Category Crossing at Shows

Jewelry Discussion
21 
I make original silver jewelry, and at one point I started
stringing some of it with beads, as you do. A professional craft
photographer working at an ACC show warned me to be very careful
about sending in jury slides that had my pendant on a bead-strung
necklace, saying that it might put me in a category in the jurors'
minds that I did not want to be in, namely, with the bead stringers
who do not make any of their components. This is exactly what you
are up against, I think.

This happened to me when I sent in my Winter app for the Rosen show.
Many of you probably remember me writing this a while back… I
participated in a very successful Summer show and when I tried to get
into the winter show I was rejected. They said it was because I’m in
the “beaded” category. But, like you, I create all my pendants and
95% of my silver components. It was the beads in my line sheets and
photos that put me in that grouping. My next package to them will be
99% metal!!!

22

m’lou

I am in the process of switching to my own handmade sterling cord
ends

in an earlier thread i posted a non-verbatim quote made by a top
show jurist in ‘lapidary journal’ and someone on orchid said it was
too stringent and set parameters too narrow to be realistic:

“when i see commercially made findings on a piece i don’t even check
it out further.” the inference being that the person who made the
piece did not put enough importance on it to carry out the process of
making it completely original. my take on her statement: she’s right.

at some stage in the evolution of becoming a jewelry
designer/fabricator, a ‘jewelry maker’ might think that statement is
too strict and unfair to those who don’t make their findings, but
that’s a copout. if a jewelry maker is not yet capable of fabricating
findings then [s]he is NOT ready for prime time shows and has to use
that as incentive to learn more.

people, think about the art shows you’ve attended or been an
exhibitor, remember the difference between the jewelers’ work that
made you turn green and go ‘wow’, and those jewelers’ racks of work
that didn’t ‘pop’ because they had catalog clone findings.

it comes down to one factor beyond just learning the techniques, the
extra effort that boosts you from ‘maker’ to designer/fabricator:

personal pride -

the selfish pride that won’t let you include something done by
anyone else in your work - it’s your work, not the product of a
committee. the jewelry that causes you to say ‘wow’ is the work done
by people with personal pride.

ive
you’ve got a life, use it; you’ve got personal pride, develop it.

23 
personal pride - the selfish pride that won't let you include
something done by anyone else in your work - it's your work, not
the product of a committee. the jewelry that causes you to say
'wow' is the work done by people with personal pride.

It’s not about pride, it’s economics. I’m a former
accountant,remember? I take a lot of pride in my work, but I know
that if I don’t meet certain price points, people won’t (or can’t)
buy my work. If that keeps me out of certain shows, that’s ok. Until
I can figure out how to make the entire piece my self (read also buy
the equipment required to make the whole piece) then that’s going
have to do for now.

I have talked with many artists. How many times have you heard
someone say “I had a great show, I didn’t sell much, but it was a
great show”. To me, this is insane. No offense to the guys who want
to do high profile shows for other reasons besides making money, but
I want to make money.

If I take 3 hours to make a one-of-a-kind pendant and I present it
on a cable neckwire that I bought from a supply house it’s because #1
can anyone make their own cable neck wire? #2 it makes economic sense

Best Regards
Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

24

Hi Dee:

If you have fabricated a setting for a pendant with an unusual
stone and suspended it from matching beads as an integral part of
the design, how can they possibly reject your effort?

I don’t know. All I can say for sure is the work is better this year
than last. Last year, the work was better than in the previous. I
will keep trying to improve. It will happen. I’m pretty sure if you
look up the word determined in the dictionary, my picture would come
up.

I have learned a few things from our discussion on the shows. I do
need to learn how to make my own findings. You guys are 100% right on
that. I need to call the show organizer (the show that I’m on the
waitlist for) and ask how I can improve otherwise. It’s possible that
I need to shift gears and design some new things that are completely
different as well.

I have answered Hanuman’s request for gallery submissions so, if he
accepts me, maybe you guys can tell me what you think :slight_smile:

Best Regards and thanks for your input.

Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

p.s. thanks for the encouragement in regards to my possible retail
spot opportunity. I will let you know what happens.

