Drew Curtright
Drew Curtright
Born and raised in the heartland, I was constantly surrounded by the creative spirit. My father owns a production company that provides lighting, sound, set design, etc. for events such as weddings, conferences, and of course theater productions. My grandmother taught music at the University of Nebraska and also directed a youth choir that I was a part of for nine years. She also dabbles in painting. Finally, my mother owned a women's clothing store called The Individualist that specialized in clothing for women who wanted to stand out from the crowd. Obviously, all members of my immediate family have tremendous respect for the arts. After graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan University with an Art Degree in 2013, I followed the family into the arts and started my own jewelry line.
My fascination with jewelry partially stems from the fact that the impulse to adorn ourselves is almost as ancient as mankind. Driven by many different factors, the impulse to adorn as a means of creating identity is what most intrigues me. When someone puts on one of my pieces, I want them to be both physically and emotionally effected because that piece introduces a new facet of, or a change to, their identity. Each piece, somewhat like a uniform, allows for some aspects of that person’s personality to come forward, while at the same time masking others. The goal I have for my pieces is to instill a sense of empowerment in the wearer, to make that individual feel like they can face their peers, or strangers, with a confidence that they might not have otherwise.
The use of Victorian interior design motifs is a starting point from which I aim to achieve my goal. The Victorian home was the realm of the woman, as separate as possible from the masculine world outside. I am interested in the implications of a woman existing almost exclusively in the home, constantly surround by everything feminine. At the time, it was a devise used to separate women from society. I use those same motifs, which acted as restrictions on the Victorian woman, to empower the wearer of my jewelry by making her aware of her body and the power that femininity can hold, instead of those elements confining her.
