West Coast Sea Glass
Genuine Sea Glass Jewelry and Bulk Sea Glass
Mary Beth Beuke
A Pacific Northwest native, Mary Beth has grown up along and extensively traveled the North American continent's west coast and more. She has spent a lifetime along the shore, living, working, studying and recreating on beaches all over the world.
MB founded the West Coast Sea Glass company in 1998. However she has studied jewelry design, metal smithing and had been creating wearable art for over forty years. "The unique beauty of sea glass is that each piece is distinct from the next and has been on a one-of-a-kind journey. I believe the piece of sea glass usually dictates the form of jewelry that it will eventually find itself in and I am committed to moving the West Coast Sea Glass line into fresh, artistic directions", says MB.
MB's college education in Graphics Reproduction and Photography was a natural fit as she's been drawn to the visual arts and creating art with her hands. Prior to launching West Coast Sea Glass Mary Beth worked as a semi-professional photographer, owned her own dark room and also taught photo lab work at the college level. She has traveled much, using her camera as her window to the world, won two national photography competitions and now uses sea glass as a vibrant and colorful photo subject.
After years of collecting sea glass and studying it's conditioning, history and rarity, she learned that what she had was a treasure trove. Her connection to kindred beach comber spirits from around the world has enabled her to view and identify pieces from every continent and most coastal countries; many of which she's had the privilege to add to the WCSG collection. The company and art jewelry came together when she found herself in a very unique space; a jeweler who has, because of her location and love for the coast, put together a highly unique collection of sea glass.
West Coast Sea Glass was born and the team has discovered that they have an extensive, complete array of colors, rarities and gems. West Coast Sea Glass developed a color rarity chart, now referred to by collectors from all over the world. West Coast Sea Glass began utilizing their colorful collection and integrating it into the jewelry MB had been making for decades. The collection allows them the ability to, at times provide sea glass to other artists and collectors from around the globe. Mary Beth still chooses to hang onto the more exquisite pieces, keeping a private collection which is currently used in hundreds of designs and has been sold in over 50stores worldwide.
More about MB:
- Author:"The Ultimate Guide to Sea Glass" Finding, Collecting and Identifying the Ocean's Most Beautiful Stones.
- Lecturer "The Sea Glass Journey" - Coos Bay Historical Society/Museum
- Keynote Presenter: International Beachcomber's Conferences, Hawaii, Washington,
- Keynote Presenter: North American Sea Glass Festivals 2005-2014
- 1st Place: Newport Seafood and Wine Festival "Best Booth Display"
- Presenter: BBC Radio Toronto, Canada
- Presenter: BBC Radio British Columbia, Canada
- Presenter: Radio Newzealand, The Sea Glass Journey
- Art Juror: City Arts Advisory Commission, Sequim, WA
- Moderator; International, online sea glass discussion group of advanced collectors
- Member; Juried Northwest Art Alliance
- Judge: North American Sea Glass Festival's Shard of the Year Contests, 2006-2014
- CoAuthor: "Sea Glass Jewelry" book, 2014, Ulysses Press byLindsay Furber
- Co-presenter; "Smarties" Art business school and teacher of art business related courses.
- Winner; 2010, Startup Nation's Entrepreneur Award, Mom's in Business.
- President; North American Sea Glass Association '05-'10
- Travels & sells the West Coast Sea Glass jewelry line at many festivals, art shows and trunk shows.
- Member; Recycled Artists Going Green.
- Member; Jewelry Designer Showcase.
- Published: National Geographic, Smithsonian, New York Times, Seattle Times, Coastal Living, Ocean Homes...
- MB considers photography an art form and takes her camera everywhere she goes.
- MB speaks often at women's conferences retreats