A Moment with Artist Carmen Salazar of Siemon and Salazar

 

 

 

It was early December, about ten years ago, while staring at my computer screen, my then-boss suddenly announced that he had gifts for the staff! The gifts were not wrapped but it didn’t need it. He handed me a beautiful hand blown, tear shaped glass vessel that was lovingly patterned with alternating stripes of deep crimson and merlot. He then told us that a good friend of his made them, and that his friend and his wife were actually having their annual warehouse sale that very night! Upon arrival at their studio, I was immediately taken by beautiful concrete steppingstones and twinkle-lit olive trees that lined the walkway towards the warm glow of the oven fire where young glassblowers were demonstrating their craft as a jazz guitarist played to the likes of Django Reinhardt. To the right of the entrance into the studio, I also saw a lovely game of horseshoes, a forest of geometrically cut trees, and a lovely spread of wine and appetizers. How whimsical, in an urban sort of way! It was at this moment, I realized that this was no ordinary couple.

 

 

Carmen Salazar and Caleb Siemon is a creative force to be reckoned with. They met years ago as students at Rhode Island School of Design. After school, Caleb took an apprenticeship with a renowned glassblower in Venice, Italy and Carmen accepted a position in the Bay Area which surrounded her with artists who specialized in metal, glass, architecture and even horticulture! The idea of enhancing ones physical surroundings by creating it into a place where art, architecture, and nature meld into each other using medieval technique with a modern perspective was certainly more interesting than the typical fountain or statue in the corner of the garden.  In recent years, they have collaborated in the field of lighting that has made quite an impression in the world of interior design.

Where do they get their ideas? Do they know how exhilarating it is to their customers to be welcomed into their studio like family and see them at work? After multiple handblown glass ornaments and 6 vases later, I finally mustered up the courage to ask and Carmen was so kind to oblige despite a very busy month!

 

LL: Are you aware that the two of you are creative inspirations to our community? What and where do you find inspiration?

CS: We had no idea but thanks so much for saying such a nice thing! Inspiration comes from everything around us.  Sounds cliche, I know, but it is the truth.  The key is to be open and on the look out.

LL: How old were you when you knew that this was the field you wanted to be in? Did your parents have any type of influence on your creativity?

CS: Caleb’s parents are both artists and started him pretty early.  My family is a combination of scientists and artists.  We were both extremely lucky to have supportive families.

LL: You have a magical way of making the most industrial material and transforming it into something organic, for example the landscaping outside of the studio, where concrete meets luscious natural surroundings. At what point did you decide to collaborate with Caleb? How have you been able to apply it upon working with Caleb in lighting?

CS: I left the architectural field and joined the studio officially in 2008.  There were a lot of factors involved of course, but our family was probably the major one.  We had had our daughter Margot and were gearing up to have Rome.  We wanted to build something together and since we both love product design it was a natural course of events.

 

LL: Whenever I come to your annual sale, I can’t help but feel a deep love and camaraderie and pride amongst the people who work with you. It makes it even more special to shop there. How do you keep such a happy team?

CS: We like to joke that we hire people based on whether they will be fun at our annual Christmas Party.  It is actually not that much of a joke.  The team dynamic is critical to the success of our studio. We all work together everyday and feed off each other’s energy. It is hard work so has to be fun or no one will want to come in. 

 

 

 

LL: One of the most memorable aspects of your annual warehouse sale is the live music and fare! How did you come up with the idea and who decides what type of music to play?

CS: Our first party was in August of 1999 when the studio opened.  The party was pretty much the same as it is now.  It is a real celebration.  The music is always someone local and we have had all sort of great people play.  We are thankful to be able to do this for a living and like to share that.  

LL: How has parenthood affected your careers and what is it like to collaborate with your spouse?

CS: Being parents definitely changes things.  Caleb and I are the type of people that would stay in the studio all night if we were left to our own devices.  The kids have forced us to spend more time smelling the roses. As far as collaborating with each other, so far so good!

 

 

LL: Life can be quite hectic, especially as parents and there are times when we find ourselves stuck in a rut creatively. What do you do when that happens to you? How do you find your balance?

CS: We do have to leave the studio.  Fortunately we are forced to leave a couple of times a year for shows.  These trips help us reboot and get excited about new work. We also try an exercise regularly.  When we forget to do that we get grumpy.  I like to hike and swim and Caleb likes to bike and surf.  Getting outside, even for a minute, always helps our brains stay healthy. 

 

 

 

Carmen and Caleb are parents who happen to know, live, and work their passion: finding inspiration in everyday items and creating them into works of art. If you’d like to learn more about them, please visit https://www.siemonandsalazar.com/.

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