Shreveport native Golda Blaise (Pickett), a Santa Fe, N.M.-based jewelry maker, designer and artist, recently returned home to lend her talents to “Divecraft,” an installation on display at Voodoo Café: An Art Bar.

Inspired by working with an artist at a Red River Revel booth at age 9, Blaise soon after began making jewelry and was blowing glass by 16.

In 2009, she gathered her portfolio, packed her bags and moved from Shreveport to Santa Fe where she landed a job under established glass blower Dale Chihuly’s rst assistant.

“When you get into glass blowing and jewelry production, it is important to study with someone who knows the business, the ins and outs of every day operation,” Blaise said.

“My jewelry is very different. I love to use found objects and weird trinkets that tell a story that the buyer can relate to. Whether it is leather, my own blown glass, silver castings, doll house furniture, seed pods or other strange materials, it all boils down to texture, color and storytelling,” Blaise said.

Though she still makes and sells her unique jewelry, Blaise has taken her passion for artistic collaboration and become a prime mover in the artist collective, Meow Wolf, based in Santa Fe.

Meow Wolf does collaborative installations across the country. One of the group’s recent accolades was a twoweek show in 2012 at the Congress of Collectives in Queens, New York, at Flux Factory. Along with that show, she and Meow Wolf have constructed more than 25 immersive art experiences throughout the country, collaborating with ages ranging from 6 to 76.

“Collaboration is the rst movement toward creating a safe, happy and more close-knit community. By including anyone and everyone, we empower not only ourselves but those who surround us,” Blaise said. “The installation pieces and sculpture visions I come up with include all aspects of creativity, whether it’s music, dance, performance art, lighting, poetry, spoken word, noises or smells – you name it, and we’re happy to include it.”

For “Divecraft,” the May 31 installation opening included performance artists and music by area bands Kountry Klubb and The Beggin’ For Its. Among the unique pieces for “Divecraft” were works assembled from boiled, recycled plastics that were sculpted and blown into bulbous sea creatures. Nestled within those pieces were sea urchins made with toothpicks.

Blaise had plenty of help from her local friends and fellow artists for the “Divecraft” project, including Jim Hayes of The Prop House, who donated space for pre-fab, and artist/musician John Martin, Shelby Thoma, Iris Maclean, Michael Bryant, and Laura Thompson.

On the horizon for Blaise and Meow Wolf is an upcoming installation project, opening Sept. 6 and running for three months, at Chicago’s renowned Thomas Robertello Gallery.

Carrying a colorful nucleo-underwater theme, the installation will serve as a fully immersive art experience.

Blaise was pleased with the response from “Divecraft” and hopes to do more projects in Shreveport.

“I strive constantly to show everyone that you, too, can change the way people think for the better,” she said. “I want to bring true leadership back – handson, down-to-earth, colorful, clean, safe, experimental leadership. It takes all of us to accomplish big, great things so let’s grow together, Shreveport!” – Karl Hasten

SEE IT!

WHAT: “Divecraft” 

WHEN: Through June 30
WHERE: Voodoo Café: An Art Bar The installation is located in the upstairs area of the bar.