Like many people, in her early 20s Stephanie Howell was rushing through her days with a sense of busyness and letting her packed schedule push her toward some undefined goal.
Unexpected medical challenges pulled the brakes, and Howell was forced to confront what her life had become. During that time when all things felt chaotic, she says going outside in Wyoming, breathing in the quiet one finds only in nature, and listening to her deeper thoughts brought some peace.
Reconnecting with the Tetons, listening to the wind through the fine cedar fronds—these were the moments that helped heal Howell emotionally. Her jewelry practice became her way of translating that tranquility into metal and gemstones, giving her work new meaning and purpose.
In July, S. Howell Studios received a coveted Halstead Grant, something Howell says was a kind of mission. It took her three tries to earn this award, which was established in 2006 as a way to find and support early-career jewelers and designers.
Howell first applied to the Halstead Grant in 2019 and got into the top five. She was a finalist in 2020. For her third and final attempt, Howell decided to dive deeply into her business, think about who she was as a jewelry designer, and come up with her strongest application for her final chance at achieving this longtime goal.
It worked.
With this grant, Howell says she can continue her small-batch jewelry production. Her work serves to highlight nature’s effect on the Earth as well as her decision as an owner and creator to support organizations that also give back to the planet.
“The $7,500 award allowed me to invest in a Flourish & Thrive Academy program to further my jewelry business education, an ad placement in the Jackson Hole Scout Guide to expand my reach and an updated computer to manage the administrative facets of business. Each of these investments are helping me to evolve and scale my business,” Howell says.
In addition, Howell received $1,000 in Halstead credit, press opportunities for industry wide recognition, and a trip to meet the Halstead team and teach a jewelry class.
If she seems too professional about this accomplishment, all you have to do is watch her Instagram video about her win—there, she shares how she first “happy sobbed” upon hearing the news and then did a dance around her studio.
Howell started in jewelry when she was in college, taking her first class at Middlesex Community College. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s in studio art in 2011. Seven years later, she founded S. Howell Studios in Moran, Wyo.
In her nature-inspired work, Howell says she has sought out partners including Swan Valley Connections, a collaborative conservation and education nonprofit in Montana to support. As of Jan. 1, S. Howell Studios is a certified member of 1% for the Planet, and a minimum of 1% of all sales are donated to approved environmental partners.
“By being a part of this global network, I am committed to making a positive impact on our planet and contributing to the vital work being done to protect and preserve our environment,” Howell says.
She is in her ideal location with industry affirmation and a sense of mission as well as purpose. Life is good on the slower side of her earlier life, Howell says.
“This is a pivotal moment in the early stages of my career and I could not be more grateful,” Howell says.
Top: Stephanie Howell is the 2023 Halstead Grant winner, earning her a cash prize as well as educational opportunities. (Photos courtesy of S. Howell Studios)
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