Meg Ginther Spotlight
Meg Ginther
Written by Nor Osborne, March 2025
Granville-based jewelry artisan Meg Ginther specializes in delicate silver necklaces and earrings, crafting elegant pendants embedded with crystals. Each of her creations begins with a glob of precious metal clay, which she carefully molds into an intricate design. After firing and tumbling the piece into fine silver, she finishes it with accents of sea glass, pearls, turquoise or other gems. Her pendants take many forms- icicles, medallions, swirls, sunflowers, grapevines, and ginkgo leaves- each one a miniature sculpture.
Meg showcases her work, which she calls Ala Meg, at the Art at 43023 co-op gallery in Granville, where she is also a partner.
“I love [Art at 43023]. I just love the people here and the creativity of it all,” Meg says. “Art feeds my soul, so I’ve really enjoyed returning to my art background.”
That background began somewhat unexpectedly during her time at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio.
“I started out studying pre-med but ended up in art,” she laughs.
After earning her degree in art, Meg worked for the Columbus Recreation department, teaching general art to kids and ceramics to adults.
“That job helped me realize that I didn’t want to teach, so I went back to school to study architecture,” Meg says. “I’m equally math-minded and art-minded. And in architecture math and art come together.”
She graduated again in 1976 and began working in architectural engineering at the firm Stilson and Associates. She then moved to the firm Trot and Bean, where she contributed to many major projects, including the design of Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts. Later, she served as an in-house architect for Nationwide Insurance for 17 years, fulfilling her desire to work on a high rise building. When the company closed its design department, Meg opted for early retirement.
Even in retirement, Meg remained active, working as a subcontractor for other architects, continuing to use her precise drawing skills and technical expertise. About five years ago, she fully retired- and that's when her passion for jewelry- making truly flourished.
Her architectural background remains a strong influence on her designs. She draws inspiration from structural details she encounters in buildings, echoing those patterns in her jewelry.
Local landmarks also shape her work, especially the Newark Earthworks.
“When they excavated the mounds, they found many different effigies, ancient pieces and tokens,” Meg says. “I’ve been using those tokens as a jumping off point for my designs. I really admire the traditional Native American style, so I use that as a take off point as well.”
From metal clay to fine silver, from architecture to artisan jewelry, Meg Ginther’s creative journey continues to evolve- always rooted in a love of art, structure, and storytelling through design.
