First Friday Art Walk – December 6, 2019 – Featured Business: Plum and jewelry artist, Ali Holmes

Winslow Way and surrounding area, Downtown Bainbridge Island
First Friday of every month, 6-8 PM
Produced by Bainbridge Island Downtown Association
Sponsored by the City of Bainbridge Island

Once a month, Bainbridge Island Downtown Association and the City of Bainbridge Island present the First Friday Art Walk.

Spend an evening experiencing all that downtown Bainbridge has to offer, enjoy visiting participating galleries and businesses, have a glass of wine or other refreshments at various venues, and whet your appetite with small plates offered by participating restaurants. The walk begins on Winslow Way (near the ferry terminal) from 6pm to 8pm.

This month’s featured business is Plum and jewelry artist Ali Holmes

Plum is located in the heart of downtown Bainbridge Island on Winslow Way, nestled into a wonderful little inlet next to Millstream. I stopped by to talk with proprietor, Theresa Collier, to learn more about her and her shop. Theresa has been an island resident since 2000, while raising her son, she worked for Bloedel Reserve establishing their gift shop, but she’d always dreamed of opening her own boutique. In 2014 that dream became reality, and Plum was born—the shop’s name is an ode to plum blossoms, which are the first to bloom after winter and symbolize strength and resilience—and Plum is the embodiment of that concept, you feel as if you’ve walked into an early spring garden, full of beautiful new treasures waiting to be discovered.

Theresa’s strength and resilience are also on display at the shop. When she initially opened, she mostly housed home décor and gifts, however as the shop became more established and her relationship with her customers grew, she soon realized they wanted more. She prides herself in listening to what her clients are looking for, and has added beautiful one-of-a-kind clothing, hand-crafted jewelry, accessories, and books. She continues to listen closely, and if there’s something particular you’re looking for, give her a call or send an email and she’ll see what she can do. In addition, Plum hosts periodic events, such as book signings—to keep up to date on her newest finds and events, follow her on Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to her newsletter.

Theresa is proud to showcase the fine jewelry of Ali Holmes—Ali has always been fascinated with making artful creations, as early as preschool she knew she wanted to be an artist. She grew up on Bainbridge Island and along with her twin sister, she began making and selling jewelry at the Farmer’s Market in 2005 when she was a student at Sakai. Fourteen years later, she’s still going strong, and her jewelry sales have been instrumental in her financial health as she navigates her way through college, she’s currently studying at Western Washington University in Bellingham, working on her Master’s Degree in Teaching. She hopes to become an instructor in a variety of art subjects when she graduates. In her work, she strives to create simple designs with bright colors and modern patterns using high quality materials that anyone can wear to dress-up an outfit, or throw on for a more casual look. She uses sterling silver and gold-filled metals with gem stones and handcrafted beads in her pieces. You can find Ali’s pieces year-round at Plum and her WildeWire Jewelry links on Facebook Page, Instagram, and Etsy.

Plum is located at 124 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, Open Daily: Monday – Saturday 10:30 – 5:30, Sunday 11:30 – 4:30, (206) 201–3654, info@plumbainbridge.com

*Artwork poster provided by Bainbridge Island Downtown Association
*Additional images provided by Theresa Collier and Margaret Millmore