Showing a Way

Last Tuesday I was a visiting artist at Syracuse University and taught a workshop about process. I began by explaining what process is and how I discovered my own, one of the most important things I did while a resident artist at Penland. I gave each student a series of handouts that describe my process, list questions students can consider for themselves, and define the basic steps of process. Then I lead a writing exercise to help students find their inspirations, followed by what I call "3D sketching" in which students make a piece of jewelry in one hour. I like the combination of a simple writing exercise and a hands-on exercise because it provides a balanced introduction to defining one's process. I really love seeing what everyone is thinking about presented in written form and then as an object. After the workshop I gave a public lecture and ended the day at a delicious Indian restaurant with my colleagues from the school.

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Discovering the How and Why

I have two workshops coming up, one here in New York at Syracuse University and the other way on the other side of the U.S. at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, WA. I will teach process at both places, leading students through different exercises to get ideas flowing and to understand where they come from and why. I truly believe process is a tool just like the hammer or paintbrush. There are lots of ways to discover and define your process and the more you understand, the better equipped you will be to make your best work.

My class at Syracuse University is for the jewelry and metalsmithing department and happens on March 31. The workshop will happen during the day and later I will give a public lecture. The lecture is free and open to everyone and is also on March 31 at 6:30pm.

Then in May I fly to Seattle to teach a master class at Pratt Fine Arts Center. The class will focus on process, too, and is open to all artists, not just metalsmiths. In addition to process exercises and hands-on learning, I will also talk about how I use social media to share my process. Here's the description from the catalog:

"Every artist has his or her own way of generating ideas and making work; discovering these methods is a helpful tool for creating better work and for dealing with common daily challenges like starting a new piece, making aesthetic decisions, and overcoming creative blocks. In this workshop students will be introduced to a variety of ways to find ideas and understand how they make their work. Through hands-on and contemplative exploration with common materials, collecting visual inspiration, and simple writing exercises, students will consider their own individual artistic process. All exercises are based on Amy's unique experience defining her own process over the years. In addition, using Amy's experience sharing her process on social media through her blog and Facebook, students will begin to learn how to present their process in a public manner as they discover their own language for describing the why and how of what they create. Prerequisite: some Jewelry/Metals experience (or some experience in any media)"

The weekend class runs May 8, 9, and 10 from 9:30-5:30 each day.

I will also give a public lecture at Pratt and will post those details soon.

If you have any questions about the class at Pratt or the public lecture I will give at Syracuse University, please feel free to email me at atavern@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading.

Positive Effect

Nearly two weeks ago I drove a rental car to the Hudson Valley to be a visiting artist and lecturer at SUNY New Paltz. I started the day with my lecture and took some great questions from the audience at the end. After a potluck lunch with the metals department, I did 13 back-to-back crits that lasted 20-30 minutes each. It was intense and awesome! I loved talking with every single one of those wonderful people. They are working so hard and it's obvious in their work and in the way they question it. I try to get to the heart of things right away and give each person something solid to think about, always challenging in such a short period of time. The lecture I gave that day is now available online, too. There are a few minutes of chatter at the beginning so you can hear me talking about all sorts of things with a few people in the audience. The talk begins around the 3 minute 25 second mark.

I also want to share this wonderful Facebook status, posted by Grand Valley State University student, Anna Petlick, last night:

"After Amy Tavern's lecture and workshop at GVSU two months ago I was inspired to create a piece using limited materials in my studio. Although I did not limit my time for the creation of the piece, I'm very happy with how my brooch turned out! The materials include a leg from a teddy bear, fabric from a child's night gown, and pearls. This piece was featured in the Free Radical gallery show in downtown GR. A big belated thank you again to the wonderful Amy Tavern for coming to our school and helping me see creating from a fresh and different view!" 

I was a visiting artist at GVSU at the end of September and had a wonderful time there, too. Comments like this are so reassuring and also challenge me to do even better next time. Thanks so much, Anna!

Thanks for reading.

Building Process

Thursday and Friday of last week I taught process workshops at Grand Valley State University. The classes began with a discussion about process as I described my own and how I came to define it. Then I had students do a writing and thinking exercise in which they listed 50 things that inspire them. This assignment, adapted from one by ceramic artist, Ayumi Horie, helps students see where their ideas come from in both a macro and micro view. Next I lead them through an hour-long thinking and making exercise in which they made a piece of jewelry using limited materials and tools. This activity is like sketching with pencil and paper only in 3D with different kinds of materials. It is an individual exercise and I always tell my students to just let go as they work.

After both classes I did back-to-back 30-minute studio visits with jewelry and visual arts students. Critiques like these are always challenging for me because I have to get to know the person and his or her work quickly so I can help. I usually begin by asking the student to describe her work and then try to question and encourage without derision.  Everyone in both my workshops and the individual sessions was open and eager and I had so much fun with them! I also loved being around Beverly Seley and Renee Zettle-Sterling, the metals faculty. They took such good care of me!

In addition, on Thursday night I gave a public lecture and I'm pleased with how it went, despite some technical difficulties. I had a few blank slides appear even though I had done a test run earlier. I kept going, though, channeling performance skills I had learned when I used to sing years ago: I did my thing and everything was fine.

Other highlights of the trip included a visit to ArtPrize where I got to see some incredible works like "Intersections" by Anila Quayyum Agha. Seeing this piece in person felt like a once-in-a-life time kind of moment. I also got to spend a few hours sitting next to Lake Michigan, which reminded me so much of being by the sea in Iceland.

"Intersections" by Anila Quayyum Agha

Thanks for reading. 

