Date April 24 to April 25, 2010

Appropriately scheduled for Earth Day, this two day workshop encourages creative thinking to turn found objects into jewelry.  It will cover joining techniques and mountings to frame items.

For more information about Heather’s work please visit her website and blog

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/mostre/mostra.asp?id=186

Submissions will be accepted until March 30, 2009.
Please contact Studio 20/17 for further information.

DEADLINE: Entries must be postmarked by APRIL 30, 2009

ELIGIBILITY:

* Applicant must be a full-time, matriculated student in metalsmithing program
* Must be a member of MAG or sign up for a student membership ($20)
* Can reside anywhere in the United States

For more information and submission form:
http://www.metalartsguildsf.org/events/grant.htm

The Metal Arts Guild of The Bay Area, a non-profit organization, focuses on promoting the recognition of metalwork as an art form and offering Bay Area jewelers and metal artists a network of information, education and support.

Michelle wore her jewels to Election Night activities and the Inaugural Ball. They will become part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum.

Medieval, Renaissance and Byzantine influences this interior decorator turned jewelry designer.

Visit Loree’s website at http://www.loreerodkin.com/

Susan Sarantos
Metalcyberspace
http://www.metalcyberspace.com/

Alchemy: A Passion for Jewels – Temple St. Clair 2008

An exquisite look into the art of fine jewelry making, through the eyes of famed designer Temple St. Clair.

A Southern girl with a nomadic spirit and a voracious appetite for history and culture, Temple St. Clair grew up spending summer vacations in Morocco and Bavaria, studied at an international boarding school in Switzerland, and went night diving in Honduras with the son of Jacques Cousteau. In her early twenties, St. Clair landed in Florence, where she completed a master’s in Italian literature. In fact, she had no exposure to jewelry making until her visiting mother bought an ancient coin and asked St. Clair to commission a local goldsmith to make a piece of jewelry around it.

Armed with the coin and a sketch, St. Clair entered the ancient Palazzo dell’Orafo of Florentine goldsmiths, where she first discovered the centuries-old art of fine Italian jewelry making. Inspired by the distinctive craftsmanship, St. Clair continued to work with artisans to bring her designs to life. A new world soon began to open up to her—a world that engaged her multicultural education, vast experiences, and rich curiosity; a world that awarded her with a new identity as “an amateur anthropologist, a hopeless hunter and gatherer, a bit of a wanderer, and a self-made jewelry historian who loves to dream and draw.”

With an artist’s eye for detail and an unwavering esteem for the historic, St. Clair creates one-of-a-kind pieces that combine ancient influences with traditional craftsmanship and contemporary flair. In Alchemy, she takes readers on an idiosyncratic excursion into the intricate history and craft of jewelry making—from the ancient origins of talismans and charms, to the complicated pursuit of the perfect gemstone—all through the lens of her own fascinating experiences. The result is a mesmerizing and visually stunning book that will appeal to jewelry lovers, artistic dreamers, and anyone who suffers from wanderlust.

(Amazon book description)

Exhibition at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne,  February 4-29, 2008

video clip of the exhibition

Thanks to Robert Schroeder for sending this along!

Phillip Fike

born July 17, 1927 – died Dec. 8, 1997

Wow ! Has it really been ten years since my good friend Phillip Fike left this planet? I feel his presence around me all the time and it makes me think he’s still here.

We met at my first SNAG conference in the 80’s. I remember being in a dark bar surrounded by a sea of people and being told these amazing stories of past escapades. I wish I had taped them because I can no longer remember the exact details but I will always remember them with a smile.

For those too young to have met him, Phillip was a founding member of SNAG and the person who came up with the acronym SNAG (the Society of North American Goldsmiths).

He would make fabulous fibulae which is an ancient form of a brooch. The types that the Romans and Greeks would use to fasten their garments. He was an expert with Niello. He was a professor at Wayne State University in Michigan from 1953-1997.

When I told him that I was running for the SNAG Board, he grabbed my hand strongly, would not let go, then thanked me and told me that I understood and represented the spirit of the original Society of North American Goldsmiths. Michael Good told me the same at Tavern on the Green in NY at WJA. I was honored that they felt that way about me. I won the election and served on it from 1994-1998.

It saddens me to know that a new generation of metalsmiths will never have the chance to experience firsthand the great man Phillip Fike.

I do have a page in progress.  I need to add a few photos and more information. Just have not been able to scan them yet. If people have info and stories I would love to hear from them.

Susan Sarantos