The featured member artist for November is one of the Alliance Art Gallery jewelers, Mary Beth St. Clair. Art has been a part of Mary Beth's life as long as she can remember. She had intended to go to college and major in art. She had a scholarship from the Kansas City Art Institute and instead chose to attend Northeast Missouri State University and major in business.

After college she worked in a variety of jobs but when she had children, she started researching the possibility of supplying local businesses with wholesale jewelry. Eventually she decided she could make a better quality product and started creating her own jewelry. She also began making embellished jean jackets and children’s hair bows. During this time she was creating designs for a stamping company. Her creations were in the Art Nouveau style. She soon bought a casting machine and started producing her own pieces in silver.

At the gallery, Mary Beth features a variety of semi-precious stones set in her silver designs. She is well known for her use of Russian amber pieces but lately amber has become difficult to source. As a result, many of her current pendants and earrings feature Larimar, a beautiful blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic. She is also be returning to one of her first loves, embellishing denim jackets and vests and pairing these wearables with coordinating jewelry.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 11 from 4:00 until 7:00 with an artist's talk at 6:00. This event is free and open to the public.