By Louise Irvine
As you explore the Splash! exhibition at WMODA, you’ll discover the ocean’s beauty flows beyond the galleries and into the Museum Shop. There, alongside stunning contemporary ceramic and glass artworks on display, is an array of marine-inspired treasures you can take home – including the unique creations of Matchless Glass, a family-owned local jewelry company founded by our very own Building Manager, Luis Montanez.
During his seven years at WMODA, Luis has been inspired by the remarkable glass art collection he handles while setting up exhibitions and creating installations. In that time, he has worked with masterpieces by Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, the Murano glassblowing maestro. Like a sponge, Luis has soaked up knowledge from every encounter with visiting glass artists, such as the Ferro Brothers from Murano.
Luis began his Matchless Glass business by sourcing Murano glass novelties for pendants. Lori Brown, our talented graphics designer and glass artist-in-residence, showed him how to attach bales and make them into jewelry. These pendants quickly became popular keepsakes for museum visitors. Among the favorites in the Museum Shop are designs reminiscent of paintings by Gustav Klimt and Vincent Van Gogh, as well as hearts and flowers for Valentine’s Day. During the Splash! exhibition, whimsical fish, turtles, and seahorse designs have also become fast favorites.
While working at WMODA, Luis has collaborated with many other local artists whose work is featured in the Museum Shop. For several years, he incorporated Chelsea Rousso’s fused glass gemstones into elegant necklaces suspended from sterling silver chains. He learned how to fuse glass at Chelsea’s Unity in the Community workshop and was responsible for that installation at WMODA as well as her Amulets of Light project. When he discovered a treasure trove of vintage Murano glass beads, he was shown bead-stringing techniques by Wendy Chercass, our self-confessed local “beadaholic” whose exquisite woven bracelets and earrings are a highlight of the Museum Shop. Multi-media artist Mirela Popovici has also encouraged Luis in his art and shared her knowledge of creating lamp-worked Murano-style beads with a torch.
Luis now designs his own necklaces and bracelets by reimagining beautiful Murano beads from the 1970s and 80s, some enhanced with shimmering 24-karat gold flecks. He has searched for appropriate locks and findings to recreate the vintage style. His creations have evocative names and stories such as Treasures of the Tide, Reef Rebel and Mermaid’s Midnight. His passion for glass art has been transformed into a collection of wearable art that celebrates craftsmanship and our marine environment in the Splash! exhibition at WMODA.
Drawing on his expertise in sourcing exceptional vintage treasures from various locations, Splash! includes shoals of cute miniature fish and other whimsical sea creatures in vibrant colors, which are fun souvenirs of the show. They swim happily beside miniature ceramic fish formed on the potter’s wheel by local artist Alex Meiklejohn.
Matchless Glass has also recently branched out into estate jewelry acquired locally in Florida. As a result, the WMODA Museum Shop now features beautiful displays of vintage jewelry, celebrating the natural treasures of the ocean. The luminous quality of seashells has been linked with the beauty of porcelain since Marco Polo, the Italian explorer, visited the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century. When he saw Chinese porcelain for the first time, he called it porcellana, the Italian word for the cowrie shell.
You’ll find necklaces and earrings featuring real pearls, organic gems formed inside mollusks, mother-of-pearl, and iridescent abalone harvested from oysters and nautilus shells. One of Luis’s necklaces even features Ama, Japanese “sea women” who are famous for collecting pearls. Luis is also thrilled to present a remarkable collection of vintage Kirks Folly fantasy jewelry capturing the playful spirit of sea life, and he is having fun researching and authenticating his acquisitions with the support of professional appraisers.
When he’s not studying online and making his new jewelry collections, Luis helps his wife, Nini, with her successful Candle Nerds business. Weekends are often spent driving to art fairs and galleries, where Nini’s Evolution wax sculptures have been winning accolades. Her latest award-winning candles are currently on display in the WMODA Studio Collection.
Nini and Luis also spend a great deal of their time giving back to their community. They organize food drives and cook meals to help feed the homeless. Every major holiday, they do something special to brighten the lives of underserved children, whether creating baskets stuffed with treats and cuddly toys at Easter, or spearheading a toy drive and pizza party at Christmas. Now, as children prepare to go back to school, they are working with The Caring Place to provide backpacks to equip young students for success in the coming academic year. If you would like to participate in this current initiative to help young students, please contact Luis at WMODA by August 5th.
Through his incredible fundraising endeavors and Matchless Glass enterprise, Luis brings a sparkle to our daily lives, one handcrafted treasure at a time. Whether you’re searching for a meaningful souvenir, a unique gift, or a timeless piece of jewelry, visit the WMODA Museum Shop to support both Matchless Glass and your local non-profit museum.
Read more about pearls and mother-of-pearl at WMODA
Mother of Pearl
String of Pearls
