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Jewel of Havana Featured for National Women's History Month

3/1/2023

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Ana Maria Andricain - Jewel of Havana - National Women's History Month Feature with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
Guess who was featured in the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge newsletter today?! WOOT!

In honor of National Women's History Month, the Arts Council is spotlighting women veterans of the Baton Rouge Arts Market for the month of March.

I was thrilled to be included and hope you enjoy the article. (We're the 4th story down).

Their newsletters are chock full of all the art happenings around town each week so give them a follow while you're there! xo Ana
Jewel of Havana - Arts Council National Women's History Month Feature

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Parents Magazine Features Jewel of Havana

2/28/2023

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Parents Magazine Features Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry Artist Ana Maria Andricain
BATON ROUGE PARENTS MAGAZINE AND JEWEL OF HAVANA

I’ve been traveling for art festivals and gemstone-buying trips most of February but while I was away Parents Magazine featured us in February's edition. I just got a copy but you can also read it online.

I wasn't sure why Parents Magazine would want to interview me. I mean... I'm a pup parent but outside of 8 nieces and nephews, I usually hand them back to the professionals when the going gets tough if you know what I mean. I get all the fun and joy of being an Aunt without all the rest of the hard work.

But... I do love inspiring and mentoring young people and if you have a creative kid at home who wants to pursue a life in theater or art, I can certainly speak to that! You can check out the article by clicking the button right here.

Parents Magazine Features Jewel of Havana
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Awards at Images: A Festival of the Arts

1/28/2023

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Ana Maria Andricain wins awards at Images Festival of the Arts, New Smyrna Beach FL with Jewel of Havana
Jewel of Havana won an Award of Commendation and two Patron Awards at Images: A Festival of the Arts
Happy New Year!
 
I’m just back from our first festivals of the year & happy to report we won a few awards! What a sweet way to start 2023.

We won the Award of Commendation and two Patron Awards this weekend at Images: A Festival of the Arts!

Thanks, New Smyrna Beach. We had a great time at this beautiful show and headed home feeling thoroughly appreciated.

Florida was good to us but looking forward to being back in the studio & restocking all your favorites in time for Valentines Day!
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Breast Cancer Awareness - Gift that Gives Back on BRProud

10/14/2020

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Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts that Give Back - Ana Maria Andricain - Jewel of Havana

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you are new to Jewel of Havana, you may not know I am a breast cancer survivor.

I am very open about my journey because at the time I was diagnosed, I had never heard about my only symptom being a sign of cancer: It wasn’t on a mammogram, I never felt a lump and I had no family history. These are the things we all hear about.

Early Detection

I am so lucky things happened the way they did. There were many moments along the way it could have been different. The GYN could have stopped at the first test. After meeting the specialist and learning there was only a 2 percent chance it was cancer, I could have chosen not to have the surgery. No family history, no one seemed alarmed, etc., but thanks to a Cuban Mom and her loud worry meter, I chose the surgery and found out I was in that 2 percent.

Gifts that Give Back

Because of the survivors that came forward to help me and my husband navigate those early days and my desire to create a piece of jewelry to thank them, the Draped In Love Collection was born.

For the past 6 years, your purchases from the Draped In Love Collection have raised funds for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

Last year, in celebration of reaching the end of treatments and hitting 5 years cancer free, I released the pieces in sterling silver. They celebrate this milestone and honor one of those original friends and survivors who is now a Heavenly Angel. Your purchases from the silver Draped In Love Collection support the Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund in her honor.

BRProud News

When reporter, Kourtney Williams reached out for BRProud’s breast cancer awareness story I was happy to contribute.

I share some details that could make some uncomfortable but if it helps one person get checked early, then I hope you will understand. We need to share with each other. Information is power and education helps you make the right decisions for you. Early detection gives us more options for treatment and hopefully saves lives.
Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts the Give Back - Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center - Jewel of Havana
Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts the Give Back - Dodi Groves Breast Cancer Fund - Jewel of Havana
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Here’s Kourtney's BRProud news story about my breast cancer journey and the jewelry that was inspired by it.

