Art Jewelry magazine Editors' Blog : craft shows

Philadelphia, here I come!

Hazel Wheaton — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:32:00 GMT

Bright and early tomorrow morning, I'm going to be hopping on an airplane (or maybe trudging, seeing how early I'm going to be doing it) to make the trip to Philadelphia. My reason for going? A true gem of a craft show — The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. The show, now in its 33rd year, regularly includes some of the most amazing craft artists I've seen.

On the slate this year is a group of 26 visiting artists from Korea, showing work in all craft media.

There's also a series of demonstrations and lectures to give you a chance to rest your feet and stretch your mind. Of special interest to jewelry aficionados,Thomas Mann will demonstrate sawing techniques; Jill Hurant will demonstrate how to make fused classical link loop-in-loop chains; and Steven Ford will talk about his longtime creative collaboration with David Forlano, and the incredible metal and polymer clay pieces they create.

Of course, there's also a presentation by the brilliant masterminds behind local chocolatiers John and Kira's Chocolates, in which they'll tell us how they're making the world better through chocolate.

So, I'll be at the show — if you see me, please feel free to say "Hi!"

Green Jewelry: if you're into pieces made from recycled, repurposed materials, check out jewelry by Mana Bernardes and the Touch NY show

Kristin Sutter — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:35:00 GMT

Personally, I get excited about anything green — I mean both the color (my favorite) and the concept. I learned about Touch, a group of eco-minded designers, a few months ago when I came across jewelry by Mana Bernardes, whose jewelry is showcased on the Touch Web site. For anyone in the New York area today and tomorrow (May 19th and 20th), you can check out the Touch NY show from noon to 7 p.m. at 148 11th Ave. According to the Touch Web site, they'll have products and installations made from recycled materials. Judging from the pictures on their flyer, the show looks like a great place to find fresh ideas and inspiration.

Have you ever made jewelry with the intention of making it green? I'd love to hear about it — and see pictures!!

—Kristin

Fun at the One-of-a-Kind Show in Chicago!

Kristin Sutter — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:09:00 GMT

Lunchtime on Dec. 7, 2007, found Jill, Addie, and I (plus Addie's mom and a friend of Jill's) at bluprint, a restaurant at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. We met there to fuel up in preparation for the journey we were about to take through the floor of the One-of-a-Kind Show, which was going on above our heads about seven floors up. I ended up taking a picture of my gourmet mac & cheese.

I wanted to show the picture to Naomi Fujimoto, senior editor at BeadStyle magazine, one of our sister publications. Naomi has a thing for gourmet comfort foods. The food was so beautiful that everyone wanted a picture of their as-yet-undevoured dish.

Yum!

Thus sustained, we took the elevator upstairs and spent the next five hours inundating ourselves with beautiful works of art. Most notably — you guessed it — jewelry. Many times, we stopped by a booth and asked that all-important question, "How did they do that?" (When we ask that, we know we're seeing something magazine-worthy.)

When we're scouting for jewelry artists, we try not to take too much time away from the jewelers; we understand that they're at the show to sell their work. But many people were gracious enough to take the time to hear us out about why they should submit a project or an image for gallery. (If you're thinking of submitting something, we'd love to hear from you! Check out our guidelines.)

Some artists encouraged us to try on their work for fun — and how could we resist!! Of course, some of us went home with a couple you'll-regret-it-forever-if-you-don't-buy-it pieces.

So, thanks to the art jewelry community for delighting us! We hope to return the favor! (If we did our scouting job right, you'll be seeing some fabulous work in our pages in the coming year.)

–Kristin

Upcoming craft shows

Katie Streeter — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:44:00 GMT

I don't enjoy shopping and have even managed to cut trips to the grocery store down to one each month. Craft shows are one of the few exceptions to my "I hate shopping" standpoint. If you also like attending craft shows, here are a few upcoming shows to add to your calendar.

Ornaments & Adornments, a sale that includes over 60 artists featuring jewelry, ceramics, baskets, and other crafts, will take place at the Milwaukee Art Museum on November 16–18, 2007.

Sugarloaf Craft Festivals are held in several eastern states and include sculpture, jewelry, fiber arts, and more.

Pratt Fine Arts Center, in Seattle, will offer jewelry, metal, glass, and more at their Holiday Art Sale on December 7–16, 2007.

To search for more upcoming events, visit our Events Calendar to search for shows and sales near you. Happy shopping!

SOFA Chicago or Bust!

Kristin Sutter — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:32:00 GMT

Art Jewelry's associate editors, Jill Erickson, Addie Kidd, and I, are heading down to the SOFA (Sculpture Objects & Functional Art) show in Chicago this Friday, November 2, 2008, at Navy Pier. We plan to be there when the doors open at 11 a.m. (The show goes until 8 p.m.) I've never been to the show, but I'm so excited! From what the other editors (the ones who have attended) tell me, it's the place to see beautiful art that's known for pushing boundaries. Ever since I saw the 2004 catalog, with its spike-in-the-heel glass slipper on the cover, I've been intrigued and hoping for a chance to go. Of course, scouting for jewelry and artists is the main reason we're going, but I'm also looking forward to seeing the furniture and anything that falls under the category of industrial design. A pitcher, silverware — how people design the things they encounter on a daily basis fascinates me.

The show has a lecture series that includes talks by some amazing jewelry artists: Anya Kivarkis, Sayumi Yokouchi, Susie Ganch, Graziano Visintin, Gerd Rothmann, Tod Pardon, Melissa Huff, Berd Munsteiner, Terhi Tolvanen, Evert Nijland, Marjorie Schick. I hope to have time to attend at least one!

I also hope to meet some of you there!

–Kristin