Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Rancourt.
Monique, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a teenager, I dreamed of being a fashion designer and would sketch some really terrible 1980’s rocker outfits (ha no joke). I came from a working-class family and never really understood how to make these dreams come to life. Due to our financial situation, Art school or College didn’t really seem like something that was in reach. That being said in high school I ended up working in a clothing store. After graduation, I just kept going with that and ended up managing a variety of different women’s clothing stores to me, at the time it seemed like the next best thing.
These jobs allowed me to live in some really great cities including NYC and landed me working at Urban Outfitters on Newbury St in Boston, Circa 1999 (yeah I know terrible). During my time at U.O, I started dabbling in sewing, knitting and then combining the few textile techniques I had taught myself with jewelry. Basically knitting wire and beads. I loved it so much and hated working for this big corporation. I was turning 30 and decided that I needed to figure out how to follow this lifelong dream.
I felt the only way I could make this happen was to fully jump in and go to school and gain the skills that I needed to refine my work to make it sellable, and more importantly to make me happy. At this point, I quit my job moved back to CT for a hot second and started taking classes at community college while working on my portfolio in preparation for art school apps. I applied to a few schools and to my surprise got into all of them But Massachusetts College of Art and Design was my first choice. I really loved my four years here and wanted to be back where I felt at home.
In 2004 I started at Mass art and began working on my BFA with a focus of Metalsmithing and Jewelry. So with a boatload of student loans and a killer waitressing job at Eastern Standard I was able to complete the program in 2008. I immediately started selling my work (while still waiting tables) at the SOWA open market. As my work grew and matured I was able to go full-time Jewelry artist, a part-time teacher. I basically advertised some beginning jewelry classes at SOWA and started teaching in my studio as well as branching out to doing higher end craft shows all over the country.
As my career grew I was doing up to 14 shows a year and being represented in jewelry stores and gallery all over the country. The road can be great! I have made so many good friends and connections. It really is a special thing. A few years ago I started thinking about how could I bring all these fabulous artists into a retail space/studio here in the Boston Area and I promised myself by the time I was 50 I would make this happen. I ended up moving from Cambridge to a work live artist community here in Waltham, Ma. Our building also has retail space that at the time was occupied.
In 2015 space opened up. It was an opportunity to make this gallery/studio space come to life. After some negotiating and finagling I figured it out and leased the space. We had a very small budget to get this going! I am very fortunate to be in a long-term relationship with a carpenter. So the two of us together spent a month (all while doing shows too) cleaning painting, building and curating. And now we have this beautiful artisan gallery/my jewelry studio and represent 40+ artists from all over the country. All before 50… I just turned 47! I am still doing some shows for the time being but half of what I used to.
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?
I would be lying if I said there weren’t struggles. going to art school in your 30’s and still having the responsibility of supporting yourself is hard! But I come from a family of hard-working people and I learned that hard work and perseverance goes a long way. The craft shows are great when they are great but that summer before I opened the shop my big motivator was a series of shows that were outdoors and rainy and just plain terrible. I had to figure out a way to change the concept of my business. So I did that…
However, because of our small budget for the Artisan Gallery, we are in a neighborhood that is up and coming so we don’t have any other high-end shopping on Moody St (Yet). We do have the restaurants that bring in the folks from our surrounding cities such as Newton, Weston, Concord, Lincoln to name a few. And I do have some really great long-time customers as well as the fabulous artist community here that really drives our business. Eventually, I hope to give up the craft show circuit and just be in the gallery but we aren’t quite there yet.
Please tell us about Monique Rancourt Artisan Gallery.
Monique Rancourt Artisan Gallery isn’t your typical gallery space as it is also my Jewelry studio. so 1/4 studio in the back and 3/4 gallery in the front as well as our sister gallery the Lincoln Arts Project. Not only do I make and sell my own jewelry in the gallery I also represent 40+ artists working in all mediums such as Jewelry, ceramics, clothing, wood, paintings, and collage.
Everything is handmade by professional artists from all over the country. Literally, everything is handmade down to our jewelry cases, shelves and desk that were all made by my longtime boyfriend Andrew Spencer. In the Lincoln Arts Project, we host local fine art exhibitions on a bi-monthly rotation as well as some pop-ups for non-profits such as Metalwerx fundraising auction, Watch City Steampunk festival and this year we will be hosting a weekend exhibit of artists from the Waltham public schools.
When making a living as an artist you often have to have lots of balls in the air. I make jewelry, travel to shows and sell and also wholesale to a variety of galleries all over the country, curate, sell and teach some classes I recently put together a 3-hour workshop that will be held on Saturdays beginning in April. You can sign up through air bnb. We have so many beautiful ones of a kind piece to adorn you and your home. Essentially we have brought all of our favorites from the festivals and local open studios to one space right here on Moody St in Waltham! And what’s better than buying art and get to see the studio in which it’s made from the artist.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child, we took a lot of camping trips to the ocean and the woods. I loved walking on the beach or hiking a mountain with my family and collecting treasures. I still do this! You will see it in my work as it is inspired by form pattern and textures found in nature. We spent a lot of time in Truro, Mass and would often go into P-town and I was so mesmerized by the artists that used to be set up in the artist colony there and make jewelry and blow glass. I loved it and could just sit and watch for hours. Little did I know I would end up being one of those artists.
Pricing:
- We have something for everyone $30-$2500
Contact Info:
- Address: Monique Rancourt Artisan Gallery 289 Moody St Waltham, Ma 02453
- Website: moniquerancourt.com
- Phone: 781-209-0050
- Email: monique@moniquerancourt.com
- Instagram: @moniquerancourtjewelry
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/moniquerancourtjewelry
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/monique-rancourt-artisan-gallery-waltham
Waltham Open Studios 2016
Image Credit:
Michelle McDonald, Deb Adelson, Cole Rodgers, Sheryl Kalis
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