Tamara Goldsmith
Tamara Goldsmith hails from the beautiful Pacific Northwest where she has spent the last 25 amazing years.
Tamara learned how to make stained glass in her teens and went to high-school for two years in Philadelphia, apprenticing for a stained glass painter named John Beirs. She later worked at Beehive Glass in Salt Lake City, specializing in leading and assembly of traditional stained glass panels primarily for residential homes.
She attended the University of Oregon in 1991 and graduated with a degree in Jewelry & Metalsmithing with a Minor in Art History. After moving to Portland in 1997, she worked in various jewelry production jobs, started TAG Design as a custom jeweler in 2004, and later opened Redux Jewelry Boutique and Gallery. She had been managing, curating, and designing for her jewelry store, gift shop and gallery for 18 years. The shop had been a mecca for over 600 local artisans and makers, providing both a venue for local artists as well as an opportunity for Tamara to share her handmade treasures with the world. Redux featured hundreds of art openings and Tamara enjoyed being a patron of the arts in the Central Eastside of Portland, within it's vibrant and growing creative community.
Tamara is drawn to the dark arts, outsider arts and an unusual design aesthetic. She is inspired by objects made from repurposed materials and found objects, referencing this theme in her curatorial work at her shop. As a maximalist and collector she found many kindred spirits in Portland, having the moniker "Keep Portland Weird". As a purveyor of the unique and bizarre, fun and funky treasures, and enjoyed many years of satisfaction running the shop, until the Pandemic hit the world. She underwent a shift in perspective during that challenging and scary first year, slowly realizing she yearned for more time to make art, travel the world and spend time with her new partner. During early pandemic times, Tamara rekindled her love of stained glass and taught herself the Tiffany method, fell in love and started a new business called Magic Hour Glass. In her desire to rekindle her roots as an artist, she slowly began to liquidate the shop and planned for it’s closure at the end of her lease term in April of 2023. She is thrilled about the career change and is excited to continue "keeping it weird" as an independent stained glass artist working out of her home studio.
Tamara currently spends her time working in her retail shop by day & breaking glass full time. She lives in an old Baptist Church in North Portland with 3 cats, 1 chinchilla, a feisty Pomeranian and her magical, talented, sweet spouse.
Address: 4828 N. Williams Ave Portland OR 97217
Glass
Community: N Portland
Studio Number: 21
Email: tamimania@gmail.com
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