Stay safe and if anything is different, go get checked.   xo Ana
Breast Cancer Survivor Ana Maria Andricain - Gifts that Give Back - Jewel of Havana on BRProud
Ana Maria Andricain on BRProud News - Cancer Awareness Month - Gifts that Give Back
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National Hispanic Heritage Month - Jewel of Havana on BRProud

9/23/2020

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Hispanic Heritage Month Special on BRProud with Ashley RuizFellow Cuban and Meteorologist, Ashley Ruiz - BRProud Hispanic Heritage Month Special
I’ve been a first generation Cuban-American my entire life & never knew there was a National Hispanic Heritage Month. In fact, I couldn’t find a Hispanic in my circle of friends who knew about it. I don’t need a month to be proud of where we came from. Pride in our strong, weather any storm people, is deep in our roots, but when fellow Cuban (and meteorologist) Ashley Ruiz from BR Proud reached out about her Hispanic Heritage Month Special, I was honored to participate.

​The most hilarious part is when I asked her...so what month is it? And she replied... September 15th - October 15th🤣 I mean we can’t even be on time for our own month. 🤣 Cuban time is a real thing people! 🤣🤣 

Ashley Ruiz with Ana Maria Andricain in the Jewel of Havana Studio for Hispanic Heritage Month on BRProudAshley Ruiz & Ana Maria Andricain at Jewel of Havana - BRProud's Hispanic Heritage Month Special
As proud as I am about the strong, resilient people I came from, there are so many similarities in the people of Louisiana and why my parents felt so at home when they moved here. My Mom often shares the story of how she felt when she & my Dad came here to decide if he would accept his job offer at Dow Chemical. Their honeymoon consisted of traveling to the different cities where he had job offers to decide which to take.
 
Mom said when they arrived in Louisiana, it was the first time since fleeing Cuba that she felt truly at home. The people of Louisiana are so much like Cubans. Family are your friends; your friends are considered family and strangers become friends in an instant. They know how to celebrate life and they turn even the hardest times into a party. They are warm, strong & resilient people who can weather any storm. They have each other’s back & the food is sooooo good.
 
So… though I am fiercely Cuban I am also fiercely a Louisianian & even more fiercely American. I will never take for granted the sacrifices my parents made for the freedoms we have today & the warmth & joyfulness of the people of Baton Rouge who welcomed our parents in their mighty Cajun way & made them feel like they were home.
 
Catch the replay of Ashley’s National Hispanic Heritage Month Special on BRProud below and make sure to join the Jewel of Havana VIP list to be up to date on the next Havana Happy Hour Virtual Arts Market and all the fun insider goodies you get for being in the club!

Become a VIP and never miss a Havana Happy Hour + all the other insider goodies!
National Hispanic Heritage Month Special  - Ana Maria Andricain - Jewel of Havana on BRProud
Become a VIP and never miss a Havana Happy Hour + all the other insider goodies!
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Juror's Award - Red River Revel

9/28/2019

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Ana Maria Andricain and Kathy Ross - Red River Revel Juror's Award
Kathy Ross presents Ana Mara Andricain with Juror's Award at the Red River Revel
Well... this just happened! So honored to be chosen for the Juror's Award at the Red River Revel this week. What a nice and unexpected surprise. Great way to start Revel 44!

The Red River Revel Art Festival runs until Sunday, October 6, 2019. Come see us in Booth #8 and check out our new - Steel Magnolias Jewelry Collection completed just in time for the Revel.
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Jewel of Havana in 225 Magazine

3/7/2019

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Leading Lady?

Those are two words I haven't heard in a while. If you are new to the Jewel of Havana Family, you may not know in my past life, I was a Broadway Actress. Jewelry making started in the dressing room backstage during my time in Beauty & the Beast. Seems like a whole lifetime ago.

