Like all Haligonians, local artisan Catherine Sutherland is accustomed to the sight of the sad pile of glass shards that remains after a bus stops been vandalized. But unlike the rest of us, Sutherland decided to take those bus stop remnants and do something creative. Sutherlands new Halifax Bustop Collection, is a line of handmade rings, bracelets, earrings and pendants the artist, a NSCAD University-trained metalsmith, made using bus-stop glass for gems. The collections one of two Halifax-inspired jewellery lines that Sutherlands currently offering through her new company, Catherine Sutherland Art and Design. The other is a series inspired by Point Pleasant Park—Sutherland used bark and twigs collected there to make moulds, which she then used to form sterling-silver pieces of jewellery. I realized how fond people are of Point Pleasant Park—and how fond people are of Halifax, says Sutherland. I thought this might be something people can relate to. Pictures of Sutherlands creations (from these and other collections) are at her website, catherinesutherlandartanddesign.com. The sites also the best place to contact her— although some of her pieces are available at the Lady Luck Boutique (1869 Upper Water) and shes a frequenter of the Farmers Market. The artist recently found a source of recycled metal, so future ethically minded order-placers can choose to have their pieces made from recycled materials. She hopes to use recycled metal, which is pricier, for all her pieces eventually. In the meantime keep your eyes peeled while travelling: Sutherlands been asking friends in other cities to send her bus stop glass. I havent gotten any back yet, she laments.
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2008.