Workshopping With: Summer Series

 Workshopping With is our latest virtual programming series, led by artists and educators on various topics. This July, we're taking you to summer school with four workshops on brooch backs, hinges, mount making, and clasps. 

The workshops are available individually or register for our bundle and gain access to all four workshops. Watch party options are available to university and college classes. Below are the details of each workshop.

Stick It To Ya: Jessica Andersen
Saturday, July 12, 3 p.m. ET

This workshop is all about the brooch back. Andersen will cover different types of pin mechanisms and the elements needed to make your brooch "fit check" ready. She'll share more than just how to create a functional brooch back. This class will also cover how to design an integrated mechanism as beautiful as the front of the brooch.

Instructor Bio: Jessica Andersen was born in the small farming community of Audubon, Iowa. She received a B.F.A. in Jewelry & Metal Arts in 2009 from the University of Iowa. In 2011, Jessica began graduate school at San Diego State University where she received her M.F.A. in Jewelry and Metalwork. Jessica has completed residencies at Craft Alliance in St. Louis, MO and at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft where she had time to experiment and develop her work as a studio artist.

Smooth Moves | Hinges for Beginners: Felicia Jordan
Saturday, July 19, 1 p.m. ET

This is a beginner-friendly metalsmithing workshop where you'll learn how to make your own custom hinges. You'll practice essential skills like measuring, cutting, and soldering metal, all while creating functional, handmade hardware.

Instructor Bio: Felicia Jordan was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas. She has exhibited work at New York Jewelry Week, Materials Hard and Soft, and Kinfolk House. Currently Jordan works as a silversmith for Edward H. Bohlin. 

Mount Making: Sasha Newkirk 

Tuesday, July 22, 7 p.m. ET

Learn about the specialized skill of mountmaking to display art objects and how custom mounts can make your artwork shine. Newkirk will discuss and demonstrate the basics of designing and fabricating a secure mount for an object out of brass including the specific materials used in professional mountmaking. If you're interested in starting a career in mountmaking, Sasha will discuss what it's like to work in a museum environment. She'll also share insights on the questions to ask when freelancing with a museum or gallery. 

Instructor Bio: Sasha Newkirk is a jewelry historian and metalsmith who currently makes mounts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Her experience includes Exhibition Design, Production Management, Mount-making, and Curation for some of New York City's leading institutions including the Museum of Arts and Design and Bard Graduate Center. She teaches mountmaking and jewelry courses at Brooklyn Metal Works and contributes to Metalsmith magazine. 

Clasps and Catches: Tom Muir
Tuesday, July 29, 7 p.m. ET

Knowing and understanding a range of clasps is essential to creating professional jewelry. In this two-hour workshop, attendees will examine and work through the mechanical principles for three catches and clasps - a key catch, a bayonet clasp with stainless steel spring, and a fabricated deep-threaded clasp with swivels. Muir will utilize samples and images to walk through creative applications and the mechanics that apply to various catches and clasps.

Instructor Bio: Tom Muir is a Distinguished Professor of the Arts at Bowling Green State University and the head of the Jewelry and Metalsmithing department in the School of Art. His award-winning work has been published and exhibited extensively. Collections include the Art Institute of Chicago, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and The White House Collection of American Crafts He is the recipient of many awards including the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Artist Fellowship, Michigan Council for the Arts Fellowship, and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Ohio Designer Craftsmen for having made major contributions to craft in Ohio.