Sumi and Sam’s jewelry designs are inspired by the natural beauty in the Hudson Valley and from their travels, both in the US and abroad. Sumi is the primary designer, jeweler, and owner of Lakeside Rocks, a jewelry company. She studied sculpture, lithography, and art history at Williams College in Massachusetts; Egyptian art and architecture at the American University in Cairo, Egypt; metal-smithing with the Victoria Tillotson and Lori Hollander at the School of Visual Arts in NYC; the lost wax process from Fred De Vos in NYC; and wire-wrapping from Elizabeth Knodle.
As a student, Sumi was chosen to be an assistant to her world-renowned metal-smithing professor, Victoria Tillotson, which she did for many semesters. Sumi then worked for a jewelry manufacturing company in NYC, creating platinum, gold, and sterling designs with precious and semi-precious stones, beads, and pearls for Tiffany & Co., Scott Colee, and Janet Mavec. There she met colleague Sam Winkel, who studied metal-smithing and stone setting at FIT in NYC. Both of them moved to the Hudson Valley and shortly thereafter, Sumi decided to start her own company. Sam has been instrumental in the business and as an artist, setting stones for Sumi’s pieces, and helping out with shows.
Sumi is a member of the Hudson Valley Artisans Guild. Sumi and Sam’s work won “Best in Show Jewelry” at the 2008 Miller Craft Show; was featured on Cablevision News’ Neighborhood Journal show about where to buy unique local gifts in 2008; and won 2nd Place for Crafts at Fairfield, CT’s Annual Town Hall Green Arts & Crafts Show in 2009. They show their work at many NY, CT, & NJ craft & fine art shows, and have exhibited at the former Gazen Gallery in Rhinebeck.
Sumiko and Sam on Robibero Family Vineyards: We’re so very excited to work with the Robibero family to create jewels that will showcase the beauty of their vineyard and its grape vines—especially their Cabernet Franc vines, with their delicate, graceful, distinctively-shaped leaves, and whimsical, antenna-like tendrils—as well as the uniqueness of their award-winning wines. (They won two silver medals for their Rieslings, and a bronze medal for their Cabernet Franc at the NY Wine & Food Classic Competition). Sumi and Sam are very impressed by the gorgeous winery that Harry Robibero, his soon-to-be son-in-law Ryan, and others built by hand. It has a wonderful, large, wrap-around deck, where customers can sit and sip their delicious wines while listening to soothing live bands, staring out over their vineyard and the Shawangunk Valley – especially colorful this time of year. Sumi and Sam will try to honor the beauty of their winery and unique tastes of their wines by making each piece of jewelry for these events a three-dimensional, sculptural, wearable work of art, including at least one one-of-a-kind statement piece.
