The Art of Silverware Jewelry

While on our journey to find unique stories from handicraft artisans, we stumbled upon a hidden gem: silverware art. This incredible craft turns everyday eating utensils into stunning pieces of jewelry and decor, with some creations beautifully capturing the essence of Belizean culture. In the charming Hopkins Village, we met an artist who is bringing this imaginative vision to life. Here’s his story.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

Matthew Montague and his wife like to call themselves immigrants, not expats, because they aim to give back to Belize rather than just take from it. When they arrived four years ago, they settled into a modest yet charming home in the heart of Hopkins Village. Surrounded by lush greenery, their imaginations are constantly fueled by their pets and the local wildlife. Beneath this cozy dwelling, Montague has carved out a small workshop where his art comes to life. Amidst running thoughts, bursts of creativity, and the occasional insect, he transforms everyday utensils into unique pieces.

 

Matthew Montague, Owner, Shady Acres Belize
“It’s always funny to watch people’s faces because people don’t recognize that that’s a fork.  Or that that’s a spoon. Huh. And so I show them. I’ve got a little speech and I show them and you see the realization and then they’re like, Oh my goodness, that’s a fork!!”

 

Montague’s business, Shady Acres Belize, showcases a delightful array of his creations, along with his wife’s beautiful pieces. But his best-selling items—jewelry crafted from utensils— are the eyecatchers and conversation starters, originating from a distinctive piece his wife owned.

Matthew Montague
“Everything here is made from a fork, a spoon, or a handle of some kind. I start basically with that, right there.  A fork. It begins with a fork. Yeah, or if I have a really fancy spoon that has a fancy handle on it, then I can make a nice ring out of that. My wife Angela had this beautiful octopus pendant that she’d gotten 25 years ago at a festival somewhere in California. And every time we’d go to market or do something, people would ask, Oh, did you make that? Where’d you get it? And finally I said, we’ve been asked so many times, why am I not making these? So she said, okay, and gave me her grandmother’s wedding silverware and that’s where it started. And so I ruined a lot of forks figuring this out, but, but here we are and so, yeah, it literally started with that. So far she’s not haunting us, but you know, we’re okay.”

Matthew contends that his business is grounded in a commitment to repurposing and recycling. From bottle caps and wires to biodegradable tree branches, Montague turns everyday materials into stunning works of art. Each piece is crafted with a unique vision, ready to tell its own story.

Matthew Montague
“As you can see here, most of the stuff I use I try to recycle. You know, the forks and silverware we purchase, they’re repurposed versus recycled, but all of the wood and the backing and a lot of the other materials that I use in my art are all recycled.”

 

Sabreena Daly

“Where do you get these items from?”

 

Matthew Montague

“I pick them up on the beach. A lot of trash I pick up on the beach. Plastics and bottle caps, I scrap it. I even used a lot of the wire from my house when we built this house. Used all the leftover wire that was extra and scraps to make different arts and fish pieces. And, an example, this is just recycled, little piece of recycled wire.  So, but I used to make giant ones when I first started. I made huge fish like that. That was where the barracuda came from. And so I’ve been trying to incorporate Belize into my art. I did a fish recently that was an amazing months long project of spoons. And I used all the spoons for the scales. I’ll have to show you a picture because it’s gone. But the head portion was made out of Belikin bottle caps. So you’d know that fish is from Belize. The fish is somewhere in the U. S. right now, but it’s from Belize.”

 

Montague’s pieces make excellent gifts or striking statement items for personal wear. With the high season approaching, access to these gems can be found in many ways.

Matthew Montague
“We’re part of Markets on the Go, and we travel all over Belize with them and to some amazing market events. We’re getting ready for pop-up market season to start again here shortly in December. We’ll have one at Itsana, we’re at Barefoot once a month regularly through the season, Beach Bar and Placencia. And then we support a lot of shops in the area with a lot of our art too. Our biggest supporter is Garamaya here in Hopkins.”

 

As Montague strives to create a space where he can give back to the country he now calls home, he hopes his artistic journey brings joy to everyone who experiences it.

Sabreena Daly

“What do you hope, uh, for people to feel or, or remember about you as an artist or your work as art?”

 

Matthew Montague

“I try to create happy feelings for people. Things that you look at and you make smile. You know, jewelry is always amazing. I love jewelry. Um,  it makes me happy musicians, you know, I’ve got my band here. Musicians take that and they’re, they’re, they’re pretty, hmm, that it takes it home. It’s something that they identify with. And so if you can find a piece of my art that you identify with, that’s really what I’m trying to do.”

 

Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.