Tuesday, November 25, 2008

THANK YOU!
















It is a time of giving thanks and here at Ethical Metalsmiths we are very appreciative of the tremendous effort that went into making Radical Jewelry Makeover - San Francisco an incredibly successful event. 

The work was good, the opening so well attended it was difficult to move about the space and the proceeds, well record high in comparison to past RJM events. Your generosity along every step of the process is greatly appreciated.

We will be producing an online catalog showcasing the San Francisco edition of RJM. Hopefully by spring it will be available along with a new and improved Ethical Metalsmiths website. We look forward to continuing our on going collaboration with you in order to bring real change to the field. As jewelry donors, makers, supporters and advocates we can create the groundswell needed. 

Thank you again for all of your support. Hopefully you will enjoy the website and catalog when they are available.


Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What's next for RJM - San Francisco?
THE EXHIBITION!



Please join us for the Radical Jewelry Makeover - San Francisco exhibition! The exhibition opens at Velvet da Vinci gallery on Wednesday Oct. 22 with a reception on Friday Oct. 24. The exhibition of "madeover" jewelry continues through Nov. 9, 2008. You are invited to support San Francisco's talented makers as well Ethical Metalsmiths' ongoing efforts to bring precious metal mining issues and reform into the consciousness of jewelry makers and wearers. Walk out of the gallery wearing your values!

200 artists, both novice and professional, transformed old unwanted jewelry over the past month and finished pieces are streaming into Velvet da Vinci gallery as we prepare the exhibition. If you were participating in RJM-SF please post your comments about the experience!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Generous Donations and Creative Makers!



On September 18 and 19 a dedicated group of volunteer RJM jewelry sorters took over the Richmond Art Center's (Richmond, CA) jewelry studio and documented donations, sorted them by material type and prepared "kits" for each of the eight programs participating in RJM-San Francisco. Ethical Metalsmiths would like to thank these volunteers for their great work.

Christina Miller and Susie Ganch, RJM designers, kicked off the project on Sunday Sept. 21 and over 75 participants attended. They then visited 6 of the 8 participating programs including the Richmond Art Center, Revere Academy, California College of Art, Academy of Art University, City College and Velvet da Vinci gallery. It was a pleasure to meet so many of the makers that are participating in the project!

The San Francisco edition of RJM is now well underway as several of the programs are transforming donations into new work as you read this blog entry.

If you missed the call to donate old unwanted jewelry, but are still interested in supporting Ethical Metalsmiths please join us at the Radical Jewelry Makeover opening reception on Friday, Oct. 24th at Velvet da Vinci! All of the "madeover" work will be for sale and sales benefit Ethical Metalsmiths.

If you are participating in the project, please add your comments! We would like to read about your perspective of the project.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Let the sorting begin!


This week a small group of dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers will be sorting through all of the generous donations that were given to Ethical Metalsmiths for Radical Jewelry Makeover - San Francisco!

Thank you to everyone that dug through their jewelry boxes for missing earrings and tangled chains. Do you really still wear those 1980's bangles?

Mark your calendars, the RJM-SF exhibition opens on Oct. 22 at Velvet da Vinci gallery with a reception on Friday Oct. 24th. The show runs through Nov. 9, 2008.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Radical Jewelry Makeover is taking shape in San Francisco

Several of the programs participating in the upcoming RJM are sharing this news with the public. To learn more check out the following links to see how.

California College of Art
The Crucible
The Richmond Art Center
(scroll down)
Academy of Art University

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

ACCEPTING DONATIONS NOW!

We are accepting donations for the San Francisco edition of Radical Jewelry Makeover RIGHT NOW through September 11th. There are several drop off sites throughout the Bay Area as well as one mail in site (please see details below).

This is your chance to dig through those old, tangled chains, gifts from old flings, and unmatched earrings and donate them to Radical Jewelry Makeover, a project of Ethical Metalsmiths. During September and October, jewelry artists from the Bay Area will transform your generous donations into new jewelry. Donors receive a discount coupon available and redeemable at the final exhibition for a new piece of "madeover" jewelry.