Excited to share this new 225 Magazine Feature that hit the stands this week.  I think they did a nice job. What do you think?
READ 225 MAGAZINE
Ana Maria Andricain of Jewel of Havana in 225 Magazine
Ana Maria Andricain in 225 Magazine
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The Answer to Our Most Asked Question

11/9/2018

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I'm so excited to share something we've been working on for a few months. It’s festival season and we have been on the road. It’s my favorite time of year visiting cities we have fallen in love with and seeing all of you, clients who have become friends. As we travel, the #1 question we are asked by new customers is:

Why is it called Jewel of Havana?

My answer is always, "It’s named after my Mom who is from Havana" but that doesn’t really tell the whole story.

I was looking for a better way to share why I was inspired to do what I do. So with a big thank you to my brother, his camera and many of our beautiful customers, we put together a short video (ok… it was really long but we cut it down to 2.5 mins) I hope it will help you see why it was so fitting to name this company after the woman who's stories of family inspired my connection to jewelry. I'm excited to share our story with you.  xo Ana
P.S. If you are inspired, I’d love to hear some of your stories. Do you have pieces of jewelry that remind you of someone you love or a special time in your life? I’d love to interview you and tell your story on our blog. It’s quick and easy and so much fun and if you are in the Baton Rouge area you’ll even get a free photo shoot out of it! Just click here to get us started. I'll be in touch once you fill out the Share Your Story Form.
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Jewel of Havana on WAFB Channel 9 - Talking Covington Three Rivers Art Festival

11/8/2018

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Jewel of Havana on WAFB Channel 9 - Covington Three Rivers Arts Festival
In case you missed it this morning, I was on WAFB Channel 9 The Big Xtra Hour talking all things Covington Three Rivers Art Festival in beautiful Downtown Covington, Louisiana this weekend, November 10-11. Check out this interview featuring Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry along side Baton Rouge artists Nanci Charpentier of Nanci Charpentier Fine Art and Ghada Henagan of Ghada Henagan Ceramics.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW
Jewel of Havana on WAFB Channel 9 - Covington Three Rivers Arts Festival
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20 on the Rise 2018 Winner!

8/28/2018

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So thrilled to share I've been named a 20 on the Rise 2018 winner in the Designer category.  To be selected out of over 3500 deserving nominees is such an honor and I look forward to getting to know the other amazing creatives on the list!

The Girls in the Dressing Room

For those of you who are new to Jewel of Havana, in my former career, I was a Broadway actress. Jewelry making and the business of jewelry was born in my dressing room backstage at Beauty and the Beast.

20 on the Rise 2018 Winner Ana Andricain
When people ask me what I miss most about my Broadway career, I always say, “The girls in the dressing room”. I suppose it’s not unlike having an office full of people who become your family (only in really tight quarters) visiting and trouble shooting and supporting each other in life, love and business. Our work was on stage, our dressing room was your break room or water cooler so to speak (only with a lot of clothes flying on & off very quickly ;)

There is nothing like a room full of creative, soulful, taking life by the horns, carpe diem kind of people. I miss it. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my jewelry business but outside the days I’m at shows or my MVP is here to help, it’s a pretty solitary job. So, I’ve sought out ways to fill my need for the “girls in the dressing room”. Surrounding myself with fellow creative entrepreneurs to support each other in our marketing efforts, trouble shooting the challenges of running your own business, you name it. I treasure the time I get with these beautiful women and we collectively help each other continue to grow and challenge ourselves to be better at what we do.

A few months ago, I was searching the web for other businesses in my area that I could possibly collaborate with and came across the Rising Tide Society. Who knew it would lead to this award?!!

What is 20 on the Rise?

Sponsored by the Rising Tide Society, Honeybook, Peerspace and Gusto, 20 On The Rise celebrates individuals who are "raising the tide and making waves, rocking their respective industries through hard work and creativity."
According to 20 on the Rise: "This isn’t a popularity contest nor is it a ‘most liked’ list. 20 On The Rise is a curated list of 20 rising stars in 5 categories nominated by their peers and selected based on: empowerment, impact, purpose, and passion."

"It's a list of people who believe in community over competition and support their communities as they build businesses they love."

