Local Artist: Gerry Florida

Gerry Florida is a self-taught recycle artist who salvages the “unsalvageable ” to create what she describes “paintings with beads.” As the former owner of Florida ’s Estate Gallery specializing in estate jewelry, she had a 40-year passion for jewelry collecting extraordinary estate pieces many of which influence her designs. After suffering a life altering chemical accident her creative ability and determination fueled her passion to reinvent and “recycle herself” to develop a home-based jewelry design business with an eco-friendly conscience. Always in the process of recreating her art identity, she combines her passion for jewelry, art, glass and antiques to developed an eclectic mixed media style using vintage and contemporary beads and findings as well as wire, toy parts, household objects, found objects, metals, clay, resins, glass, wood & bone to create inspiring one of a kind recycled jewelry pieces.

For more of Gerry’s work, visit her online at http://www.pittsburghartistregistry.org/gerryfloridarecycledoriginals