Stay in touch with us and get the latest scoop on dream jobs, events and store specials.
Name:*
Email:*
 

Jewelry Designer

Artisan: Mena Messina Jewelry Designs, Warwick, NY
  Book This Dream Job Vacation
  Watch the Video  
Is your work cut out for you? Does your job fit your dream-job design? Well, if not, then perhaps taking a Jewelry Designer VocationVacation with Mena Messina of Mena Messina Designs in Warwick, NY is just the right thing for you!

Mena took a metalsmithing class in high school which sparked a lifelong interest. After she earned a BA in Fine Arts in Craft from The Philadelphia College of Art and a Masters in Education from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA, Mena worked for several years as an Art Therapist, all while continuing to make and sell her own jewelry. Her early studio was in her NYC kitchen! Today, her studio is on 2 ½ beautiful acres in Warwick, NY where she lives with her family and husband, Gary Genetti, a well-known glassblower.

Photographs and nature have greatly influenced and inspired Mena’s work. Water moving endlessly over a fountain is translated into metal ribbon-candy waves. Stacked hay bales in a barn are creatively re-interpreted into jewelry. Fine silver, bronze, copper or gold metals have patina and precious stones applied to add depth and interest. Mena’s loyal customers love that she ensures everything is of high quality, balanced and comfortable to wear.

Her hand-fabricated work includes earrings, pin-pendants, necklaces and one-of-a-kind jewelry. She has won prestigious awards and even created a holiday ornament for the White House! Mena’s jewelry has appeared at Bloomingdales, The Guggenheim Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, galleries and in retail shows across the country.

Mena somehow still finds time to teach in her studio, do summer jewelry camps for kids/teens, and also edit a magazine for families with adopted children!

During your Jewelry Designer VocationVacations® dream job holiday, Mena Messina will lead you through some or all of the following Jewelry Designer-related activities:

Basic Studio Skills:
  • Drawing a jewelry design on paper, tracing it onto a piece of metal and sawing it out with a jeweler’s saw
  • Filing the rough edges of the metal with professional jewelry files
  • Drilling holes and texturing metal with a special tool
  • Soldering two pieces of metal together
  • Sanding and polishing the jewelry
The Business Side of the Art:
  • Ordering supplies, tools and equipment
  • Researching materials
  • Inventory
  • Determining value / pricing pieces
  • Handling retail orders
  • Marketing your art
Preparing for a Professional Craft Show:
  • Pricing pieces for the show
  • Packing the jewelry and the entire booth display
  • Transporting everything to the show
At the Show:
  • Setting up the booth and displaying the jewelry
  • Overview of skills to help in marketing the jewelry
The Jewelry Designer VocationVacations® experience includes:
  • Two days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as a Jewelry Designer
  • The opportunity to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post-VocationVacation career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
  • A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job becoming a reality
  • Light lunches with your mentor

    Available: All year based on mentor's availability with exception of holidays and weekends

    Price: $849 Per Person

    Book this dream job vacation



    Suggested Accommodations

    Apple Valley Inn

    Crystal Springs Resort
    (Not inlcuded in the price of your VocationVacations® dream job holiday)

    Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® adventure:
     Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:
    Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.