Thank you to the the Rising Tide Society, HoneyBook, Peerspace and Gusto for this honor and for the work you do fostering community over competition. You can check out the full list of incredible creatives on their website at ontherise.honeybook.com
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It's All Art - Broadway Performer Turned Jewelry Designer

2/16/2018

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Jewel of Havana on LPB Art Rocks
Recently, Jewel of Havana was featured on LPB’s Art Rocks. Many of my customers noted how seemingly different the career path of a jewelry designer and Broadway actress appeared to be. In my mind though, they are not unrelated at all! Both are creative paths, both have a very human connection, both have a “performer” and an “audience”. The only difference in my mind is I use to perform for thousands of people each night & though I could see some faces and feel and hear their collective reaction, it was a shared experience on a relatively anonymous level. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED performing and I LOVED moving crowds to laugh or cry or be taken away to another place or time. But with jewelry making, it’s so personal. The audience is one on one. As I’m creating, I think about who will ultimately “adopt my baby”; what journey will this piece go on once it leaves my hands? And most of the time, I get to know the people who collect my jewelry, their families, their stories. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a tiny part of connecting people through my art. Where one medium happens one night and is a memory to carry with you, the other has a tangible lasting piece that can be handed down through generations. In both careers, I loved the connection to people & sharing my art in what ever form that may be. Now I perform for one person at a time instead of thousands. There is something so intimate and beautiful about something I’ve created, having a life & history that will carry on in your family for years to come.

If you missed the Art Rocks episode, here's a link to watch: Art Rocks    xoxo Ana

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Best Jewelry Piece - The Big Easel Preview Exhibition

3/11/2017

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Nature Inspired Slide Pendant
Thrilled to announce that the Garden Gate Slide Pendant from the Collector's Series was awarded Best Jewelry Piece at the 2017 Big Easel Preview Exhibition! Honored and humbled as there are so many talented artists at the show.

The 2017 Big Easel will take place in River Ranch in Lafayette, Louisiana, Saturday, April 22nd from 9am to 4pm. Hope you'll come see us if you are in the area. It's a beautiful show in a beautiful setting!

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Covington Three Rivers Art Festival - Jewel of Havana on WAFB Channel 9

11/10/2016

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Ana Maria Andricain on Three Rivers Art Festival
In case you missed it this morning, I was on WAFB Channel 9 The Big Xtra Hour talking all things Covington Three Rivers Art Festival in beautiful Downtown Covington, Louisiana this weekend, November 12-13. Check out this interview featuring Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry along side Baton Rouge artists Keith Andry of Andry Fine Art and Chase Mullen of Chase Mullens Studio.

Ana Maria Andricain on Three Rivers Art Festival

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Jewel of Havana Jewelry Artist, Ana Maria Andricain, Guest Speaker at Associated Women in the Arts

2/12/2014

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I had a wonderful time as guest speaker for the lovely ladies of the Associated Women in the Arts membership meeting on January 14th.  The presentation was about my journey from Broadway to Jewelry Artist and the process of how I create my jewelry.  Below is a clip from yesterday's Advocate with some of the talented women I had the pleasure of meeting.  Many thanks to Nanci Charpentier of Nanci Charpentier Art for inviting me to speak at the meeting.
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March 25, 2013 - Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry Featured in Daily Concepts

3/25/2013

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Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry Featured in Daily Concepts
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March 25, 2013 - Jewel of Havana Featured in Daily Concepts.


Not too long ago, a staff member from Daily Concepts attended a special brunch honoring GRAMMY nominees from Louisiana. Seated at the table was Ana Maria Andricain, who had many wonderful things to say about Louisiana, particularly her hometown of Baton Rouge.

At the end of the event, business cards were exchanged. Ana Maria’s proclaimed, “
Jewel of Havana” — Designer. Intrigued, the DC staffer decided to do some further investigating. Turns out, Ana Maria was so busy singing the praises of Louisiana, she’d humbly neglected to mention a few key things about herself.