25

Kim…

If I take 3 hours to make a one-of-a-kind pendant and I present it
on a cable neckwire that I bought from a supply house it's because
#1 can anyone make their own cable neck wire? #2 it makes economic
sense

I totally agree with you. I use a lot of mass produced chains in my
jewelry, cable and ball chain. It would make no sense for me to make
my own cable or ball chain. I am planning on making my own chain,
something really special that I could charge a lot for it and people
will hopefully say “wow- that’s great”. However, because of the price
I suspect they will turn around and buy the pendant they like with
the much more affordable pre-made chain. We’ll see, it’ll be a fun
experience.

I don’t understand why a committee would reject you based on a
neckwire, it seems very short-sighted to me. Maybe you need to make
some really high end showcase pieces to not only serve as slides but
to show your full range. They might take a while to sell, but they’d
be great conversation pieces. I usually have a few high end pieces
with a large price tag to get attention and then scaled down
affordable versions that actually do move.

-amery

26

Ive,

As far as your comments about making your own findings being an
absolute requirement of quality, professional art jewelry, have you
seen what’s out there in terms of beautiful art jewelry? Petra Class,
Sandra Enterline and many others use elements in their jewelry such
as pin backs and steel cords which they themselves did not fabricate.
Their original design ideas, unconvential use of materials and labor
skills directed where they matter are what distinguish their work,
not that they sat there and made each and every nut and bolt. I’m
sure they take professional pride in their work despite not meeting
your standards of excellence.

Jessica Scofield

27 
if a jewelry maker is not yet capable of fabricating findings then
[s]he is NOT ready for prime time shows and has to use that as
incentive to learn more.

I think there is a lot of truth to your comments, ive.

I have actually been capable of making my own findings for at least
a couple of decades now, but have done it only on my higher-priced
pieces. But I sell a lot of $40 cast single beads on a leather cord.
The cord has been $15 with sterling commercial findings: a couple of
crimp ends,an oval jump ring, and a hefty lobster clasp. (I would
never have used a designey sort of clasp, such as one with patterns
of flowers on it. Yuck! I kept it as simple as possible. ) Now I have
designed a crimp so simple that no one will notice it and go AAAH,
but it is as easy to make as possible, and has the added advantage of
not being so bulky as the commercial cast ones. I had to buy a pricey
little tube cutter/holder to do it. I will buy sterling tubing, not
make it. I don’t think this is all great art, but it is a tidy
solution, and it is my own. My clasp will be cut out with my own
pancake die, mass finished, and bent to form the type of clasp that
has a spring lever that you push down with your thumb to unfasten it.
I have for a long time taken a lot of pride in efficiently and
artistically making jewelry that working folks can afford, that
carries meanings for their lives. This has meant not being very
fancy for some of the details. Personally, I don’t respect lobster
clasps very much, because I know how the steel springs can pop out of
them if the clasp is mistreated. But my customers seem to think that
lobsters are the good stuff, probably compared to those annoying
spring rings. I may have some resistance to my new improved clasp
from some of them. (We’ll see. I can always keep a few old lobster
clasps in my tool box for them. BTW, I don’t make my own snake
chains either, y’know?) I took my clasp prototype to a meeting this
morning and asked my friends there, several of whom have various
disabilities with their hands, to rank it as easy, medium, or
difficult for them to operate. It passed with flying colors! Even the
woman who almost refused to try the test because she can’t do things
like that gave it an Easy ranking.

Thanks for your inspirational attitude. Really.I do feel very good
about this little improvement. Please also know that there are
possible alternate value systems for looking at the subject that may
factor in things that are not on your radar.

Sincerely,
M’lou Brubaker

28

M’lou,

Here’s another question–how is it that some artists in juried
shows get into the same show(s) 

Maybe some juries are corrupt (but I choose to think not).

all your points are excellent but this one really hits the nail on
the head for me. Thank you for such a totally positive response to
the question.

Larry

29 
if a jewelry maker is not yet capable of fabricating findings then
[s]he is NOT ready for prime time shows and has to use that as
incentive to learn more.

One may be capable and yet elect to use purchased findings.

