Join us for exhibitions, lectures, the pin swap, panel discussions, the Professional Development Seminar, portfolio reviews, the Education Resource Room, Red Carpet live exhibition, Casino Night, the studio crawl, the Vendor's Room, the Trunk Show and our ever-popular final night dance party!

This week's conference highlight is the exhibition Playing With Fire hosted by The Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center (CAFAC) With Fire as the inspiration, this curated exhibition explores a range of materials, metalsmithing techniques and aesthetics from enameled jewelry to iron and damascus steel from both local and national artists.

Along with the exhibition, CAFAC will be holding demonstrations in flameworking, blacksmithing, foundry and precious metal clay in their open hot house.

Artists: Barbara Minor, Heinz Brummel, Rick Dunkerley, Carol Warner, Susan Hunt, Darlys Ewoldt, Heejin Hwang, Kevin O'Dwyer
Curator: Heather Doyle and Carol Warner
 

Have you ever considered the value of your work 15 to 50 years from now?

 

Yes seriously, have you looked at what is happening on the secondary market with 20th century  modernist Jewelry? What is the secondary market? An example of "secondary market" for jewelry could be auction houses  or specialists in reselling like M Schon and 1stdibs.  

 

This Peter Macchiarini Brooch is listed for  is $3,450. What are the factors

Deborah Boskin

that influence value in the 21st century?  It is stamped with the maker's mark, but there many factors such as it's provenance.

 

As part of the upcoming Professional Development Seminar at the 2014 SNAG Conference in Minneapolis, Deborah Boskin will be sharing her professional insight as a  specialist of fine jewelry at Bonhams in San Francisco, CA.

 

Don't miss this segment. Open your eyes to future value for your work.

 

If you cannot attend the entire conference, but are interested in the Professional Development Seminar, Register for a Day Pass

This week, we're introducing Alison Pack, who is running for a position on the Board of Directors.

Alison's work tells stories through imagery that pursues stereotypes, misconceptions & clichés regarding womanhood. For a traditional southern girl, tools were considered inappropriate & unfeminine. Ironically, the development of her hand-skills proved to be powerful expressions of her femininity. Her small copper & silver sculptures are created by the processes of shell forming, raising, fabrication & casting. She employs color on metal techniques using Prismacolor pencils & acrylic paints to allude to decorative surfaces such as fabric & icings. Her work has been displayed nationally & featured in Humor in Craft, Art Jewelry Today 3, & About Art. Alison is an associate professor of metalsmithing & jewelry design at Radford University, where she's taught since 2003. She is included in Who's Who Among American Teachers and Educators. She holds a BS in art education, teaching certification from Appalachian State University,& an MFA in metalsmithing from East Tennessee State University.

 

Q & A 

 

1. What are your interests in running for the Board and what are you hoping to gain from your experience as a SNAG Board member?

  

I am extremely passionate about our field and have been devoted to it since age 19, when metal chose me. Simply stated, teaching and working with  metal validates my life on a daily basis. I am most interested in assisting in the continual development and growth of SNAG, which may involve duties and volunteer work in a variety of capacities. With eleven years of university teaching experience I have touched  the lives of many from diverse backgrounds and enhanced their lives through metalworking. As an educator it is my duty to "pass the torch" of my art form to others and provide them with valuable resources to enhance their experience and development. Having the opportunity to reach others on a national or even international scale would  be a beautiful way for me to give back to our community and ensure that the torch will be passed onto future generations. On a more personal note, I would like to forge life long friendships and professional relationships within our extended family. Many of the individuals that I view as role models and have found to be the most genuine, humble and sincere people have served on the board. I would only hope that this experience would give me the opportunity to become a leader in our organization and field.

 

2. What expertise, experience, and strengths will you bring and how will these qualities benefit the organization?

 

I am a metalsmith in the true since of the word, loving to hammer. With my personal technical and aesthetic approach to working with metal combined with my teaching experience and love for learning, I believe I could be a valuable resource for younger metalsmiths. I have served on numerous committees in a variety of capacities working with administration, staff, art department faculty and co-workers. I understand that we are only human, we can make mistakes, and we have the right to our own personal feelings. What it takes to get the job done is flexibility, team work and at times compassion. I am easily approachable, love to talk and have a great sense of humor. I also have uncontrollable laughter, which can be found contagious or repulsive. I am able to stay calm and to the point when deflecting stressful situations where others emotions or my emotions would prefer to dictate the situation. I am able to see both sides and understand both stories and am willing to help resolve the situation in an amicable manner. We all know at times this is easier said that done!!! LOL

 

3.What projects, activities, and/or services do you think are important to the organization?

 

SNAG already covers all of the important things, educational outreach, professional development and scholarship opportunities for deserving students. I would be eager to see behind the scenes of how this service projects are run and see how I could assist in strengthening them. I am also eager to learn about fundraising which I have very little experience with. It takes a great deal of money to run a non-profit such as SNAG and many individuals may not realize just how much it takes.

 

Is there anything else that you would like to share with the membership that is relevant to your candidacy?

 

In my experiences I believe that often times educators and professionals in the field may not fully understand each others careers or needs or professional challenges. I see education as the key component to bridging that gap and bringing us closer together which will open opportunities and bring benefits to both parties. Both roles are extremely challenging in a variety of ways, and I will be the first to admit even though I have my dream job it is highly stressful and, I will be honest, at times disheartening. I always say life is tough but being a metalsmith is even tougher. We do what we do because we are passionate about it and it comes from our hearts.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my candidate information.

 

President Elect Nicole Jacquard Tedd McDonah  Board of Directors      Sydney Brown     Dianne deBiexedon     Lauren McAdams Selden     Alison Pack  Nominations and Elections Committee      Daniel DiCaprio     Marissa Saneholtz

 

Quotable quotes from week 2 of Road 2 Success' SPOT ON

In the second week of the Road 2 Success SPOT ON: Making a Living and Living the Dream, our panel of experts has talked about knowing your market, the time and energy it takes to succeed, and the experience of being audited, along with much more.  Here is a sample:

Boris Bally, Maker Profile
"The thing that has always drawn me to our world, the metalsmith community, is the lack of personal 'showboating' and the promise of honest work for honest attention.    ...    It is very important to aim high, But equally important to instill an understanding in the budding metalsmith that none of us expect to get instant recognition for our hard work. The process of building your resumé, your vision/style, your business takes a lifetime. Every line on my own resumé is the culmination of years of working toward a goal, complete with previous rejections, good mentorship, making connections and old-fashioned hard work. The bonus is we get to live creative lives that have meaning, we have an amazing peer group, we get to make cool stuff."

Road 2 Success Forums

Join us!  We'll get you into the forum as soon as possible.  You can be a part of where the conversation goes next.  The experts are responding to every post that members post.  Sign up here. 

Alchemist Picnic: A Mid-Atlantic Metals Retreat, May 3-4 2014 Touchstone Center for Crafts

Intro to Gem Cutting & Carving April 19-20, Revere Academy

Torch Fired Enameling with Deborah Lozier April 5-6, Revere Academy

Art Business Institute: Florida Workshops in April

The Business of Jewelry FIT, NYC

These are only a few of the opportunities you'll find on Springboard. Discover calls for entry, teaching positions, workshops, scholarships, grants, studio space and more. You are welcome and encouraged to post opportunities you want to share. Bookmark Springboard today!

 
Random Geometric Earrings
sterling silver
2012
4.5 inches long
Photo by Liz Mackinder - Cupcake Detroit
Take advantage of this member benefit and get more exposure for your work!  Make sure you have at least five high quality images so we can feature your work in Riveting News and on social media.