For years, Ana Maria lived in New York, where she appeared on Broadway in South Pacific, Marie Christine, By Jeeves, Les Miserables and Evita. In her off-time, Ana Maria took pottery classes. “I’ve always been interested in the fine arts,” she says. “After making so many pots, though, there was no where left to put them in my apartment.”

It was while playing Belle in Beauty in the Beast that she caught sight of different art form. “During intermission, I noticed a cast member making earrings.” Ana Maria decided to try her hand at making a pair and was instantly hooked. “Reading a book during my breaks was impossible, but working on a piece of jewelry, it was easy to pick up and go, then come back to it.”

As her interest in jewelry-making deepened, Ana Maria studied various techniques online. This led to scouring the jewelry district and gem warehouses for new materials with which to work. Her hobby had become a passion. Soon, the focus of that passion would take a different direction. The turn of fate — a transit strike during the winter holidays.

“Three days before Christmas, there was a transit strike,” she remembers. “Cast and crew members were crashing on couches because they couldn’t get back and forth between home and work. They also couldn’t purchase Christmas gifts.” Having seen Ana Maria’s jewelry, many turned to her for help with this conundrum. “It was then that I started thinking of my hobby as being a potential business.”

Through
SCORE, Ana Maria started taking steps to launch a jewelry design business. SCORE paired her with a mentor to help her through the necessary steps for getting what would eventually become Jewel of Havana off the ground. “I met with them for a year,” she says. “My plan of action for taking off as a business resulted from another kind of ‘accident.’” Love, of course.

It was during a casting session for a regional Shakespeare festival that Ana Maria met Philip Mann. She caught his eye right away. Needless to say, she won both the part and his heart. The two married, but bumped into a wrinkle. “I’d just gotten this incredible offer to work on a production at Lincoln Center and Philip got an amazing job in Baton Rouge as the Music and Live Performance Director for Louisiana Economic Development.”

The newlyweds’ first year of marriage was spent commuting. When Ana Maria’s show came to a close, another offer came her way, this time at another Lincoln Center production helmed by Theatre Director, Susan Stroman. “I’d always dreamed of working with her,” says Ana Maria.

As Ana and Philip considered another year of a commuter marriage, fate lent a hand. “I got a call asking if I’d consider being the vacation/emergency swing for a traveling production of South Pacific. It ended up being the perfect situation — they’d fly me out once every couple of weeks to whatever city the show was in.”

Though still commuting, the majority of the time, Ana Maria and Phillip were now together in Baton Rogue, which is, ironically, Ana Maria’s hometown. Now that the run of South Pacific’s national tour is complete, the couple have decided to set down their own roots in the colorful city.

Ana Maria continues to tour, added to the mix, though, are festivals for artisans, as Jewel of Havana is making its debut. As for Jewel of Havana, the company’s name was also born of love. It came to Ana Maria and Philip one day while dining at a New York cafe in Havana Central. “I’m the daughter of Cuban refugees,” says Ana Maria. “Jewel of Havana — it refers to my mother, Zoila.”

We love Ana Maria’s story and we love her Jewel of Havana designs, too. Want to see more? Visit
http://www.jewelofhavana.com


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February 13, 2013 - Handcrafted Jewelry Artist, Ana Maria Andricain of Jewel of Havana Featured in Dig Magazine

2/13/2013

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February 13, 2013 - Featured in Dig Magazine

Magazine: Entertainment Broadway Baton Rouge Local Broadway star to give Valentine’s benefit concert for Arts Council by Savanna Ronco

Ana Maria Andricain, a Baton Rouge native and Broadway star, will be performing in her hometown for a special Valentine’s Day concert benefiting the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge.

The concert, “A Broadway Valentine,” is being hosted by the Baton Rouge Little Theater and will feature music performed by Andricain, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from her time on Broadway.

“People will know most of the songs,” Andricain told Dig. “The ones they don’t, they’ll love once they hear them.”

She will perform both classic and contemporary music, inspired by her time in New York, and Broadway songs that she has performed over the span of her 20-plus year career. All of the music will be Valentine’s themed.