Several months ago, I took a three-day workshop with an instructor
whom I could without hyperbole call a living legend in metalsmithing.
You have likely drooled over photos of this man’s work featured in
books by Heiki Seppa, Tim McReight and Jinks McGrath.

He told me that he often uses purchased pin- backs for his brooches.
And really, why not? If you have in mind a cunningly devised pin-back
which integrates better with your design than anything you could
purchase, then you have good cause to fabricate one yourself. But if
not? Why fiddle with fabricating a finding which you could easily
purchase for much less than you would charge to make the thing
yourself?

I don’t make chains. Just haven’t been able to sell myself on the
idea that it is sane to do so when I can buy a finished chain for so
much less than I would want to be paid if I made the thing myself by
hand. I did take a workshop from a fellow who was quite proficient in
making gold loop-in-loop chains- he was good enough that he could
knock 'em out fairly quickly for a more famous art jeweler who would
sell his multi-thousand dollar pieces as “pendant with handmade gold
loop-in-loop chain,” no attribution to the jeweler who actually made
the chain.

So what am I saying here? Good to possess the skill to fabricate
findings, if you have the knack you can make some unusual ones which
may complement your designs better than what is commercially
available. But to take the position that findings hand fabricated by
the artist somehow without exception put the finished piece in a
class apart from all others I think is unrealistic.

30

hi m’lou -

"But my customers seem to think that lobsters are the good stuff,
probably compared to those annoying spring rings."

the way i look at those spring - even lobster - clasps is ‘if the
lord intended us to use those evil, illusive, sneaky, awkward little
contraptions she would have given us steel thumbnails’

I may have some resistance to my new improved clasp from some of
them.

you will probably be pleased by the easy transition it makes -
there’s something about being the one who makes what they want to
wear that makes customers accept changes you make. it will sound
awful to some orchidites, but i tell the people who give me
commissions “this isn’t burger king - you get it my way…” it was a
typo in my artist statement, not one customer has objected.

BTW, I don't make my own snake chains either, y'know?

good for you - i don’t facet my smaller stones anymore for the same
reason i don’t make chains: they can be bought for so little - there
are main pieces that beg for a heavier, so i hand make chains because
those are worth the effort. the findings referred to in my post were
the obvious, high profile parts that, if of a lesser grade than the
higher level of the main part of the work, stick out.

I took my clasp prototype to a meeting this morning and asked my
friends there, several of whom have various disabilities with their
hands, to rank it as easy, medium, or difficult for them to
operate. It passed with flying colors!

it’s not surprising that ease of closure is important to your
customers. the price for my athletic tomboy time is ‘handfuls’ of
rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, trigger finger, dupuytren
contracture, botched double carpal tunnel surgeries; in fact, those
factors are the basis for my signature ‘hanger’ design neckpiece.
forget about the ‘better mousetrap’ - make an easier closer!

... there are possible alternate value systems for looking at the
subject...

…ah yes, but to paraphrase an old philippine saying: 'pain
[contrary opinions] make man think; thought make man wise; wisdom
makes man’s life worthwhile," or something like that.

m’lou, thank you for the time and thought that went into your post;
most people never get past the words and react defensively, but you
addressed the second level of what was written, and that was what it
meant.

ive

31

I’m so far behind with email that I’m not going to take time to
search the archives, but I seem to remember that the last time we had
a thread like this (or was it the time before the time before last?),
somebody posted a list of legal exceptions to the Feds "hand made"
guidelines for jewelry. If the person who posted this would post it
again, I, for one, would appreciate it. It might not mollify ive, or
satisfy jurors, but it least it would make the legal standards
clearer.

Now for the rant–which won’t be very articulate, sorry, I’m tired,
but being tired brings on rants. Take a look at Kim’s work, folks.
Why on earth would she want to put those pendants on anything but a
beaded necklace? Do you really think that it would be an aesthetic
and ethical improvement to show them on e.g. leather cord with
hand-fabricated findings?

I know there are Orchidians who believe that to “qualify” as a
"jewelry artist," you must be a fabricator or a wax carver. There are
even some who think you don’t count unless you cut your own stones.
Is this just the result of a kind of guild mentality, or about hating
people who haven’t paid the same dues you have (even if they’re about
to go blind from working with tiny seed beads), or is it purely a
result of feeling commercially threatened? Whatever–I don’t for a
moment believe it’s about ethics or aesthetics.

