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Ben Bridge Jeweler Celebrates Love, Unity, And Color Of All Kinds | June 15, 2021 (0 comments)
Seattle, WA—Ben Bridge Jeweler, the family-run AGS fine jewelry chain, proudly announces the launch of its Summer of Love & Unity initiative, which brings together jewelry, art, retail, and inclusivity, and philanthropy in one place.
With all new colorful window installations accompanied by matching color blocked gemstone jewelry, the jeweler’s windows will feature an original, custom art piece created by local Seattle artist Aramis Hamer. Limited edition prints of the artwork will be sold with profits going directly to the Black In Jewelry Coalition (BIJC), which strives for the advancement of BIPOC professionals within the gem, jewelry, and watch industry.
“This collaboration showcases Ben Bridge’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are celebrating both Love and Unity this summer in a beautiful and inclusive way,” says Lisa Bridge, president and CEO. “We are honored to partner with the incredibly talented Aramis Hamer and are inspired by her artwork. It is wonderful that our collaboration will also help raise awareness and funds to benefit the meaningful work of the Black in Jewelry Coalition.”
A statement on the Ben Bridge company blog says, “Ben Bridge has always been committed to diversity and inclusion and that dedication remains more important than ever. The last year underscored that it is imperative to challenge ourselves regarding how we can and must do more to ensure equality and social justice for everyone ranging from big foundational changes to visible gestures of allyship.”
On her Instagram page, the artist described how her love of jewelry brought her to Ben Bridge. (Note: text only below)
“I'm sooo excited to announce this collaboration with Ben Bridge Jeweler (@benbridgejwlr) for the Black in Jewelry Coalition (@blackinjewelrycoalition) I created this purple goddess inspired by one of my favorite Beyonce song's: Brown Skin Girl. When I learned about Black in Jewelry Coalition, the first international non-profit membership association dedicated to the inclusion and advancement of Black professionals within the gem, jewelry, and watch industry, I said HELL YAASSSS!!!
Y’all know how obsessed I am about jewelry!!! So you mean to tell me there is a black-led, founded, and operated organization that's spearheading a revolutionary change in this industry? And Ben Bridge Jeweler funds a scholarship to aid in this effort?? Count me all the way in! I made this unique piece just for this mission. You can now view this purple goddess at all 35 of the west coast Ben Bridge Jeweler locations.”
The 24” x 36” art piece takes inspiration from a Black Lives Matter mural that Aramis contributed to in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. The striking painting features a goddess wearing a pair of Ben Bridge “Toscano” Italian gold earrings, a yellow gold chain, and a pearl strand. She serves as a reminder to break free and as a symbol of how connected we truly are in the world. In the window installations, she stands amidst an Art Deco rainbow of color celebrating all things Pride, as well as love and community. The limited-edition 12” x 18” prints of the painting are available on Hamer’s website for $70 each, with profits benefiting BIJC. Additionally, at the end of the summer, Ben Bridge will donate the original art piece with the intent to further support BIJC.
“I love vivid colors and am delighted to partner with Ben Bridge Jeweler to showcase the full rainbow spectrum of color that makes up humanity,” says Hamer. “The work Ben Bridge is doing to promote inclusivity and their partnership with the Black In Jewelry Coalition is inspiring to me. I am honored to be a part of it.”
The colorful new Art Deco inspired displays will be installed all summer from June through the end of August in over thirty Ben Bridge Jeweler locations. The custom art piece will be shared on the Ben Bridge website as well as across their social channels.
To purchase the artwork, visit https://aohamer.com/online-shop/bbj. To learn more or to view the artwork and window displays designs, click here. For behind-the-scenes video by the artist, Aramis Hamer, click here.
Above, the art piece that will be availalbe for purchase. Below, the variety of Ben Bridge window displays created for the initiative.
