Visiting is So Good

I have two back-to-back visiting artist engagements coming up in September. The first one happens at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI, followed by another at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. At RISD I will be talking with students in a professional practices class lead by Jennaca Davies. I plan to describe the path of my career and the choices I've made and talk about how I combine residencies, teaching and travel with jewelry and art making. The following week I fly to Michigan to teach Renee Zettle-Sterling's students. This two-day workshop will focus on process and I will guide students through a variety of hands-on exercises and discussions about how and why they make their work. I will also give a lecture about my own work. I'm pretty excited about both opportunities because I love being a visiting artist. It's always a great way to get deep with students in a short period of time and I'm always surprised with what I walk away with. It's a also a great time to connect with colleagues who also happen to be friends.

Rhode Island School of Design
Visiting Artist
Thursday, September 18
Providence, RI

Grand Valley State University
Visiting Artist
Thursday, September 25 & 26
Allendale, Michigan

Thanks for reading.

virtual visiting artist, so high-tech

today i did a video chat lecture/presentation with arthur hash and his production jewelry students at SUNY New Paltz in new paltz, ny. first i did a power point about my current jewelry and then answered a set of questions about my work, business practices, experiences, and plans. after that we did a little one on one question and answer session and finished with a tour of my studio. it was fun and so interesting...i've never done anything like it before! well, the video chat thingy that is...ah, technology.

thanks for reading.

megan auman, snag installment #2

one of my fellow presenters at the professional development seminar was megan auman, a bright, talented, and enthusiastic metalsmith. she lives in pennsylvania, where she makes jewelry and sculpture and also teaches at towson university in maryland. megan's presentation was about navigating the web, blogging, websites, etsy, etc. her presentation was just before mine and i felt like they complimented each other perfectly. it seemed as though they were meant to be partnered. i enjoyed meeting and talking with megan. we even talked about a way for us to combine our efforts on these topics for emerging artists...very exciting.

let me just say, this girl is on fire! she's exhibiting, selling, teaching, speaking up, and making her mark in the community. that's all very exciting, too.

here's where you can find her:

her website
her blog

thanks for reading.

presentation report, snag installment #1

time to start writing about all that happened at SNAG... i think the best place to start is my presentation. after a few intense weeks of preparation and some serious self-doubt (including a desperate phone call to my mom), i put my very first power point to bed the night before the seminar. (come on, how much fine-tuning can one really do?) i felt good about the content and visuals and had practiced many, many times. i had to stop, but not before another run-through with my friend and fellow presenter, marthe le van. we practiced one final time at about 11:30pm as we lounged in our matching twin beds in what we now refer to as "mansion camp." (we stayed at an extravagantly decorated brownstone in downtown savannah.) the next morning we made our way to the conference hotel, stopping at the fantastic SCAD shop for some very helpful retail therapy. (i was so nervous at this point!) i bought a ridiculously good fabric brooch made by kristen hlis. (this name might be a little wrong...i'm taking it from my receipt.) for the next 4 hours we dealt with all the technical stuff, which wasn't easy - there were a lot of issues. finally, after transferring our presentations to one laptop, the seminar started at 2. i spoke at 4:30. by that time, i had calmed down quite a bit and i have to say, i am pleased with the way it went. my talk had 4 sections, starting with my background. then i outlined indie shops and galleries, indie craft shows, and trunk shows. i defined each topic, discussed pros and cons, and mentioned my personal experiences. i really hope the attendees (all 200+) got something out of it.

now about this public speaking thing, i think it's always good to make oneself do difficult things, like public speaking. (it builds character, no?) like i said, i wouldn't do anything differently, but over the next few days i paid extra attention to the other presenters. they are much farther along in their careers and have more experience presenting. i listened to how they opened and concluded their talks, noted their transitions, and the overall structure. i even took some notes which i'll just file away for future reference. eventually, i would like to make my presentation public. it might be a good resource for many emerging jewelers and other artists.

p.s. marthe le van is an editor at lark books. they publish wonderful art and craft books including my favorites in the 500 series, like 500 brooches.

thanks for reading.

savannah bound

i am off to savannah, ga tomorrow for the SNAG conference. my presentation for the professional development seminar is wednesday afternoon. i feel pretty good about my power point, but those nerves do like to creep up...

i am really looking forward to the conference! i love a good lecture. i am most looking forward to hearing iris eichenberg's lecture.

here's a picture of her work - a brooch made of silver. you can see more images of her work at ornamentum gallery.












as soon as i get back, it will be time to get my website all ready for the new work on march 21.

thanks for reading.

lecturing...!

i am going to give a short presentation during the professional development seminar the day before the annual snag (society of north american goldsmiths) conference. i am both freaked out and excited. normal. here are the details...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Harriete Estel Berman
San Mateo: October 12, 2007 (650) 571-7726 studio

The 2008 Professional Development Seminar Open To All Artisans

The 2008 Professional Development Seminar “Crosscurrents: Navigating Toward New Markets” will address topics that are important to artists and crafts people. The afternoon will cover how photography plays a crucial role in establishing a visual identity and provide help in finding new marketing channels that yield better exposure and stronger financial return.

The speakers include Bobby Hansson who has 40 years of experience in photography and will discuss how to attain quality images of your work. Marthe Le Van, Editor of Lark Books, gives her unique perspective on which images are preferred by publishers when considering inclusion to a publication. Megan Auman will introduce us to blogs, Etsy and other inexpensive internet venues to market your artwork. Amy Tavern addresses new trends, trunk shows and nontraditional venues. Ivan Barnett, April Higashi and Heidi Lowe bring their experience and insight in opening their own galleries.

This is a rare opportunity to learn from our speakers who bring their expertise and unique perspectives for an afternoon of learning. The 2008 Professional Development Seminar will be held:

WHEN: Wednesday, March 5, 2008
TIME: 2:00 TO 6:00 PM
WHERE: The Savannah Marriott Riverfront, Savannah, GA (Conference Hotel)
COST: $10 covers the entire seminar afternoon
REGISTER: Either with your Conference Registration or at the PDS door in Savannah

The PDS (organized by Harriete Estel Berman, Andy Cooperman & Don Friedlich) is designed to offer information vital to establishing and maintaining an art career. Conference Registration is not required to attend the PDS. Updated information about the PDS program will be available at:

http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/.docs/pg/10037

Questions and comments can be directed to:

bermaid@harriete-estel-berman.info.

i will talk about my experiences with trunk shows, selling at boutiques, indie shops and galleries, my website, and other ways i get my name out there. i love doing this kind of thing. (and i do get very nervous!) i have spoken a few other times - at my alma mater, uw seattle, and at the penland school of crafts. i like telling others about my experiences, both good and bad, regarding my work and business. it can be difficult to find this kind of information as an artist so if i can help others in this way, i am very willing. plus, i get to learn power point and i am very excited about that!

i guess this means i am a professional.

thanks for reading.