Proceeds from the show will be going to the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge in celebration their 40th anniversary. For Andricain, the show is a special tribute to former Arts Council President and CEO Derek Gordon, who passed away in September of last year.

Gordon was influential in providing the connections for Andricain’s husband Phillip to land a job in Baton Rouge, close to her family. However, Gordon knew how much Andricain loved performing and felt bad for pulling her away from Broadway.

“He always said, ‘We have to find a way for you to perform in Baton Rouge!’” Andricain said. “At the time, I was still under contract and doing a national tour and I just couldn’t commit. Two years later, when I finally had the time and stability to put something together, Derek got really sick, and I had the idea to do this as a benefit concert.”

Tragically, Gordon passed away before the benefit concert could take place, motivating Andricain to sell out the show in his honor.

All of the proceeds from the concert will benefit the Arts Council’s many programs and services, such as Sundays in the Park, a free music series that is one of Andricain’s favorites.

After a successful career in New York, where she performed as Fantine in Les Miserables, Belle in Beauty & the Beast, and Stiffy Byng in By Jeeves, Andricain is thrilled to be living in Baton Rouge once again.

“The art community in Baton Rouge has been built up tremendously since I grew up here,” Andricain noted. “Having something like the Arts Council enriches the community and it’s certainly beneficial for young people to have experience with the arts. It’s also access to free music, which is something I was so used to in New York. Derek [Gordon] was always adamant about having access to free music and entertainment. If people don’t take advantage of Sundays in the Park, I just don’t get it because it’s great music and it’s free.”

Though she loves singing and has stated that she is not retiring for good, Andricain is taking a break from performing on a large scale now that she is living in Louisiana. She has a successful jewelry-making business, Jewel of Havana, which she started while in New York, that has taken off in local markets, giving Andricain a way to make a living that doesn’t require constant traveling. Her website, www.JewelofHavana.com, features all of her pieces.

“Because it’s so creative and allows me to stay home, I love jewelry-making,” Andricain said. “My husband and I just celebrated our 10-year anniversary, and this is the first year where we’ll be able to eat dinner together every night.”

“Assuming that you cook dinner,” her husband said in the background, laughing.

When she first started making jewelry, it was mostly beading and wire wrapping. A few friends would buy pieces for Broadway opening nights or the Tony Awards. Then people started collecting her jewelry, and she began experimenting with metal clay to make her own clasps and bindings. Now Andricain is moving toward metal clay exclusively, although she still incorporates a little of everything.

“As the jewelry business continues to grow, there’s no way I could do both this and acting,” Andricain acknowledged. “The more we’ve stayed in Baton Rouge, the more I’ve loved being close to my family. It’s just a different way of life and we’re enjoying it to the fullest.”

A Broadway Valentine
Featuring Ana Maria Andricain
To benefit the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Little Theater
Feb. 14
7:30 p.m.
Single $35, couple $60
www.BRLT.org


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February 12, 2013 - Handcrafted Jewelry Artist, Ana Maria Andricain of Jewel of Havana Featured in The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

2/12/2013

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February 12, 2013 - Featured in The Advocate

Jewel of the stage Actress returns to BR stage to honor friend

By Robin Miller
Arts writer

February 12, 2013

Ana Maria Andricain wouldn’t be sitting here scraping the white surface off the silver if it weren’t for Derek Gordon.

Her role as jewelry maker isn’t as glamorous as seeing her name in lights on a Broadway marquee: “Ana Maria Andricain in ‘Beauty and the Beast’” or “Ana Maria Andricain in ‘Les Miserables,’” but it is can be done at home.

When performing a Valentine’s-themed concert at Baton Rouge Little Theater in 2008, Andricain and her husband, Philip Mann, found themselves talking about finding a way to make a living closer to home.

Home for Andricain is Baton Rouge. It’s where her parents live, home to her three siblings. It’s where she went to high school, and Baton Rouge Little Theater was where the path to her acting career began.

Now she’s back. Mann is director of Entertainment Industry Division at the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, and Andricain is a full-time jewelry designer, creating original pieces for her line, Jewel of Havana.