Once again, I’ve been house sitting for a couple of potters and
reading through all their old ceramics magazines. That community has
the same art vs. craft fights that we have but, if some of them have
stuff about whether people “qualify” because of the materials and/or
processes they use, they keep their opinions to themselves. Artists
hand-building commercial earthenware and firing in an electric kiln,
with commercial glazes, are featured right next to people who mix
their own porcelain body, throw huge, thin-walled pots, and wood-fire
them (a process that requires you to stay up all night, at least) or
high-fire them with glazes they’ve formulated themselves. I’ve never
heard a potter at a show complain about this. (I used to be a potter,
and I know a lot of them. And, yes, they do complain about people who
buy bisqueware, glaze it, and pass it off as their own.)

On the other hand, people don’t become potters to make a lot of
money. (Somebody recently wondered why there are so few at the
high-end shows. Do the math.) Maybe that’s why they have such a tight
community and don’t get so huffy with each other.

And, for the record: the first piece I ever fabricated was a
sweat-soldered “pectoral” which I “presented” on three strands of
beads. I made all the findings (except for the sterling cones, which
I modified, or, as Duchamp might have said, “assisted”). The part
that took the longest was the stringing: I re-did each strand about
10 times, to get the pattern just right. Amazing to think that those
three strands (and their cones) would have “disqualified” me, when I
could have spent 15 minutes hammering some wire and have been
considered a “real jeweler,” rather than a “beadworker.”

Here ends my rant. Way past my bed time. And I’m still not packed.

Lisa Orlando

32

Lisa,

I agree with your arguments. What does it matter whether jewelry is
made from commercial settings and wholesale gems or is all
do-it-yourself ? I was trained as a painter. Do most painters grind
their own paints ? Heck, no. Too much trouble. Do photographers make
the photo paper they print on ? Not any more. Sculptors quarry their
own marble or fabricate the steel ? Pour their own bronze ? Nope.

The end result is what counts. It’s silly to confuse the means with
the end. In some cases, can’t even tell the difference between
totally handmade and “assisted”, except that in some cases the
totally handmade is demonstrably of lower quality.

Brian Corll
Vassar Gems
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel. : (717) 691-0286

33

Hi Lisa:

I know there are Orchidians who believe that to "qualify" as a
"jewelry artist," you must be a fabricator or a wax carver. There
are even some who think you don't count unless you cut your own
stones.

Thank you very much for the support. I appreciate it. I don’t really
feel like anyone has come across as resentful towards people like me
because i haven’t put in my"time". I think, rather, that the artists
out there who have taken the steps to fabricate all of the parts in
the work (and in some cases even carve their own stones) are just
really, really proud of what they have accomplished. They should be
proud.

When people ask me about myself, I say “I make jewelry”. I never
give myself a label, I let other people decide what they would like
to call me.

People are absolutely correct when they say they think that it is
more difficult to conceptualize and form a piece by carving, forging,
hammering etc than it is to bead. You cannot make beading as
difficult as what you guys do. That’s ok. I’m a perfectionist, by
nature. When I feel like my metal work looks good enough for you
guys, then you’ll see it, but not a second before then.

As someone pointed out a while ago, don’t blame me for beaded
jewelry, blame the customers. When they stop buying it, I’ll stop
making it. BTW, please, if there is anyone else out there wondering
if what they do “counts”…(as if we are all standing by with tally
sheets in some kind of race)…don’t let anyone else tell you what
to be or do or, for that matter, whether you count or not. I count to
myself.

Best Regards,
Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

34

Hi Brian,

You’ve reminded me of the point I wanted to make, and forgot, in my
sleep-deprived fog: artists tend to do what they are passionate about
and not worry about what the next person is doing. I know a painter
who does all kinds of time-consuming stuff, like mixing pigments into
melted wax to make encaustic, because that’s his bliss. He could care
less about whether someone else in his gallery uses acrylics. Ditto
for potters: some are passionate about wood-firing (and even write
articles about how they are just a bit nutty to be doing it) and some
are passionate about Amoco Velvet Underglaze. My painter friend would
never tell someone that, to “qualify” as a painter, she had to use
encaustic. He’d be bewildered by the very idea.

