Today we’d like to introduce you to Christa Wilm.
Christa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a child I brought home nests, stones and oddities I found in nature. I made museums with these objects for my dolls. My education is in journalism (University of Missouri ’76) and I served as a press secretary a and political ad producer in Washington, D.C. during the Reagan Administration. Eventually, I returned to my artistic roots, though, and opened an antique store on Antique Row in West Palm Beach. During that time I began encrusting objects from auctions with seashells. They started selling very well and developed into my business of custom shell design almost 20 years ago.
Since then I have had the honors of doing work for magnificent homes, fine designers and landscape architects. I was sent 28 evening bags to encrust for Ralph Lauren’s 2011 Paris runway show, created the centerpiece sculpture for the Breakers Hotel on Palm Beach. I made a pair of 12′ columns for Faena Hotel on Miami Beach, along with 32 large, decorative crowns and other shell objects for Faena. I had a shop in Miami’s Design District for a time but kept my shop in West Palm Beach as my main location. During this time I have been published in many national design magazines and now my work is appearing in books. I closed my retail shop a year ago and now do mainly custom work out of Atelier on the new Arts Corridor on Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a single mother, I struggled to run a business, care for my aged mother and raise a child. The Great Recession brought hardship, but my because I am so specialized I got through it where many of my associates did not. I started the renaissance of shell design about 20 years ago, and have inspired many people to copy me and mass produce shell items, which was also hard for me, as a custom artist. Thankfully my fabulous collection of shells and experience working with fantastic designers and architects has given me an edge, and I continue to have success with my work.
Christa’s South Seashells & Jewelry – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Christa’s South Seashells & Jewelry has been in operation for 24 years. First Christa’s South was solely an antique store. About five years after opening I began encrusting objects and making seashell mirrors. The seashell portion of the business kept growing and growing until it overtook the antique portion. After the recession in 2008, a wave of minimalism began and the antiques fell, and that’s when I started making seashell objects exclusively.
By 2011 Christa’s South had grown to have national recognition, and I was called to do work for Ralph Lauren, The Breakers Hotel, and Faena Hotel in Miami Beach. That was also the year Luxe Magazine named me a Style Maker and did a nice article about me, featuring lovely photos, including the black and white one I sent you.
Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so –who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help.
My German mother brought me up to develop my own creative devices. She was a struggling single mother who could not buy me many toys and taught me to use what was on hand to play with. I painted and made clothes for my dolls. I collected interesting tidbits of natural objects and played with those. The women on my mother’s side are all very creative. My Aunt Christa is a portrait artist, and she also introduces me to antiques. She and my uncle Donald Paset taught me everything I know about antiques.
These people helped me develop an eye for beauty. They helped me see the beauty in the shadows shapes made by trees. My dear Uncle Lolo showed me the depth of beauty found in the Bavarian forests, where I spent many summers near Augsburg, Germany. My uncle and grandfather made foldable kayaks that were actually used to help discover the basins of great rivers in Africa at the beginning of the 20th century.
My ex-partner, Douglas Petty, actually taught me all about adhesives and the engineering of large objects, so that I can fabricate and guarantee commercial work. He has been an inspiration as well. The need to support my wonderful son, Roman Petty, gave me the strength to keep going and expand my business. I wanted him to have a world-class education and travel in Europe to he to know his Bavarian roots.
Gloria Echeverria has worked for me for 16 years. She has developed into one of the finest seashell artisans alive today. She helps me with the fine and tedious work of tiny projects and mosaics. She is a master at sizing shells and making work look neat and professional. Gloria became an American citizen some years ago, having escaped the government and violence of El Salvador.
Doug Petty still helps me realize large projects. He engineers The over-sized installations for hotels and large homes. He is a fine craftsman.
Contact Info:
- Address: 728 Belvedere Rd
West Palm Beach - Email: christaseashells@gmail.com
- Instagram: Christasseashells
- Facebook: Christassouth
- Other: Pinterest: Christawilm
Image Credit:
Claudio Beier
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