis, Rachelle Openshaw, Hulga’s of San Diego, and the institute’s own registrar, Jennifer Housman.

And tonight’s the grand opening. From 6 to 8 p.m. the shop will officially debut at the inaugural Lux @ Night soiree of the 2011/2012 season. (In between jewelry fixes, meet resident artist Ann Agee, listen to the music of retro jazz/folk chanteuse Miss Erika Davies, and nosh on seasonal fare from Curiocity.)

Above, we zero in our favorite pieces, and discover that the jewelry by Hulga’s of San Diego — which includes $45 tongue-in-cheek “heirloom” earrings made of foil, epoxy and paper— is actually the "alter-ego" work of a well-known NorCo artist.