SAVE FLUXWORK!

Dear Friends,

The FluxWork Studio Family is asking for your help to get through these difficult times.

FluxWork Studio has been a home to over 60 jewelers throughout our 11 years in Brooklyn, NY.  We are a communal jewelry studio in Bushwick that provides a creative and supportive work space for independent jewelers. 

During the last month we have lost half of our members due to the devastating effects of COVID-19 and are not able to cover our costs to stay open. As a communal space the members still with us have been put in the challenging position of possibly having to leave the studio during a dangerous time and without the resources to find a new space. Right now we need our community more than ever to help keep our doors open as there are so many jewelers in the area who have lost their jobs and will be needing a space like ours to not only work on their own lines for supplemental income but also have a supportive network to continue to grow and thrive through this difficult time.

Our mission is to raise enough money to cover the rent difference and basic expenses for the next 3 months so our jewelers are not displaced and FluxWork Studio does not have to close.

If you have ever attended our classes, come to our holiday parties, supported one of our jewelers, been a FluxWork member - please consider making a donation. If you are able to help us today we will return the gift!

To show our gratitude for your generosity during these trying times, we would like to offer the following incentives for anyone able to lend a helping hand :


- $20.00 will get a small brass handmade token of our appreciation.

- $50.00 will get a custom stamped 18" necklace

-$100.00 will get seat in one of the following jewelry classes: Sterling silver stamped ring, Stud earrings, Hoop earrings, Resin bracelets

-$150.00 will any experienced jeweler 10 hours of bench space in our studio.

-$200.00 will get a private 2 hour intro session with one of our artists OR a seat in your choice of the following classes: Gold + silver stacked ring class, Ring wax carving class
                            
-$500.00 will get a private 3 hour intro session and access to 10 hours bench space in our studio.




 


Testimonials for FluxWork Studio:

April 15th, 2020
Madeline Michael - Made Line Jewelry 

"I joined FluxWork Studio in Brooklyn in 2013, right after I moved to New York. I had just
graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design, moved to the city for my new job as the
Head Bench Jeweler at Catbird, and knew only two people in the city. I quickly found my second
family in the community of jewelers that worked at FluxWork.
When jewelry students graduate from college, it’s hard to even imagine what life will be like
without having access to a studio. Many jewelry making tools and equipment are expensive,
making it extremely hard to start your own private studio. Elizabeth Thompson started Fluxwork
with just that in mind...creating a safe, comfortable, community space for jewelers to collectively
work and share equipment. However, after joining I quickly realized that the studio was much
more than that. The members of the studio were warm, inviting, selfless, and extremely open to
sharing technical skills, as well as business advice. Everyone there had different specialty skills
and would help each other through projects. We would teach each other how to make
linesheets and price our jewelry, we shared vendor information and ran errands for each other
in the diamond district. I spent most of my free time in this studio, making life-long friends and
learning the ins-and-outs of the New York jewelry industry.
The jewelry that has been physically made and/or designed in this humble studio is remarkable.
The members of FluxWork have made work for several fashion and jewelry brands such as
Proenza Schouler, Chanel, Rag And Bone, Catbird, WWAKE, Jennifer Behr, and Dannijo, just
to name a few.
FluxWork has also been a small business incubator for several independent jewelry brands
such as Elizabeth Knight Jewelry, Selina King Jewelry, Nina Berenato, Faeber, L. Jardim,
Artifacts NYC, and my own jewelry brand Made Line Jewelry, just to name a few!
I name all these brands because I want to shed light on how a small, humble, jewelry studio
contributes to several large fashion companies as well as small emerging artists. There are very
few collective jewelry studios in NYC and maybe even fewer that have such a non-competitive,
supportive environment. It would be a shame for FluxWork to have to close their doors and I
truly believe that both the NYC fashion and jewelry industries would take a loss in losing this
special space and the incredible work that is created here.
I know this is a difficult time for everyone, but if you are able to help during this time, I hope that
you will consider donating to help save FluxWork Studio!"


April 16th, 2020
Nina Berenato - Nina Berenato Jewelry 

"I worked in FluxWork studio for 5 years and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Having a community of mentors, teachers, and friends made me the designer I am today. I'm so sad to know that a place that was the foundation of my career is in trouble. It is a truly special place that deserves all the support. Please consider donating even a little because without a safe space to call home, artists can't create the wonderful work that enriches your life each day."

April 19th, 2020
Aliza Guttman - Faeber Studio 
"I moved to NYC in 2015 almost the second I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. My first 6 months in NYC were one stumble, skip and jump after another. At school I had been so sure of what I wanted from my career. I knew what steps to take, how to harness my skills and market myself.
But after 6 months in the field I came to a full stop and realized it wasn't what I wanted at all.  Confused and frightened (in a somewhat typical early 20 something state) the only decision that seemed without question was to return to the bench.
I joined FluxWork Studio in Spring of 2016 and found my answers in a group of peers and mentors I could have only dreamed of previously.
I learned the many different ways I could support myself with my trade which ultimately led me to build to confidence to start my own brand, Faeber Studio, in Fall of 2016. Over the last decade FluxWork has cultivated a community of jewelers that have helped one another find their footing in an ever changing industry. So often it's hard to ask and if you do so hard to find the answers. In FluxWork Studio i found my team and NYC family. When I opened my own studio space in 2018 it was the family at FluxWork that helped and cheered me on while I set up.
It breaks my heart to know this special place is in trouble. If you are able to consider donating at this time please think of FluxWork! Let's help to keep this space alive for another generation of jewelers and designers."

April 21st, 2020
Carolyn A'Hearn - Carolyn AHearn Jewelry 
"I joined FluxWork in 2012, about a year after I began making jewelry. Being pretty green at the bench and at the very beginning of my career I was unsure if committing to a studio space was the right decision for me. The support and encouragement I received from this incredible community of peers, mentors and soon to be friends quickly solidified that it was. 
Throughout that first year I was coached and cheered through every jewelry job and business opportunity that came my way. As my skills and confidence grew, FluxWork gave me the opportunity to build my teaching portfolio, host dozens of private clients, and build a jewelry line that I am proud of. 
Spaces like FluxWork are vital to jewelry and creative communities everywhere. Part of the magic of FluxWork is that it nurtures nascent talents alongside seasoned professionals, allowing people from many different backgrounds to come together, learn from each other, and grow. Please consider supporting this space and their GoFundMe campaign so they can keep their doors open and continue their great mission in the years to come."