recent travels and happenings

So much has happened since I wrote my first post—and now I finally have a chance to write about it:

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About a month ago I attended Green Jewelry, a new class offered by the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. Instructors Christine Dhein and Jennifer Horning shared valuable information on sourcing ethical materials; promoting responsible mining practices; and creating a safe, ecofriendly studio for metalsmithing. A portion of the tuition for the class was donated to Ethical Metalsmiths, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people with responsibly-sourced metals and gemstones. I highly recommend this class and hope that Revere will offer it on a more regular basis!

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On a recent work-related trip to San Diego I had the opportunity to visit Taboo Studio, a contemporary art jewelry gallery located in the hip, cozy Mission Hills district. Inside, large glass display cases highlight the jewelry in unusual dioramas of found objects. The carefully-curated jewelry collection featured established artists like Judith Hoyt as well as noteworthy new artists like Jon Ryan, who creates interesting works from anodized aluminum. I had a wonderful time browsing and chatting with co-owner Jane Groover. If you are in San Diego, Taboo Studio is a must-see!

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This past weekend I traveled to the Bay Area to help out with the Radical Jewelry Makeover, a recycling, art, and education project sponsored by Ethical Metalsmiths. The project works like this:

People “mine” their homes, donating unwanted, unworn jewelry to the project. Volunteers (like me) sort the donated items, which are then distributed to local metalsmiths and art school students to be transformed into new and innovative jewelry works. The “made-over” recycled jewelry will be displayed at Velvet da Vinci, a premier jewelry art jewelry and metal sculpture gallery in San Francisco.

I showed up at the Richmond Art Center on Friday along with a handful of other volunteers to sort through the donations. Within several hours, we cataloged the donations and sorted the items into various categories, separating gold and silver from pot-metal, and beads from buttons. As a long-time thrift store junkie I had a lot of fun digging through the old jewelry!

I volunteered simply as a way to network with other artists and to support Ethical Metalsmiths. However, to my surprise I was asked to select some materials to work with—to actually participate in the project as a metalsmith! I am extremely grateful for and excited by this opportunity, and hope to transform my items into well-made, interesting jewelry that will once again be worn and enjoyed by someone.

I will track my progress on the blog—so stay tuned for updates!

~d.