Meet Erin Weaver | Owner + Founder of Studio451Jewelry/ Metalsmith + Jewelry Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Weaver and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, why did you pursue a creative career?
From a very young age, I had an innate ability to create. Through many art classes and back and forth on what college degree to pursue, I decided that following my artistic talent was the right path. I moved to Durango, CO to finish school at Fort Lewis College with a BA in Art with a focus in Silversmithing and a minor in Southwest Studies. At that time, I fell into southwestern archaeology as an intern at Mesa Verde National Park mapping prehistoric architectural sites. They needed an artist to create hand drawn maps of prehistoric structures in the park. This led me to an 8 year career in archaeology. I occasionally still had my hand in making jewelry, inspired by the southwest and the cultural remains left behind by the ancestral puebloan people that I discovered in the field as an archaeologist. Their pottery designs, hand carved stone jewelry pendants, woven sandals, projectile points, pictographs and petroglyphs on sheer sandstone walls left a deep imprint inside of me. I had an abundance of jewelry designs in my mind from those experiences that needed to become something tangible. I always wondered what it would be like to start a business as a metalsmith and jewelry designer and I knew I wanted freedom and flexibility, to share my artistic gifts, bridge my archaeology background with my creative sensibility and metalsmithing skills and to bring the visions I had for jewelry to life in the form of wearable works of art. So, in 2013 I took a leap of faith and started Studio451Jewelry. I think sometimes that the creative career chose me- it was inevitable and it gives me purpose on a deeper soul level and the feeling of “this is right where I need to be”.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My art is a reflection of me- my unique spirit and my personal experiences are wrapped up in each piece that is designed and handcrafted by me and that is what sets it apart. While I have some simple designs, I incorporate subtle details into my jewelry that give it a touch of the southwest. It is both strong and delicate at the same time. I work with brass, copper, sterling silver and bronze. I use hammered finishes to add texture, oxidized finishes that fade from dark to light to bring in dimension, and various stamps to create a signature style.

I am most proud of the fact that I have built my business on my own. I have a strong vision for my brand and a specific style and aesthetic. I am a one woman show- I design and make every piece of jewelry, I am my own sales representative, reach out to and visit buyers, deliver and ship, set up for markets, make displays, merchandise, write, maintain my website, photograph my work for online representation, run my social media accounts, administrative work, and the list goes on. Most recently, I have felt excitement about the overall growth of my creativity and collections as well as custom work- clients that have come to me with their story, to say they want a special piece of jewelry to represent an experience or a moment in time and I instinctively get a vision of what the piece could look like and the process flows from there. That has been really gratifying to experience as the creator and seeing the client’s responses has brought me great joy.

Professionally, I arrived at where I am with resilience, grit, determination, hard work, always remembering where I came from and reminding myself of how far I have come. Some lessons I have learned along the way are to have good boundaries, say no to projects that don’t fall within my aesthetic, know the value of my work, maintain a steady business mindset, and ride the wave of the creative process with grace and gratitude.

What I would want the world to know about my story is that taking a leap of faith has made me grow more as a person than I could have ever imagined and that in the journey there is light and dark. Every part of it, whether it is the light or the dark has made me a deeper and more soulful human- one who has discovered and keeps discovering even more purpose, one who has realized that creativity is part of my being, nature and essence, and one whose voice has become louder and heard more often through my craft.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?
In Durango- Coffee/tea at Still Life Coffee and Botanicals or Durango Coffee Company, walk on the river trail, the Farmers Market if it’s Saturday (where I occasionally drop in to sell my work), brunch at El Moro, walk historic downtown Durango Main Street, go into my personal favorite shops- Urban Market and There’s No Place Like Home, both carry my jewelry, Animas Mountain trail, paddleboard on the Animas River, mountain bike ride in Horse Gulch, happy hour at Eolus, sushi at East By Southwest, soak at the Durango Hot Springs, hike, run or mountain bike on Molas pass on the Colorado Trail, if it’s ski season take some runs at Purgatory, stop at James Ranch for a grass fed burger out on the lawn and shopping in the market were you can find my jewelry, local produce, art and food. Mesa Verde National Park- having worked there and my background in archaeology, I would say I am a pretty good tour guide. Squeeze in a mountain bike ride at Phil’s World. Drive from Durango to Telluride- Silverton, hike Handies Peak, Ouray, check out Main Street and the Silver Lynx (they also carry my jewelry line), Perimeter trail, Orvis Hot Springs, Ridgway then onto Telluride. Take the gondola, hike/ run Sneffels Highline trail, stop in the Telluride Toggery, another shop that sells my jewelry.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?
When talking about success there are always people along the way that have helped me with that. My friends, family and longtime customers who have supported my business from day one and the first ones to wear my jewelry pieces before it was even Studio451Jewelry -they are all still wearing and purchasing my work, hosting jewelry shows and events and promoting my brand by talking about it with others. My hometown of Durango, CO- from familiar faces to strangers I see around the area wearing my jewelry, it is truly flattering to be in town and walk past someone with my jewelry on- it happens frequently and it lights me up every time! The stores who carry my jewelry here in Durango- Urban Market, There’s No Place Like Home and James Ranch. They are all so encouraging and know me well which translates into them being able to share parts of my story to connect me with customers buying my work, whether they are local or just visiting.
The stores outside of Durango who purchase my work and also take the time to know me, support me and value my craft. Peggy Maloney, my mentor and silversmithing instructor at Fort Lewis College, she has since passed away but I know she would be beyond thrilled that I pursued a career in jewelry.
Joel Brisbin and Kay Barnett, archaeologists at Mesa Verde National park were instrumental in introducing me to the world of archaeology. This led me down an amazing path of exciting archaeological field projects with the National Park Service and beyond, inspiring my overall being and the designs that are reflected in my jewelry.

Website: www.studio451jewelry.com

Instagram: instagram.com/Studio451Jewelry

Facebook: facebook.com/Studio451Jewelry

Image Credits
Marcus Garcia