Object Jewelry Sale

Monday, December 8th, 2008
9:00am - 8:0pm
UWM Concourse, Street Level
2200 East Kenwood Boulevard

Over 500 pieces of unique student jewelry that address the ideas of value, preciousness, and production are up for sale. Using a wide range of materials including but not limited to silver, gold, plastics, rubber, cardboard, toys and found objects students have created an eccentric and distinctive collection of art jewelry. Proceeds from the sale will support Object, the student metals organization. Object, in conjunction with the Department of Visual Art’s Jewelry and Metalsmithing area, uses these funds to bring in visiting artists and further enhance the Jewelry and Metalsmithing program.

This is the big Jewelry Sale for the year at UWM. Students are assigned to make 15-20 pieces of jewelry that can be sold for less than $20. I think this is such a great way for students to consider how to make production jewelry, since it plays such a vital role in our field.

If you are in Milwaukee, WI please come check it out!

Obama Arts Policy

I just read over this great piece of information from the new Obama/Biden campaign about installing new policies and procedures to support the arts.

Basically they are saying how important it is to keep the arts alive in our schools and even after school. An artistic awareness in school doesn't always yield artists, (however this does happen as well). Art in schools asserts creativity and innovation which can be applied to many different fields. The article also discusses the importance of putting as much funding as possible towards the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) to not only send American artists abroad but the importance of also allowing artists from all over the world to come back into the U.S. and create a circuit of exchange which helps us all.

Virginia I am so Proud of you!!

It is times like these that make me miss Richmond! What a wonderful showing of the youth vote to make a change. Even though I am in here Milwaukee and proud that Milwaukee put everything we could into change, and I thinking of you Richmond, VA. Well played, well played..

"Metal Inclinations"

The Society for Midwest Metalsmith's has just posted their online gallery exhibition of "Metal Inclinations" which is an International online Metalsmithing and Jewelry Exhibition for 2008-2009.

I am really excited to be able to contribute to this exhibition because I feel like it is a wonderful example of where our field is progressing. Creating a web presence facilitates people outside of the art world to access work that is being made right now in our field. Galleries will always have their place as the brick and mortar backbone which supports artists and pushes us to strive for the best, but an outlet like an only online exhibition invites others outside of a specific area or background to investigate and participate in the conversations we are trying to have. Bring art to the masses! Shouldn't we all have the opportunity to ask the questions we want to ask and be involved, if we want to. I just love this. Not only was there some amazing work selected, but the work selected highlights the range of what we metalsmiths consider part of our field. What an exciting time to be involved with metalsmithing!