The 43rd SNAG conference From Grains to Gold was a great success! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us and everyone who made this event a reality.  Special thanks to Britta Kaupilla, Dominique Bereiter and Emily Johnson, our co-chairs as well as Pam Robinson, Monica Hampton and Kate Lichter, our organizers who went above and beyond to insure a successful event.

We can't wait until Boston 2015!

Voting Results!

Bob Ebendorf gave a beautiful and impassioned speech after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.  The Award itself was made and presented by Cynthia Eid.  Bob's influence over the decades has rippled through our community in immeasurable ways and we were proud to award one of SNAG's founding fathers with this honor.

The Red Carpet Exhibition (this year's twist on the Exhibition in Motion) was a huge success!  Artists made pieces for participants to try on, walk down the red carpet and be photographed in the photo booth.  You can see the whole album by visiting our flickr album!

In addition to the compelling lectures, outstanding exhibitions and challenging conversations, the conference was fun.  It was an affirmation of the value of our community.  Friendships were formed and rekindled, and our tribe is stronger for it.

If you haven't been to a conference before, we hope you will consider joining us in Boston next year!

The Professional Development Seminar is looking for an audio editing volunteer with the skills to edit the recorded Professional Development Seminar lectures from the 2014 SNAG Conference.

Job: Create 7-8 individual audio tracks from 3.5 hours of content.
Deadline: ASAP

More information and background info for this job:
Contact Harriete Estel Berman by email or call  (650) 345-4078
 

Monica Hampton has officially joined the SNAG staff full time as Education Director. Monica has worked as the Director of Education and Professional Development for the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, Director of Education for the American Craft Council, and Program Manager for the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. For the last year Monica has been a part time contractor for SNAG, producing our 2014 conference. Monica will oversee SNAG's Educational Programs, which include conferences, symposiums, and the newly launched mentoring program, Road 2 Success. Monica lives and works from her home in Brooklyn, New York.

For a limited time, we will be offering some new interesting perks in return for your spring donations! We have posters, stickers, awesome tote bags and more to show our appreciation for your spring donation!
 
We are also offering a new Monthly Giving Program, that allows you to give a smaller amount every month instead of one large sum. We believe that smaller amounts given regularly over the course of the year make this a more manageable commitment on your end and it offers
SNAG a steadier stream of donations.
  
SNAG does not exist in a vacuum - please give so we can continue to bring you conferences,  Metalsmith magazine and the other programming you value.

Please utilize our new Monthly Giving Program and give at a level that makes sense for you.  Every little bit helps and no gift is too small.

Donate to the Spring Giving Campaign

Are you tech savvy?  Would you be interested in helping SNAG with its online projects?  We are looking for one more member for the OPC willing to serve a three year term to assist with online presence and various initiatives. 

We are also looking for a new member of the Social Media Sub-Committee to manage and oversee our flickr and youtube pages.  This is a two year term.  These are important and rewarding positions

 If you are interested, contact Jen Townsend

In the past month, Road 2 Success's SPOT ON has wrapped up our first focused discussion on making a living as a creative entrepreneur, and we've jump right in to our new discussion on web presence and social media.  We'd like to offer a big thanks to April's panel: Gillian Batcher, Shannon Conrad, Victoria Lansford, Heidi Lowe, and Amy Tavern.

If you'd like to join in the conversation for May's Q&A on Collecting with Susan Cummins, David Huang, Karen Lorene, and Cindi Strauss, go to the Signup Form and we'll get you into the forum as soon as possible.  You can be a part of where the conversation goes next.

Here are a few choice quotes from the conversation:

Gillian Batcher, Maker Profile

"Online engagement is often achieved by asking a question, having a contest, or designing in the collaborative space of some platforms (could be the appeal of etsy) and each of these forms of engagement could be tailored to each segment. Once engagement happens I think you are more likely to start getting people forming attachments to both the artists and their work and wanting to own it. People are more attached to objects that have a story than those that do not (the story does not even have to involve the maker). Owning a piece keeps a positive interaction alive and memorable for the customer. "

Shannon Conrad

"Talk TO your fans and not AT them. Ask a question. Ask for feedback. Engage.  Here is a perfect example of what I mean. Three posts on my own Facebook page in the last week and their results:

Post #1: Trunk Show announcement with a link to the fb event page: 1 like, 0 comments, 35 people saw the post
Post #2: An "in-process" photo of new stuff I am working on: 29 likes, 3 comments, 290 people saw the post
Post #3: A photo with a question (which design do you like better?): 11 likes, 78 comments (!), 1332 people saw the post. Additionally, I gained 4 new fans and had a message asking about buying a piece."

Victoria Lansford, Maker Profile

"Besides being searchable to a wider audience, blogging is a part of a website that shows the site is active and vibrant with activity. Unlike when posting images of new artwork, blog posts automatically have dates. In the world of online presence recent activity indicates a certain accessibility to the artist."

Amy Tavern

"I've had my blog since 2008 and it has become this incredible tool for processing and communicating. I have become better at describing my work and my process and have a deeper understanding of my work because of it. It really is just as much for me as it is for the public. Finally, I use my blog as a way to give back to my readers/supporters/clients. I am constantly surprised and humbled by them and want to show my gratitude by consistently and openly sharing my thoughts, feelings, triumphs, and concerns. Through this process, I have a well-established readership that continues to support my work."

Ford Hallam is running a Kickstarter campaign to support the production of the first volume of a series of 7 books that will present for the first time in any language, even Japanese, a comprehensive introduction to Japanese decorative metalwork techniques, materials and processes.  This will be the seminal work on the subject and one that will be of use to craftspeople, collectors, academics and curators.

Learn more here

Workshop: "Enameling on Vessel Forms" with Sarah Perkins July 14-19 Appalachian Center for Craft

Fall 2014 Internship at The Smith Shop Deadline: June 30

Craft Ontario: Craft Award Deadline: June 20

2014 ITAMI International Craft Exhibition Deadline: July 25

New Necklaces: 500+ Designs from Around the World Deadline: July 20

University of Wisconsin-Madison: One year teaching position in Metals/Jewelry Deadline: May 15

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!

 
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.