Jewelry-making began as a hobby with wire and beads, something on which she could work between scenes while on Broadway. Now it’s grown into something bigger, more artistic.

Her pieces are sought by collectors at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s monthly Arts Market.

And the Arts Council is ushering her back to the stage on Thursday . This time, her name will be in lights at Baton Rouge Little Theater, where she will perform another Valentine’s Day concert — “A Broadway Valentine” will benefit the Arts Council.

“I feel like we’re doing this for Derek,” Andricain said. Staging this concert was a priority for Gordon, who died on Sept. 12, 2012.

“Kathy Scherer (the Arts Council’s acting director) and I visited him at his house before he died,” Andricain said. “We told him that we were going to make this concert happen. I don’t know if he heard us.”

Now Andricain is sure that Gordon would be ecstatic to know that the show will go on.

She continued scraping the white substance off the silver while telling this story. This, she said, is what the silver looks like when it comes out of the kiln.

All of the capillaries in the silver stand upright like miniature little trees while in the kiln, creating this white surface. Once it’s scraped away, then placed in the tumbler, the piece will emerge smooth and shiny.

“I have to say, I work harder doing this than I did when I was acting,” Andricain said. “And if someone would have ever told me I could make a living by selling jewelry once a month in Baton Rouge, I wouldn’t have believed them.”

But Gordon knew.

“He was very instrumental in guiding me to build my jewelry business,” Andricain said.

Mann is a native of Alabama, where he was working as director for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in 1999, when he met Andricain. She already was living in New York, and he hired her for one of the Shakespeare productions.

They fell in love and married. Andricain made a successful career on Broadway. Mann was equally successful, having served on the administrative staff of The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J. He also was an agent with The Booking Group in New York City, and as a theatrical investor, he was represented by the Broadway and London companies of The Drowsy Chaperone, which won five Tony Awards.

“When we came here for the concert four years ago, it was the first time I was able to spend more than a week in Baton Rouge since I was 18,” Andricain said. “We really loved it, and we started talking about how we wished we could make a living here.”

Gordon found a way.

A friend told him about Mann and Andricain. The couple had just returned to New York, when Gordon contacted Mann about an opening for a director’s job in the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

“The job encompassed every part of what Philip has done in the entertainment industry,” Andricain said. “So, we moved back.”

The couple moved into an apartment in downtown Baton Rouge and started meeting Gordon for Sunday brunch.

“There were so many things I loved about New York,” Andricain said. “We could walk out the door, and there would be music playing somewhere. There was always something happening. I realized that Derek brought these things to Baton Rouge — he brought everything I loved to Baton Rouge.”

Andricain will honor him by performing a concert of love songs, including some Gershwin and Porter favorites, as well as a collection of songs from the Broadway productions in which she performed.

Her brother, Hugo Andricain Jr., a regular in Baton Rouge Little Theater’s productions, will make a special appearance. He also put the accompanying trio together for this show. Trey Eubanks will play piano, John Madere will play bass and James Boudier will play drums.

It’s important to make the distinction between Hugo Jr. and Andricain’s father, because it’s Hugo Andricain Sr. who keeps her company in the jewelry studio.

Andricain’s studio is a room inside her parents’ garage. Her dad originally used it as an aviary and later had plans for a workshop.

“I didn’t get my workshop,” he said.

“But look at what you got,” Andricain said, clearly teasing. “The whole room was remodeled; you got a new floor, and the walls are painted.”

She laughs.

“He gets just as excited about the jewelry as I do,” she said.

Every morning is Christmas when Andricain opens the kiln. She can’t wait to see how a piece would turn out, and her dad, standing behind her, is just as anxious to see the results.

Hugo Sr. also helps his daughter set up and mans her booths at arts markets and festivals. She also shows at the monthly Arts Council of New Orleans Arts Market in Palmer Park, and will show at FestForAll and Festival International.

Back to the new piece fresh from the kiln. Andricain had finished scraping away the white surface to reveal a silver, one-of-a-kind piece that eventually will become the main component of a necklace.