The exhibition of finished work will take place at Velvet da Vinici gallery from Oct. 22 - Nov. 9.

Please donate! No other jewelry can be tracked to its origin as transparently as items from your own collection. Help us create a responsible jewelry movement.

Here are the donation details.
Academy of Art University
410 Bush St. San Francisco, CA 94108
Contact: Charlene Modena - 415-618-3631
California College of Art, Oakland campus
5212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618-1426
Contact: Curtis Arima - 510-205-5694
City College
Drop off: Art Office in the Visual Arts Building at City College of San Francisco, in between Batmale Hall and the Creative Arts Building on the loop.
Contact: Art Department, Box V-28, 50 Phelan
Avenue, San Francisco CA 94112
Contact: Suzanne Pugh - 415-452-5782
The Crucible
1260 7th St. Oakland, CA 94607
Contacts: Aimee Golant and Rob Nehring - 510-444-0919
Revere Academy
760 Market St. Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact: Christine Dhein - 415-391-4179
Richmond Art Center
Address: 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Ph: 510.620.6772 email: admin@therac.org www.therac.org
Contacts: Alison Antleman - 510-704-1905
Kato Jaworski - 510-620-6773
Ed Lay – 510-367-3406
Scintillant Studio
1258 Valencia St. 2nd Fl. San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact: Adam Clark - 415-505-1623
Scintillant Studio Phone: 415-206-1359
Metal Arts Guild
Contact: Alison Antleman - 510-704-1905
http://www.metalartsguildsf.org/
Velvet da Vinci Gallery
2015 Polk Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Contact: Mike Holmes and Elizabeth Shypertt - 415-441-0109

Monday, June 23, 2008

Radical Jewelry Makeover - a few additions to the webpage


A few changes have been made to the RJM webpage and there are more changes to come. Right now you can access the press release for the San Francisco edition as well as the jewelry donation form. Check it out at: http://www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org/RJM.html

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Past RJM participants - Lend your voice!!


Dear Richmond and Lancaster RJM participants,

Lend a personal story about your RJM experience to this blog! Makers in San Francisco are preparing for the "takeover" this fall - tell them what it was like.
Image: Melting down some donated sterling silver jewelry in preparation for ingot pouring.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Introducing the Radical Jewelry Makeover blog and San Francisco edition press release


This blog is being created to aid in the communication of up to date information about Ethical Metalsmiths' Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM) project.

RJM has taken place at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (Feb/Mar 2007) and at Millersville University in Lancaster, PA (Oct/Nov 2007) and will take over San Francisco, CA this fall. The San Francisco edition will be the largest, most comprehensive RJM to date. If you are in the San Francisco area and are interested in participating as a maker, donor, makeover jewelry buyer or all three the press release below offers more information about this community project.

Downloadable jewelry donation forms will be available on the Ethical Metalsmiths website this summer!

Please check this blog often for up to date event details!!
Posted below you will find the introductory press release about the event.

May 21, 2008
For Immediate Release:


Radical Jewelry Makeover offers a fun, informed and creative alternative to mining and jewelry production

As a result of gold mining that took place more than a century ago, the San Francisco Bay is lined by several feet of sediment from hydraulic mining and its waters are contaminated with dangerous levels of mercury. Today, mining is this nation's most toxic industry according to the EPA. And Earthworks reports that an estimated 80% of the gold mined each year is used for jewelry, and a single gold ring leaves 20 tons of mine waste. Ethical Metalsmiths, an artist run non-profit organization seeks to galvanize mining reform efforts by staging an "alternative supply chain" and is bringing their successful project, Radical Jewelry Makeover to the San Francisco Bay Area in the fall.



This is how it works. The public will be asked to "mine" their homes, "uncovering" gold, silver, and other jewelry, that is no longer used and deposit their "lode" at designated places in the bay area. Teams of volunteer jewelers and metalsmiths working at schools and studios in seven different locations will reconstruct and transform the donations into exciting new jewelry designs. The resulting fresh, unique, handmade, 100% recycled jewelry will be exhibited and sold at San Francisco's renowned Velvet da Vinci gallery. Donors will receive discount coupons and sales will benefit Ethical Metalsmiths' efforts to educate and connect people with responsibly sourced materials.

