Meet Cindy Cornelsen, Principal Jeweler & Designer

Artist Statement

Within all of us lies possibility, inertia, all we need is a push to get us going. Inertia is a funny thing, because it represents potential – both kinetic or static. My artistic journey constantly vacillates between the two.

It is my hope that with my jewelry, I can engage with the world in a whimsical and thought-provoking way. Themes highlighted in my work include femininity, feminism, neurodivergence, and music.

Art should be used to tell the truth when a conversation isn’t possible. I would rather have a reaction of anger and disgust than one of apathy.
If I can foster a little bit of joy or confidence in the people who wear my art, I will take that as a win. If that positive reinforcement can be the extra boost in the gas tank that sees them into a better interaction with the world, then super, that’s my time and materials well-spent.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make the world beautiful, but I find that beauty at the expense of suffering is even uglier than the suffering itself.
I don’t know if jewelry can save the world, but I think art saves it every day.

Bio

Cindy Cornelsen, founder and ring-leader of Viandante is excited to introduce you to her work. She began her artistic journey as an avid crayonist. From there she picked up anything she could use to create. At 16, she became a performance poet and ended up on the stages of the National Poetry Slam in 2002. In high school, she began performing as an actress and singer, majoring in Musical Theatre and Theater in college. In 2004, she moved to Chicago to begin training at the world-renowned Second City as an improvisor and sketch writer. She worked as a stage manager and lighting and sound engineer in the Chicago theater scene, then began working as a stand-up comedian. As a comic, Cindy toured the country, performing in 22 states and Canada. Eventually, she began working in advertising where she worked on-camera and behind, writing and directing spots for various clients, adding voice-over to her repertoire as well. Then came jewelry...
In 2017, she opened her own studio and store in the Paseo Arts District in Oklahoma City. In 2019, she and her husband moved to Santa Fe, NM to open the shop, Smash Bangles, in the historic Railyard District. After a disastrous house fire, Covid-19, a protracted legal battle, and three-years’ worth of construction, it was time for a change. Then came Italy...
In 2024, Cindy was accepted into the Jewelry Design Certificate Program at the Lorenzo de Medici International Institute in Florence, Italy. It was here that her passion for silver/gold-smithing and jewelry design flourished and Viandante jewelry was born.
Currently, Cindy recently graduated from the Institute, excited to begin the Professional Jewelry Certificate Program in the 2025-2026 school year.

Cindy is very grateful for her friends who put up with her ADHD/perimenopausal brand of forgetfulness and her sinister sense of humor.