Recent SNAG Exhibitions

Equilibrium

January 22, 2009 through March 11, 2009
Metalsmith's 2008 Exhibition in Print, “Equilibrium,” presents art that engages the body as site and alters sensorial experience by impacting one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) and, by extension, the perceptions and actions of the viewer, the wearer, or both.  

Works selected by the curators, Kate Bonansinger and Rachelle Thiewes, appear in Metalsmith’s 2008 Exhibition in Print.  In addition, chosen objects were shown at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso from January 22 to March 21, 2009.    

"Framing the Art of Jewelry"
Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, Oregon

January 19, 2008 through May 11, 2008
The genesis of this exhibition comes from Metalsmith magazine’s annual Exhibition in Print, curated in 2007 by internationally known design curator Ellen Lupton and published by SNAG.  Museum of Contemporary Craft is excited to present this work as one component of a multi-faceted investigation of art jewelry that, at once, acknowledges the growing interdependence in the visual practices of art, craft and design, and poses theoretical questions about the way contemporary art jewelry is presented for the public to experience....  See full Museum of Contemporary Craft press release (PDF).

“And How! Celebrating Art and Soul in Contemporary Metalwork”
The Gallery at the Airport, Eugene, Oregon

November 12, 2007 through February 29, 2008
A juried exhibition of work by SNAG members in the Pacific Northwest.

Featured were outstanding works by artists from the Pacific Northwest selected by curator Christine L. Sundt, SNAG member and Eugene jewelry artist, and Dena Brown, Director of The Gallery at the Airport.  Over thirty artists from Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and British Columbia presented works in a variety of materials and formats along with the tools that were used to make their stunning creations.

 Click here for the "And How! Celebrating Art and Soul in Contemporary Metalwork" virtual exhibition.

From fine and precious metals to funky and fun, from miniature to imposing, the pieces on display illustrated the variety of skills and the range of talent and originality of these artists.

Artists featured: Mandy Allen, Brendalyn Avender, Harriete Estel Berman, Yuyen Chang, Anna Clark, Lin Cook, Kathleen Faulkner, Kathleen Frazer, Angela Gleason, Hannah Goldrich, Catherine Grisez, Jane L. Guerber, Lee Rumsey Haga , Trudee Hill, Holly Yashi, Toshiyuki Kawai, Suzanne Linquist, Theresa Lovering-Brown, Julia Lowther, Alvi Lufiani, Javi Olivares, Emiko Oye, W. L. Parrish, Kris Patzlaff, Nancy Piccioni, Rebecca A. Scheer, Anika Smulovitz, Kate Speranza, Brooke Stone, Christine L. Sundt, Deborah Taube, Anna Tucker, Ryan Tuss,  Ruth von Büren, Lynda Watson, Dennis Werst, and Charles Kent Wiggins.

press release
Top images: Left: Toshiyuki Kawai, Mokume Snail, 2005;  Right: Javi Olivares, Eclipse Bracelet, 2006

"Framing the Art of Jewelry," SOFA Chicago

November 2-4, 2007
Works from the 2007 Metalsmith Exhibition in Print issue, guest curated by Ellen Lupton, curator at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution.  Under the concept of "framing", the chosen works explore some of the functions of jewelry -- to collect, connect, protect, and display.  Ellen Lupton looks at jewelry as frames for parts of the body as well as for precious or curious things.  How artists store and display their work is also examined. A majority of the work featured in the Metalsmith Exhibition in Print were included in the exhibition at SOFA.

Next + Now: SNAG Annual Student Show (2007)

Juried by Sarah Perkins, Sherry Simms, and Rick Smith, "Next + Now" featured the work of students from across North America.  Held at the Metal Museum in Memphis, TN during the SNAG conference.

The Art of Gold (2003-2006)

The highly acclaimed exhibition, “The Art of Gold” ended a successful three-year tour on January 6, 2006. The exhibition opened in January 2003 at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA. From there it traveled to the University of Richmond Museums in Richmond, VA; to the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, KS; to The Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, AR; to The Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, NC; to The J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries in College Station, TX; to The Anchorage Museum of History and Art in Anchorage, AK; to The Perspective Gallery in Blacksburg, VA; to The Midland Center for the Arts in Midland, MI; and finally to the Joe & Emily Lowe Art Gallery in Syracuse, NY.

