Interview with Yikes! Studio: "Being a small business person myself without a lot of capital to work with I feel a kinship with these women"

Collective member Suzanne Anderson of Yikes! Studio is a polymer clay jewelry artist whose art is fun, elegant and innovative. Her latest project is a fundraiser for the international nonprofit organization Heifer International, whose work empowers women and families with the gift of livestock animals.

The organization's website describes their mission this way: "Heifer International is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability." Among organizations that address hunger and opportunities for women, Heifer International is a standout, with measurable successes as well as the less measurable, but immeasurably valuable, experiences of empowerment. Suzanne (of Lucerne, Maine) and I talk about the necklace she is creating as a fundraiser for Heifer.

RR: What was your first experience with Heifer International?

Suzanne: I had heard about Heifer over the years and had always been interested. I love the idea behind it and have a great love of animals and farms. One year we gave as Christmas presents shares in animals through Heifer. The animal gifts help children and families around the world receive training that helps them become self-reliant through sustainable agriculture. Heifer has helped more that 12 million families since 1944 in more than 125 countries.


RR: What about this particular organization that makes you excited to support it with your artistic work?

Suzanne: I have been wanting to tie into some kind of charity or fundraising work for some time but hadn’t quite figured out how I wanted to go about it. We receive the Heifer International magazine and was looking through it one day recently when I saw the “Do Something WiLD” campaign. I felt an immediate connection and I knew right away that it was something that I could get behind with my work in some way.


RR: Tell me about the "Do Something WiLD" campaign.

Suzanne: “Do Something WiLD” (Women in Livestock Development) is a Heifer campaign specifically targeting the role Heifer plays in empowering women in developing countries. When the earning opportunities for women are increased the effect is positive for the whole community. Heifer also plays a part in educational opportunities for women which I am really excited about. Being a small business person myself without a lot of capital to work with I feel a kind of kinship with these women. Also, my pieces that I create are sold to women almost exclusively so I thought it was a great way to promote Heifer and do something good.

RR: You are making a necklace that is raffled off to raise money for Heifer International. Please tell me more about how the fundraiser works.

Suzanne: I am creating a necklace that I hope represents women all over the world. It will be raffled off at $5.00 a chance with 100% of the proceeds to go to Heifer and specifically “Do Something WiLD”. My web site will have a page for making the donation at www.yikesstudio.com. People will be able to safely make donations through Paypal, which will automatically enter them to win the necklace. I also will be at a Beads and Baubles show April 8 & 9 at the Ramada Inn in Ellsworth where I can display the necklace and collect donations there. I hope to raise at least $1,000. That’s a lot of cows, sheep, chickens etc. to go to needy families!!


RR: There is a huge amount of detail in the beads that you made for this necklace, which is really a work of art. What goes into making a necklace like this?

Suzanne: This is a ooak (one-of-a-kind) piece with all the beads created individually. The face beads are created from colored clay. Each part of the face is made separately and then joined together in what is called a cane. It is done in the Italian tradition of millifiori glass work.

The canes are sliced very thinly and applied to the bead shape. I am hollow-building the beads since they are quite large. The completed beads are cured and sanded smooth, then assembled. I hope to finish it in mid-March and will continue to post pictures of the process on FaceBook, my web site and blog (www.yikesstudio.blogspot.com)


RR: Some people say that art doesn't naturally have any connection to social causes. I think some people have even struggled with the idea of our media collective, because it is not "just about art," it's about life and how art can support life and visa versa. What is the connection between being an artist and supporting social justice, for you?

Suzanne: Well, I am not, in general, what you would describe as a social justice artist. I only occasionally make pieces that are rooted in a cause of some sort. My work in this case is a way for me to give back. I have been very lucky to have the life that I do. I am in a position to create this piece and put it out there to hopefully create an awareness that it really takes so very little for us with so much to help those with so little. Just five dollars from a lot of people can go a long way towards improving someone else's life.

You can connect with Suzanne on Facebook, or visit her website or blog for updates on the Do Something WiLD fundraiser and progress on the necklace. Enter to win the necklace on her website by making a donation to Heifer with the donation form at www.buyyikestudio.com. Suzanne accepts PayPal online, which enables you to use a credit or debit card.