To the Great Lakes

On Wednesday I fly to Allendale, MI to teach for two days at Grand Valley State University. I've not been to Allendale before and I'm looking forward to visiting a new place and to being close to one of the magnificent Great Lakes. I will teach two process classes on Thursday and Friday, critique student work in one-on-one sessions and give a public lecture. My schedule is packed for those two days but I hope to fit in a walk or two. Then on Saturday I will attend ArtPrize, an annual international arts competition in nearby Grand Rapids. Fresh off my last Visiting Artist experience at RISD, I am super-excited to meet and work with students at GVSU and explore a new place.

If you live in the Allendale/Grand Rapids area, please come say hello at my lecture on Thursday, September 25 at 7pm at the GVSU Mary Idema Pew Library 030, Atrium Level. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Thanks for reading.

RISD Visit

I took a little drive to Providence, RI on Wednesday to spend the day with a senior jewelry BFA professional practices class. I gave a lecture about my career and my work and then answered questions about my process, business practices, residencies and more. We had several hours to talk and it was fantastic to connect with them. The class is lead by Jennaca Davies and she was a wonderful host as she toured me around RISD's impressive facilitates. She also made a point to take me to the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, an all-in-one cabinet of curiosities and library. I could have spent hours there just pouring over every single specimen from moss to jaw bones. Finally, I made a stop in Lenox, MA to visit Sienna Gallery. This was my first time there and it did not disappoint. I loved seeing the work of Daniel Kruger, whose solo exhibition "Angle of Incidence" is currently on view.

the work of Daniel Kruger at Sienna Gallery

forming room at RISD

skeletons at the Nature Lab

moss and lichen at the Nature Lab

seed pods at the Nature Lab

Thanks for reading.

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.

Five Days

I just got back from a wonderful 5-day visit to the Penland School of Crafts. The reason for the trip was to be a visiting artist for current Fall concentration instructor, Adam Whitney. I spent two days with his class teaching chains and connections. I did a few demos and gave a presentation about chains and another one about my work. It was great to spend time in the studio. I enjoyed Adam's students and loved spending time with Adam, himself. He's a good friend and we hadn't seen each other in two and half years (!) because he was teaching in Malaysia. We had a lot of catching-up to do.

Adam demonstrating how to use the metal crimper

I also went to two different openings, one for the resident artists on Friday and the other for the Core Fellows on Saturday. Both shows were wonderful! The current residents are such a strong group and it's exciting for me to see as a former resident. They make me so proud! The Core Fellows are also making incredible work as they seem to get more sophisticated every year. The resident opening was in Asheville at the Asheville Area Arts Council Gallery and the Core Show happened in Northlight on the Penland campus. It was also my pleasure to serve the Core Fellows supper on Saturday before the opening. Core Show day is my favorite day of the Penland year and serving dinner to these lovely people feels very special. 

The rest of my time was filled with visits with friends, thoughtful discussions about art, and walks around the campus. I love every moment of my time at Penland and it always feels like coming home.

sculpture by resident artist, Tom Shields

Penland's Core Fellows

the view from the porch of the metals studio early one evening

Thanks for reading.

Color on Metal, West Coast Style

I head to San Francisco and Oakland tomorrow to be a visiting artist at the California College of the Arts. A busy day is planned for me on Thursday starting with critiques with grad students, seniors, and advanced metals students. Next I give a lecture, titled "Layer After Layer," to the department and public. It will focus on my background, the development of my jewelry, and my recent works. Then I give another presentation and demonstrate how to use spray paint for the metals class, "Color on Metal." This will be my first time teaching spray painting on metal and really I am excited! I now have a handout detailing the process (I LOVE handouts!) and a variety of samples showing different surface effects. For my demo, I'm will show how to apply spray paint and how to manipulate the cured surface with files and sand paper. My presentation will show how I use color in my work, why I use spray paint specifically, and will explain my process, step by step. I'm really looking forward to sharing this info and my love of this material. It should be a really great day!

Then I get to spend a long weekend with friends in SF and plan to visit some museums and galleries, hit my favorite restaurants, and get another new, badass tattoo. 

More from the road...

Thanks for reading.

visiting artist report

a week ago i was a visiting artist in the metals class at the penland school of crafts, located in the mountains of western north carolina. the class, taught by robert dancik, is about experimental techniques and alternative materials and how these can be applied to jewelry and other art forms. i demonstrated stone setting but not in a traditional sense. i showed the students how to make bezel and prong settings for unusually shaped objects, instead of cabochons or faceted stones. i also discussed different styles of rings and how the students might consider designing bands that are not round. later in the day i discussed some business aspects, like how to get a craft business started, and also shared some of my own personal experiences and struggles. it was a wonderful day!


thanks for reading!

visiting artist

next week i will be a visiting artist at the penland school of crafts, one of my favorite places ever. i will be teaching in the metals class as a guest of the instructor, robert dancik. i just met robert a few weeks ago when the spring concentration began. he makes great jewelry and sculpture using an incredibly imaginative mix of materials. i am so excited for this opportunity! i enjoy teaching, interacting with other artists, spending time at penland...i am feeling pretty honored.

in other penland news....last weekend i went to an iron pour demo. i've done some casting in sterling silver so i am familiar with the casting process, but this was very different, basically due to the (much!) larger scale and intense heat (2800 degrees). what fascinated me most was how thin and "liquidy" (for lack of a better word) the iron was. i thought it would be thicker, move slower, be more like lava, i guess. it poured like water. the iron class, led by instructor leeann mitchell and aided by several volunteers, poured mold after mold. it was an awesome team event. they were all dressed up in suede pants and jackets, big gloves, and plastic face masks. it was exciting to watch!this photo was taken by robin dryer. see more pictures taken by robin at the penland school here.

thanks for reading.