She works with metal clay, a crafting medium consisting of small particles of such metals as silver, gold, bronze or copper mixed with an organic binder and water.

“When I was making my jewelry between scenes in New York, I started looking for different clasps,” Andricain said. “I wanted something different, and I couldn’t find it. So, I started making my own. I tried metalsmithing at first.”

But then she read about metal clay. A store in Baton Rouge offered a class in the process, and Andricain signed up. That class led to a course in Houston taught by Patrik Kusek, winner of the Saul Bell Award, the most prestigious prize among metal clay artists.

The process originated in Japan in 1990. Metal clay can be shaped by hand, tools or through the use of molds. After drying, it’s placed in a kiln, where the organic material burns out, leaving sintered metal.

After the scraping comes the tumbler, a device that smooths and polishes the metal’s surface.

Andricain also works on leaf-shaped pieces fresh from the tumbler, all inspired by leaves from her parents’ backyard garden.

She often picks leaves from plants, brings them into the studio and presses them into the metal clay. She’s also planning to do the same with the flowers that annually bloom each spring in the backyard.

Andricain also incorporates precious and semi-precious stones into her metal work.

“When I first moved back, I was contracted to be a vacation swing for the traveling production of ‘South Pacific,’ ” Andricain said. “That first year was hard, because I was still working in New York, and then I had to be on the plane at a moment’s notice to fill in on ‘South Pacific.’ Now I’m designing jewelry, and it lets me spend a lot more time with Philip.”

Though it would be nice to one day see her business grow into something along the line of, say, Mignon Faget’s or Paloma Picasso’s, Andricain prefers her hands-on work.

“I like knowing that each piece is different,” she said. “And I like signing each piece.”

It’s her art, made in Baton Rouge.

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March 26, 2009 - 225 Magazine Feature on Jewel of Havana Handcrafted Jewelry and Designer, Ana Maria Andricain

3/26/2009

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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PERFORMERS TAKE PART IN APRIL 29 ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

4/29/2006

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Beauty and the Beast Performers Take Part in Arts and Crafts Fair
April 29, 2006 - Crafting going on backstage at Disney's hit musical "Beauty and the Beast"
(L to R) Michelle Lookadoo, Tia Marie Zorne, Jackie Weiss, Ana Maria Andricain. Michelle, Tia and Ana are in the "Beauty and The Beast" cast and Jackie is in the hair department! Michelle has crafted amazing knitted hats, scarves and gloves; Tia Marie has crafted handmade jewelry; Jackie Weiss has designed glamorous pendants; and Ana Maria has created beautiful handmade jewelry and she has started her own company, Jewel of Havana, too!
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PERFORMERS TAKE PART IN APRIL 29 ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

By BWW News Desk

New York's only fine art and craft fair featuring the work of theatre professionals, will take place Saturday, April 29 (10am-6pm) in the gymnasium of the Holy Cross School (332 W. 43rd Street / Between 8th & 9th Avenues). With a new theme of "Comedy and Tragedy" and produced by Josef Reiter, the free event is made possible by the support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Company members from Broadway's Beauty and the Beast will join more than 40 exhibitors at the fair. Ana Maria Andricain will feature jewelry and gifts from her Jewel of Havana collection; Michelle Lookadoo will feature her Lookadoodles brand of crocheted wares; Jackie Weiss will feature her Jacquelina Unique Metal works line; and Tia Marie Zorne will feature her Zorne' line of jewelery.

"The exhibiting artisans are a diverse group of theatre professionals made up of actors, singers, dancers, musicians, stage managers, and wardrobe personnel. Not only do they act, sing, dance, play instruments, direct and choreograph, but in their spare time, they paint, photograph sculpt, make clothing, purses and jewelry, and the list goes on and on," state press notes.

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    Ana Maria Andricain

    Ana is a metal clay certified artist creating handcrafted nature inspired artisan jewelry from her Baton Rouge studio.  If you love natural gemstones and metal, welcome home!

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