Gazelles in Our Midst: Penelope Schmidt Releases Limited Edition Stärka Designs

Art curator and entrepreneur Penelope Schmidt has released a limited edition collection of Stärka designs, using original patterns developed by her father, James K. Schmidt, a renowned artist and teacher, who died in 2013.

“These designs are made using patterns made by my father when he was a student at Cranbrook Academy of Art in the 1950s,” Schmidt said. “There are nine different patterns, and especially with 1950 modernism so in vogue, they have been very popular.”

In the early 2000s, David Rowland, a mid-century designer, and friend and fellow Cranbrook student, encouraged James Schmidt to license the designs. There were companies willing to buy them, but the Schmidts wanted to retain ownership.

Schmidt said her father and her brother (who has a knack for technology) were able to create vector files for the repeating patterns, which has enabled her to reproduce on fabrics, which are used to create custom clothing, custom upholstery, various linens and tote bags, pillows and other high-quality, fun accessories.

“We are also able to scale and dye the patterns for different applications,” Schmidt said. “That makes what we can create very versatile.

“Growing up, my father would use the patterns to silk-screen things like aprons, curtains, placemats and sheets,” Schmidt said. “I thought it would be a great idea to revive the patterns.”

Her father usually printed on linen for items that she remembers in her childhood home, but the newest collection comes in a variety of materials.

She and a friend came up with the name Stärka Design for the company. Stärka is the Swedish word for refreshing; to give confidence and/or to strengthen or empower.

A New York friend and designer, Jeanne D’Alessio, designed a shirt in Kona cotton, and developed the original market tote and coordinating blocking technique. Schmidt took it from there, expanding the line and pairing other patterns and colors. Donna Broyles, an engineer and seamstress from Godfrey, Illinois, constructs the pieces.

“The bags are made of cotton canvas, and they are so adaptable – and can be used for many purposes,” Schmidt said. “I use mine as an everyday bag, I can take it to carry purchases at the farmer’s market or while shopping. They are really well-constructed.”

And they are washable and do not fade.

“The totes are a limited edition (due to limited quantities of the repurposed banner fabric),” Schmidt said.

She sees the line continuing to grow and expand to include custom upholstery, wallpaper – even carpeting, while expanding the linens and fashion offerings, as well.

Schmidt is currently working with several fashion companies on licensing.

“The greatest tonic for depression is creativity,” she said.

Schmidt was born in New York, where her father taught at Cornell University, and her English mother was a ballet dancer for the Royal Ballet Company, while teaching dance at Ithaca College.

The family moved to Elsah, Illinois, where her father became head of Principia College’s studio art department, and Schmidt spent her formative years in the historical village.

She was somewhat sheltered, riding a bus to The Principia in St. Louis for elementary and high school, and attending Principia College, where she double-majored in art history and French.

Her parents met in Paris while her father was there as a young artist on scholarship, and her mother worked at NATO. Consequently, Schmidt spent many summers in Europe – mostly England, where her mother’s family lived.

After graduating from college, Schmidt was set to intern at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., but took a side trip to visit friends in Manhattan, becoming hooked on the city, the excitement and art.

She interned at David Findlay Gallery, specializing in European and American art, where she relished the combination of business and art history. She had a knack for the work and was offered a permanent position. Later, the gallery owner’s son, David Jr., opened his own establishment on 57th Street, focusing on American contemporary art, and asked Schmidt to come along.

“I was young, and it was great experience. David took me under his wing,” she said. “We went to auctions, shared ideas and developed relationships with clients.”

When he became a private art dealer, Schmidt had to make a decision. She was 26, and loved what she did, but how could she handle buying the gallery from him on her own? She asked a client in Nashville to partner with her. The two joined forces, and Schmidt oversaw the newly named Schmidt Bingham Gallery in Manhattan, with artwork ranging from $2,500 to $300,000.

“I worked with a stable of artists – emerging talent and those more established – helped build collections for clients, and did corporate consulting,” she said.

Then came 9/11.

On that fateful day, Schmidt, now of Alton, Illinois, lived with her husband at 10th Street and University Place in Manhattan.

“We watched it unfold, and afterward, we had to wear masks, keep our windows closed, and our IDs were checked every time we came into our neighborhood. Walls everywhere were lined with pictures of missing people,” she said. “It was life-changing.”

So much so that they both decided to leave their jobs.

“Everyone who lived there behaved differently after the attacks,” Schmidt said. “A quietness came over Manhattan. Nobody wanted war. We all had a sense of appreciation, respect and compassion for others. I decided I wanted to do something of greater service, but I wasn’t sure what that was.”

She closed her gallery and became a private dealer, but still knew something needed to change.

Then she got very sick. For weeks, she had no idea what was wrong. She was weak and exhausted. She lost weight, she lost hair, and could barely walk.

She came back to Illinois to visit, and was finally diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion. The thought of going back to New York made her scared and anxious. Even though her husband agreed that they should change their lives after the horrific experience they endured together, he eventually filed for divorce when Schmidt’s Illinois stay grew longer and longer.

She ran into a childhood friend, who could see her distress. That friend helped her rebuild her life.

“It was scary. I had nothing except what I brought home for a weekend stay,” Schmidt said. “I had to learn how to live again.”

Over time, she got an apartment, a car and a dog.

“And I discovered that Alton was enchanting,” she said. Though she grew up just a few miles away in Elsah, the family hadn’t spent much time in Alton when she was a child.

“I kept thinking I had to go back to New York, but one day, I walked the brick streets, I looked at the beautiful bridge and the river, and I thought, ‘Why do I have to go back?’” She learned of a large commercial building for sale, and the wheels in her head began to turn.

“I loved the building. I liked urban living where I could walk to restaurants and shops, so I put in a bid to buy it,” she said. Her artist father created a watercolor painting of her vision for a mixed-use development. Schmidt partnered with a local developer, and they refurbished the building to include 10 luxurious custom lofts with layouts focusing on river views, in-ground parking, and a first floor occupied by various retail establishments.

She has become extremely involved in community efforts, which was new to her because in New York, she never had time.

She became aware of the Community Learning Center and literacy program at St. Patrick’s School in Alton, and was impressed with what it had to offer local residents. When the building went up for sale, she didn’t want to see the program go away, so she made her second building purchase. Re-christened the Scott Bibb Center, Lewis and Clark Community College now administers the literacy program, and added other services like vocational training and the Youth Build organization.

“I needed to do something beyond luxury lofts,” Schmidt said. “I wanted to help maintain a social safety net and educational programs for the community.”

She is on several community improvement boards, and is proactive and very involved in city development. And pre-COVID, she taught yoga, which she hopes to get back to.

Her life change was – without question – triggered by 9/11. Studies show that Americans across the country experienced symptoms of stress after the attacks, and living “up close and personal” like Schmidt did made it especially difficult.

She is on a gluten-free diet and feels healthy. Treatment of adrenal exhaustion is holistic since it is stress-related. Good nutrition (eating a seasonal, organic, plant-based diet), supportive relationships, creative engagement, and the calming benefits of yoga have helped.

“One doctor diagnosed it as ‘the 21st century syndrome,’” Schmidt said.

She was also treated for PTSD as a result of 9/11, and worked periodically with a psychotherapist.

To purchase items from the collection or request custom designs, visit Stärka Design at facebook.com/Stärka-Design-351769921605802. The totes range from $35 to $45, with 10% of the sales going to Alton Main Street.