Born the daughter of an art teacher and a music teacher in Rutland, Vermont, I was given an early appreciation of the arts. School was serious fun and time home was filled with music, hand crafts and sports. My brothers and I were encouraged to play with knives.

Public school, where my father’s career led us, was first in Rutland, then in a suburb of NYC, Bedford Hills, and finally I graduated high school in West Hartford, Connecticut. Our property in Stockbridge, Music Mountain, has always been, and still is, home. I was lucky to have been a student at Rhode Island School of Design. It was a great fit for me. In 1979 I graduated with a BFA in Sculpture/Metalsmithing. An invitation to come to The University of Wisconsin, Madison led me to my journeyman’s years with the graduate program there until my longing for Vermont brought me home where I opened my shop Wenda Fine Art Jewelry in 1986. There, in Rochester, Vermont, I have had a rewarding life creating joy for many.

In 2017 I wanted to expand my exposure and was happily accepted into The Brandon Artists Guild. The Guild offers as much involvement with operations as desired by an exhibiting member, and a constantly growing circle of art-minded friends, just what I didn’t know I wanted!

At present I am revisiting many series of jewelry I have done over the decades. I now have the freedom, the time, and the skill to create what I could almost envision then. It is a thrill to make new designs with my very experienced hands.

Wenda Curtis sold her first pair of handcrafted earrings to Freeman Jewelers in Rutland when she was just a teenager. She went on to earn a BFA at the Rhode Island school of Design and has continued to produce her unique original designs in gold, silver, and gems for over 40 years.