SNAG Conference Slated for Cleveland

This year's international conference of the Society of North American Goldsmiths will be held in Cleveland, June 22–25, at the Sheraton Cleveland City Center. The 2005 conference, titled Intersection, will address the intersection of jewelry, metalsmithing, and enameling with industrial design, the fine arts, and fashion. Keynote speaker Gijs Bakker, a world-renowned Dutch jeweler, designer, and teacher, will discuss the dynamic intersection between craft and design in his presentation, Concept and Beyond.

Bakker will be joined by David McFadden, who will address the changing horizons of art and design; Kathy Buszkiewicz, discussing her work and how it addresses the concept of value; Gretchen Goss, continuing her examination of contemporary enamel work; and Gregory Peckham, exploring the role of the artist in public art.

Also scheduled are Dr. Howard Risatti, discussing various theories on how people understand and recognize objects through craft and design; Melvin Rose, presenting an overview of the evolution of decorative metalwork in Cleveland's residential and public architecture over the last 150 years; and Dr. Lyneise Williams, who will examine the ways in which hip-hop jewelry has become a cultural phenomenon.

Two panels join the lineup for 2005. Theory and Practice: A Dialogue Between Educators and Practitioners, featuring Myra Mimlitsch Gray, Joe Wood, Marcia Macdonald, and Jan Yager, will be moderated by Metalsmith editor Suzanne Ramljak. The Price of Gold, featuring a group of environmental experts including Tom Goldtooth from the Indigenous Environmental Network, Glenn Miller from the University of Nevada, and Payal Sampat from Earthworks discussing their efforts to reform gold-mining practices, will be moderated by metalsmiths Susan Kingsley and Christina Miller.

This year's annual juried student slide show, Learning Curves, is organized by Lanelle Keyes and Kim Tatalick of Savannah College of Art & Design and will showcase current student work.

A selection of juried and curated exhibitions will run concurrently with the conference, including The Influence of Rock and Roll (at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum); Resources: Steel, Rubber, Coal, and Salt; Considering Installation: Artists Working With Enamel; 200 Rings; Virtual/Tangible; Educators/Educated: Jewelry and Metals in Ohio; Embracing the Sacred and Secular: Reliquaries in Contemporary Metal; and On the Verge—SNAG Student Exhibition.

For information, call (503) 329-2352 or visit www.snagmetalsmith.org.