Denise Barr

Vetri is delighted to introduce mixed-media artist Denise Barr to the gallery. Denise has been making jewelry for over thirty years. Initially working and teaching in Los Angeles, Barr moved to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s.

In her current body of work, the artist uses glass murrine pieces made by the venerable Seattle artist Richard Marquis. These meticulously crafted murrine pieces are incorporated into wearable compositions, which include found objects such as old dice, vintage pins, precious stones, vintage bottle caps, fossils, and Victorian buttons. These objects are bezel-set by hand in sterling silver to create fine art jewelry that conveys nostalgia and modernism in equal measure.

“I have always used found objects in my jewelry. I believe they help tell a story. These objects remind us of our own memories and shared experiences.”