In 2004, John and Frances Smersh opened Click! at a small boutique space in the Admiral District, moving to the heart of the Alaska Junction in 2010. Over the years, their vision for the shop has informed the many changes, growth, and expansion Click! has seen. To this day it remains a place where we share our love of beautiful, well-designed and thoughtfully made goods with our friends, neighbors and community.
This October marks a bittersweet anniversary as it is the first without our co-founder Frances. While we're missing her something fierce, we're grateful that the heart and love she put into the space is still here and we’re so happy that because of her vision, we’re celebrating 17 beautiful years.
For this anniversary, we’re highlighting the work of our employees for the month of October. Our crew works tirelessly to keep the store running and their creativity and dedication to their art continues to highlight what Click! is all about. We’re a mixed bunch here - with a jeweler, painter, actor, potter, knitter, and two (very different!) wood-workers.
Our Click! Crew Show will run through November 10th with select pieces available online and the full collection in-store. Below is an introduction to our artists along with some insight to their craft.
Elyssa (she / her) has been working with wood for a long time, and her collection for this show includes wood-turned bowls, vases, candle holders and more. She enjoys the learning curve of turning wood on a lathe, and her favorite parts of the process are achieving the right shape, polishing the outside to see the finished grain, and oiling it as she basks in the relief of a successful turning.
Because of its two bark inclusions and the interesting grain, the maple bowl is one of her favorite pieces. Her home life keeps her busy and when she’s not turning, she’s spending time with her family, helping her husband repair old arcade machines and video games, and listening to and reading books.
Geena (she / her) paints clothing and homewares to create wearable art that helps people feel confident in themselves, and happy in their homes. A huge lover of fashion and design, she believes painting high-quality pieces enhances the objects and brings them to life. Doing this with her own wardrobe has helped to continually inspire her and her art.
Her favorite part of the process is seeing her idea come to life and getting to style it on her body or in her home. This is particularly true for the leather pieces which are some of her favorites. She likes to spend her free time thrifting, eating delicious food, and loves a good true crime show.
Hayley (they / them) is a potter who makes whimsically shaped, ceramic tableware for the home. They love making art that is meant to be used. For them, one of the most satisfying parts of the process is creating the individual bits and pieces of the bowls and cups then seeing it all come together from "nothing other than a ball of mud."
Their favorite piece in their current collection is the dog bone themed cups because there are little decorations inside, so you have a cute surprise when you finish your drink. Hayley also works as a marketing assistant and instructor at Rat City Studios and enjoys playing with their adorable dog and going for runs on a sunny day.
Diane (she / her) discovered wood veneer art when looking for a creative outlet, and has been creating vintage-inspired and abstract pieces ever since. She uses different wood species to create contrast and depth and likes the way it’s reminiscent of putting together a big puzzle.
Her favorite piece in her collection is Calm and Chaos because it reminds her of the crazy quilts that were popular in the late 1800s. When she’s not piecing together her art, she likes to hang out with her family and friends, take walks, bike, and travel near and far.
Michelle (she / her) is an actor who does live performances of classical texts, modern prose, jazz music and improv. As a lifelong storyteller, she was drawn to performing as a way of engaging people in the joy, pain and absurdity of life. She loves reading scripts and all the nuances of bringing a character to life.
Michelle is currently working on writing a one person show which deals with loving every aspect of yourself. When she’s not on stage, Michelle loves making huge amounts of food for her family, spending time wit friends, listening to jazz with her spouse and going vintage clothes shopping.
Chelsea (she / her) hand-knits cozy objects with fun textures, colors and patterns. She’s drawn to the meditational quality of knitting and loves how it balances well with her other love, writing. For her, knitting is a reminder that something can be beautiful and loved despite its quirks and imperfections.
Her favorite pieces in her collection are the tiny sweaters because they’re super endearing, and are an easy way to give multiple people you love a handmade sweater... on a much smaller scale. When not knitting, she’s reading fantasy books, writing her own, or buying way too many plants.
Adia (she / her) is our resident jeweler, who's work is a staple in our jewelry offerings (and many of our personal collections!). She loves playing with texture and works mainly in silver and vermeil. Her case in the shop is always full of fresh options and she will have an expanded collection of jewelry, wall decor and ornaments during our upcoming holiday Jewelry Invitational.
Outside of Click!, you may find her working on her jewelry line, teaching at Pratt Fine Arts Center or traveling the I-5 corridor, living her other life in business consulting. She loves a good cloud watching session and the ocean is her absolute favorite place to spend time with her husband and their pup Oscar.