Radical Jewelry Makeover, San Francisco edition offers a fun, informed and creative alternative to traditional mining practices and jewelry production. You can help by donating some of the smallest items in your home, jewelry for reuse and recycling.

“American households are a clean and transparent source of precious metals and jewelry that is waiting to be recycled. Ethical Metalsmiths will employ a skilled workforce of volunteer artists who will act as miners, smelters, refiners, designers, silversmiths, goldsmiths, chainmakers and stonesetters to transform your hoard of old jewelry into unique and innovative hand-made items,” says Christina Miller, Project Director.

Seven organizations, studios and schools are lined up to transform donations into inspiring new work. Coming together for the largest Radical Jewelry Makeover to date are Metal Arts Guild - San Francisco, Academy of Art University, California College of Art, City College, the Crucible, Revere Academy, Richmond Art Center and Scintillant Studio. The “makeover” jewelry will be exhibited and sold at Velvet da Vinci gallery.

Radical Jewelry Makeover is many things. It is a traveling community mining and recycling project and a creative art and education project, teaching makers how to produce contemporary, innovative jewelry from recycled sources and proudly placing responsible jewelry in the hands of the consumers. The overall project is meant to raise awareness of the connection between mining and metalsmithing as well as showcase innovative making.

“I have been working with Ethical Metalsmiths on the Radical Jewelry Makeover since it premiered in February, 2007 at Virginia Commonwealth University, where I teach jewelry and metalsmithing. The project offers students a unique perspective of their material. "Making" takes on new meaning and responsibility as they discover how their art and the environment are linked,” says Susie Ganch, Assistant Project Director.

Jewelry donations will be accepted from August 11 through September 11 at all of the participating schools (The Richmond Art Center, however is a MAIL IN site only – donations cannot be “dropped off” at this location). Donors will receive a dollar discount for their donation (based on material and quantity), which can be used toward the purchase of a “Makeover” piece. Donation forms will be available online at www.EthicalMetalsmiths.org beginning June 15, 2008.


EVENT DETAILS:
General Timeline:
- Drop off donations will be accepted from August 11 to September 11, 2008 at each school (except the Richmond Art Center, which is the MAIL IN site only.
- Donations can also be mailed to the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804.
- Schools will transform the donations between September 22 and October 15, 2008.
- Several schools are hosting Open House events for the public while work is in progress. A list of these events will be available at a later date.
- The exhibition at the Velvet da Vinci gallery, (on Polk between Broadway and Pacific) will take place October 22 through November 9. There will be a reception on October 24.

CONTACT LIST:


- Academy of Art University
410 Bush St. San Francisco, CA 94108
Contact: Charlene Modena - 415-618-3631
- California College of Art, Oakland campus
5212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618-1426
Contact: Curtis Arima - 510-205-5694
- City College
Drop off: Art Office in the Visual Arts Building at City College of San Francisco, in between Batmale Hall and the Creative Arts Building on the loop.
Contact: Art Department, Box V-28, 50 Phelan
Avenue, San Francisco CA 94112
Contact: Suzanne Pugh - 415-452-5782
- The Crucible
1260 7th St. Oakland, CA 94607
Contacts: Aimee Golant and Rob Nehring - 510-444-0919
- Revere Academy
760 Market St. Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact: Christine Dhein - 415-391-4179
- Richmond Art Center
Address: 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Ph: 510.620.6772 email: admin@therac.org www.therac.org
Contacts: Alison Antleman - 510-704-1905
Kato Jaworski - 510-620-6773
Ed Lay – 510-367-3406
- Scintillant Studio
1258 Valencia St. 2nd Fl. San Francisco, CA 94110
Contact: Adam Clark - 415-505-1623
Scintillant Studio Phone: 415-206-1359
- Metal Arts Guild
Contact: Alison Antleman - 510-704-1905
http://www.metalartsguildsf.org/
- Velvet da Vinci Gallery
2015 Polk Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Contact: Mike Holmes and Elizabeth Shypertt - 415-441-0109