Spectrum Teaches at Domestic Violence Center~

The women of Spectrum Art & Jewelry recently made their 2nd trip back to the Domestic Violence Shelter. Bringing, beads, clasps, supplies and encouragement, the Spectrum staff taught the women how to make beaded jewelry. This not only allowed them to feel beautiful in their new adornment, but also a sense of empowerment. Learning a new skill can release tensions and allow new hobbies and outlets to flourish!

We encourage all of you to volunteer in your local community. The more you give, the more you get!

Get Ready for Inauguration Day!

The history of the US Presidential Inauguration is a long one steeped with deep roots. No matter who you voted for, we all know that this presidential inauguration will be historic. Stop into Spectrum today to get your inauguration day jewelry! We can custom design a piece of jewelry for you to match ANY budget! So come on over and get decked out in your red, white, and blue! We have plenty of gems and beads to create a special piece for such an historic event!

Jewelry on Inauguration Day has been a favorite among First Ladies. The photo above is of Mrs. Eisenhower's jewels she wore on the special occasion!

Smart Car Debut a Success!

Friday, January 9th, we had the debut for Bebe, the art smart car. Artist and gallery manager, Nancy Noel May, is the creator of Bebe and this month's feature at our Open House & Wine Tasting. Bebe drew a large crowd, a news reporter and was featured under the tent with lights, just like a celebrity!

What's So Smart About It?
The name "Smart" came from a combination of Swatch, Mercedes and the word "art." The company also markets the cars with the brand and model name in lowercase to emphasize their small size.

The Smart Car began with Nicolas Hayek, the man who invented Swatch watches. He wanted to make a small car that would be fuel efficient, environmentally responsible and easy to park in small spaces. The Swatch Company collaborated with Daimler-Benz (after a failed venture with Volkswagen) to create the first City Coupe under the company name Micro Compact Car (MCC). Development began in 1994, and the first car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997. The MCC went on sale the following year, but Hayek was disappointed with the use of a conventional engine -- he'd wanted a hybrid or pure electric motor -- and the price of the car, which was higher than expected. When initial sales were slow, Swatch pulled out of the partnership, leaving Daimler-Benz (now DaimlerChrysler) full owner of the Smart division. Today, Smart is part of DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes group.

When you see the Smart Car, the first thing that you notice is its size. The City Coupe (renamed the "Fortwo" once Smart began releasing other models), is only 8 feet, 2.5 inches long, less than 5 feet wide and about 5 feet tall. (In comparison, the original Hummer H1 is over 7 feet wide.) That means that instead of parallel parking in line with other cars, a Smart Car can back right up to the curb. Two or three Smart Cars can park that way in a single curbside parking space.

Spectrum in Southern Living!

Spectrum Art & Jewelry is pleased to announce that there was a wonderful article about us written in the December issue of Southern Living. There is a regional section about North Carolina which features select businesses in the area that make a worthy visit. We are excited that we have made the cut!

The article addresses key goals of Star Sosa, Purchase your Southern Living now to read the wonderful article or come by Spectrum...we'd love to show you!

Art Smart Car....

Have you seen the artsmartcar???? Gallery manager, Nancy Noel May, has put a graphic of one of her paintings of the Crystal Pier covering her smart car, named Bebe. You may have seen this cute, compact, and stylish car around town. If you haven't, you can stop by Spectrum to see Nancy's car parked at The Forum in front of the gallery. To learn more about the art smart car, check out her website at http://www.artsmartcar.com/ You never know where Bebe will show up next!

New Year, New Art & Jewelry...

What can we say?! Spectrum is looking as wonderful as ever, filled with gorgeous paintings, glamorous jewelry, and one of a kind art! New artwork from Jane Faudree, Nancy Noel May, Norah Pierson, Table Art, and many others!

Start your new year off right with an uplifting and entertaining experience while visiting the gallery. Enjoy a cup of coffee while you look at our new art creations. When you put your best foot forward and start the year off right, you will end up with successful and prosperous results. Make Spectrum a part of that process! Stop in today to get the painting or talisman piece that will keep you motivated through the year!

The History of New Year Resolutions

To all of our Spectrum Friends, Happy New Year!
Last Year We posted this clipping and wanted to share it with you all this year again...

The first day of a calendar year is one of the world’s oldest holidays. The Babylonians are known to have celebrated the new year approximately 4,000 years ago, and this ancient civilization is credited by some with originating an annual tradition still going strong: The New Year’s resolution. The first day of a the Babylonian year was considered to be March 23rd, and a common Babylonian New Year’s resolution was their custom of returning something borrowed from a friend over the course of the previous year.

The Romans used a different calendar and named the first month of the year after the mythical figure of Janus, a symbol of beginnings and endings, whose two faces allow him to look both forward and backward in time. The Romans celebrated the coming of the new year on January 1st by exchanging gifts, and had their own version of the tradition of resolution-making begun by the Babylonians. A common resolution in ancient Rome was to seek forgiveness from enemies of previous years.

The Chinese New Year, which falls at the time of the first full moon after the sun enters Aquarius (late January through mid-February), has also been celebrated for thousands of years. Among the many customs associated with the Chinese New Year is housecleaning, frequently found today on lists of the most common New Year’s resolutions worldwide.
At Spectrum Art & Jewelry we carry the work of Norah Pierson. Her jewelry is Greco-Roman inspired with pre-Columbian motifs. The imagery of prancing horses, maltese crosses, and ancient shells adorne Norah's pieces. Her jewelry encompasses the same feeling, emotion, and decoration found on jewelry 4,000 years ago in Babylonian times. Stop in today to see her work.