Necklace No. 6 in Print

  from top right, clockwise: 

Nikki Couppee, Katie Poterala, my necklace

Necklace No. 6 from Collected Memories: 1974-Present is part of an article by Michael Dale Bernard in the current Metalsmith magazine. "Material Complexity" describes the use of non-precious, mixed materials in contemporary jewelry and eloquently explains why artists, like myself, are using them. It's a beautiful piece and includes a strong group of artists. 

Michael asked each of us to write a short statement about our work. The following is my statement:

"This necklace is part of the series "Collected Memories: 1974 to Present." By using many different materials collected since childhood, I was able to intertwine events and people from my past that weren't connected until the moment each piece was made. Using my memory as a guide, the pieces were also assembled in such a way as to emphasize the impermanence and incompleteness of memory."

I am very pleased to be in Metalsmith again--it's always exciting to get some good press, especially in the magazine of my field. Then to have been chosen by such a strong maker in Michael and to be amongst such talented artists, makes it even more special. I've listed each person under their photo and included links to their websites. I strongly encourage you to visit each site and Michael's, as well. 

Katja Toporski 

 from top left, clockwise: Laura Wood, Kat Cole, Rachel Timmons

 from top left, clockwise: 

Laritza Garcia, Tara Locklear, Lauren Markley

Thanks for reading.

the lecture

urban brooch by ecu grad student, kat cole

on friday i gave a lecture at the "making a living/making a life" symposium. there were 6 speakers total and we each had 50 minutes to talk. my lecture focused on my career, how i built my business, and what is happening to my work and my career now that i am a resident artist. i was nervous as per usual, becoming more so as my time drew closer. i also felt nervous for the first few minutes and then began to relax. once i started to settle down the fact that i know what i am talking about kicked in and allowed me to speak more freely. i practiced during the week beforehand and that also helped the nerves; being prepared is like a tool i can use to manage my feelings. i was not able to have my notes in front of me again--i write them in the powerpoint but for whatever reason the technology at the venue never seems to allow for their use. i did forget things and spent some time kicking myself afterward for forgetting them. but, now that some time has passed, i feel more pleased than anything else. i have one more public speaking experience under my belt and have learned that much more about lecturing. there is always room for improvement and next time will be a little bit better.

as for the day itself, it began at 9am with a talk by holly garriott from emerge, a local non-profit gallery that offers arts administration internships to ecu students. it seems like an excellent resource for college art students and i was very impressed. the other lectures were all quite different, but each focused on how the artist has made a living and a life for themselves. i particularly liked the talks by jim gallucci and clark whittington. next we had a panel discussion, followed by a reception. after that we all went to emerge for the opening of "rebel53", a juried show featuring the work of ecu students.

the next day a wonderful group of metals students toured me around greenville - breakfast at a diner (i love a good diner!), the farmers' market (pickles, cheddar bread, and sweet potato pie), and some antique stores (scissors and sewing kits). they also showed me the metals department and i did one-on-one critiques with a bunch of grads and undergrads.

it really was a fantastic weekend! thanks to everyone who made it so!

thanks for reading.