Holly R. Dobkin

Born into an artistic family, Holly started drawing and creating at an early age. Holly’s mother had a passion for jewelry so it was only a matter of time before Holly focused on creating her own. She made and sold her first jewelry in highschool.

While attending Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama as an acting major she found herself constantly assigned to costume crew. She even made the jewelry for that year’s production of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

After school, Holly began a journey that included preforming at night and working as a home furnishing’s coordinator during the day.

Marriage and children led to teaching art and art history to elementary school students in a private college lab school, as well as The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Holly then became Director of Sales and Marketing at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, moved to the Frick Art and Historical Center where she created, opened, and managed the museum shop, followed by creating,opening, and managing the museum shop at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center. All while still making and selling jewelry.

It wasn’t until she gave up her day job that she was able to work in metals full time, starting with casting, fabricating, enameling, and more recently Precious Metal Clay. She has studied with master teachers such as Jim Frappe, John Cogswell, Linda Darty, Donna Penoyer, and Bob Ebendorf. She received certification in Precious Metal Clay from Tim McCreight and the Rio Rewards Program.

Most recently she exhibited at WAX Gallery in Pittsburgh.

Holly is the Secretary of The Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh and is a member of American Craft Council, Society of North American Goldsmiths, and PMC Guild.

She works and plays at a studio in her home.