The Radical Jewellery Makeover Panel Discussion

18 May 2022

Deadline: June 6, 2022

The Scottish Goldsmith’s Trust has partnered with The Goldsmiths’ Centre to deliver an online zoom on Monday 6th June from 6-7pm, discussing the Radical Jewellery Makeover.

The Radical Jewellery Makeover is an international community project which focuses on education and collaboration. “It brings together jewellers, working together to examine mining issues while making innovative jewellery from recycled sources”.

Hosted by The Goldsmith’s Centre, the panel will discuss the RJM initiative, developed by Ethical Metalsmiths in the USA, and the experience of running and taking part in the #RJMScotland project this year.

Speakers:

Anna Gordon has worked as a jeweller since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 1994. Her jewellery is made predominately of precious materials, including oxidised silver, 18ct gold, and platinum. She explains: “My work is an exploration of form, movement and composition. I am influenced by my surrounding and in my most recent years this has been predominately expressed in the form of the brooch. I am interested in the idea of creating volume without weight, experimenting with paper thin metal in tube or folded forms”.

Karen Westland is the Ethical Making Programme Manager of The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust. Drawing from their experience as a silversmith and researcher for the role, Karen is responsible for all aspects of the Ethical Making Programme, including the Ethical Making Resource, annual symposium and Ethical Making Pledge with the Scottish art colleges.

Susie Ganch is an artist and educator living in Richmond, VA, where she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ganch received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Part of her practice is Directing Radical Jewellery Makeover, an international jewellery mining, and recycling project that continues to travel across the country and abroad. Issues of waste and cultural habits of consumption are imbued through her work.