“The Art of Gold” was curated by Michael Monroe, former director and curator of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition was composed of 79 objects, primarily jewelry and including hollowware, vessels, small sculptures and other non-jewelry items. The tour was coordinated and managed entirely by ExhibitsUSA, a division of the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

The exhibition catalog was made possible through the generosity of a group of individuals, foundations and organizations: The Art Jewelry Forum, The Webb Roven Foundation, Anne and Ronald Abramson, The Richard and Kate Witkin Fund, Daphne Farago, Beth Pollack, Barbara Waldman and Dennis Winger, Louis and Sandra Grotta, Samuel and Eleanor Rosenfeld, Flora Book, and The Society of North American Goldsmiths. Michael Monroe and Bruce Metcalf wrote the catalog essays. (Above image: John Iversen, Sycamore Maple Leaf, 2002)

Flatware: Fantasy + Function (2005)

In October 2005, the work from the 2005 Exhibition in Print, “Flatware: Fantasy + Function,” curated by Boris Bally and Rosanne Raab, exhibited at SOFA Chicago (Sculpture, Objects and Functional Art). Forty-two artists’ work was featured in this edition of the Exhibition in Print. Copies of the 2005 Exhibition in Print can be purchased from the SNAG Business Office for $7.50 plus shipping and handling.
 

Contemporary Enamel (2003)

In October 2003, the work from the 2003 Exhibition in Print, “Contemporary Enamel,” curated by Gretchen Goss and Maria Phillips, exhibited at SOFA Chicago. The work of 48 artists was featured in this edition of the Exhibition in Print, with two essays, one by the curators and the second by Toni Greenbaum.

 
Innovative Tools (2001-2002)

SNAG and 3M, Inc. joined resources to produce this competition and exhibition in 2001-2002. The exhibition was one of the highlights of SNAG’s 2002 conference in Denver, opening at the Center for Visual Arts of Metropolitan State College. Kiff Slemmons, Charles Crowley, and Edward S. Cooke, Jr. juried the slides of 180 entrants reflecting nearly 450 objects. Ninety pieces were chosen for the exhibition. Mary Lee Hu, Harold O’Connor and 3M’s Ron Wenaas judged the exhibition in Denver and awarded cash prizes. The catalog was coordinated by Anne Hollerbach and published by SNAG. Suzanne Ramljak and Edward S. Cooke, Jr. wrote the catalog essays, and Anne Hollerbach wrote the Afterword.

Exhibition in Print 2000 (juried)

In October 2000, the work from the juried Exhibition in Print exhibited at SOFA Chicago. The three jurors, Ramona Solberg, Rachelle Thiewes and Tom Herman, chose the work of 41 artists, showcasing jewelry, hollowware, sculptural pieces, and vessels. The essay was by art and cultural critic Lucy Lippard.

American Revelations: New Jewellery by Members of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (1996-1998)

This exhibition, jointly produced by SNAG and the Shipley Gallery, Gateshead, England, opened at the Shipley Gallery in March 1996. It was the inaugural event of the professional conference, “Jewellers Exchange ’96—The International Dimension.” The exhibit then toured three other venues in northern England, stopping at the Birmingham School of Jewellery and Silversmithing; the James Hockey Gallery; Surrey Institute of Art, Farnham; and the Cleveland Craft Centre in Middlesbrough. It then moved to the United States, where it opened at the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, TN, and moved to its final venue, the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, PA.

Metalsmith's 2008 Exhibition in Print, “Equilibrium,” presents art that engages the body as site and alters sensorial experience by impacting one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) and, by extension, the perceptions and actions of the viewer, the wearer, or both.  

Works selected by the curators, Kate Bonansinger and Rachelle Thiewes, appear in Metalsmith’s 2008 Exhibition in Print (published in August).  In addition, chosen objects will be shown in an exhibition at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso from January 22 to March 21, 2009.