Lisa Orlando

35 
Amazing to think that those three strands (and their cones) would
have "disqualified" me, when I could have spent 15 minutes
hammering some wire and have been considered a "real jeweler,"
rather than a "beadworker."

Hail Lisa! After all, even the best handmade pendant, one put on a
chain or wire, is essentially a “bead”.

Tas

36 
can't even tell the difference between totally handmade and
"assisted", except that in some cases the totally handmade is
demonstrably of lower quality.

You had me until that last dig Brian. So…here’s back at you…
Speaking as someone who’s work is totally handmade down to the pin
stem and catch…

(My usual pushy little opinion only of course…lol…)…In some
cases, WHATEVER the medium or the method, art, jewelry, painting,
ready made, partially made, hand made etc…All items made by any
means are frequently of demonstrably lower quality…Simply due to
the abilities, or lack thereof of the maker, not due to materials,
techniques they think they know, or the number of years that they
have been doing it, or because they purchased ready-made materials,
or made it all by they-own-selfs.

Just because “most” don’t do it, is not an invalidation of method or
result. Heck…with that line of thinking, its too bad that poor
schlemeil Faberge didn’t have access to ready made settings. Same
for that putz Cellini. Just think of what they could have done?
Hmmm…that must mean that QVC’s products are the pinnacle of
refined, elegance…?

Didn’t you say, “don’t confuse the means with the end”? That sounded
like a better way to make your point.

from another Lisa, (its cold, makes me cranky…can you tell?)
Topanga, CA USA

37

I’m with you, Lisa. Art is in the mind, not in the methods. If I buy
a cast ring setting and look far and wide for a particular stone of
a certain color, it’s because I have a vision for a finished product.
So some other artist designed the setting. What’s wrong with
collaboration ? Picasso and Braque did it. So did Rubens and van
Dyke (and a host of other Flemish painters). And don’t even get me
started on Andy Warhol…;-). Nothing is original under the sun.

Brian Corll
Vassar Gems
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel.: (717) 691-0286

38

Kim,

I don’t see a difference between the 2 though. If a jeweler can
order a setting and a stone and then put the 2 together, why is that
better than my neckpieces that contain strung elements? Is it that
the jurors can’t tell the difference between a pre-made setting and
one made by hand?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I too have not been allowed into certain shows because I work with
beads. Gemstone beads, 22K solid Gold Beads, etc. I do very
intricate wire sculpture with Pearls and No way it can be
mass produced. Many of my pieces are one of a kind. They sell very
well, the work is original and made by me. My pieces sell quickly, I
hardly have any for my website. I have no assistants, I don’t design
and have it made abroad or in the US. Yet, my work is not considered
handmade enough for certain shows. The most annoying experience I had
was a show promoter in New York. I called for the application. When
asked about my medium, I answered Jewelry, beaded jewelry. Her reply
“I am not sending the application, we don’t accept bead stringers.” I
though that was so unjust, I was upset and offended and I told her.
The reply was “If you were not a bead stringer you would not be
offended, so that means you must be one” She did not even see what I
make! If that is not prejudice, I don’t know what is. And yet, I know
of other artists that have assistants, whose work is done in Mexico,
India, Turkey, Israel… I honestly do not understand the concept.

But returning to the core of the thread, I wonder how the pottery,
textile and the wood turning artists would feel like if I showed up
with vases, shawls and boxes at the next show after I juried for
Jewelry. I bet they would not be happy…

Vera Battemarco
verabattemarco.com

39 
People are absolutely correct when they say they think that it is
more difficult to conceptualize and form a piece by carving,
forging, hammering etc than it is to bead. You cannot make beading
as difficult as what you guys do.

Wait! Wait! That’s certainly true for your beadwork and, say, Lisa
in Tobanga’s metalwork. But I’ve seen plenty of metalwork that I
suspect involved zero conceptualization and was quite easy to
execute, with a minimum of skill. (If you haven’t ever fabricated,
things can look a lot more difficult than they actually are.) And, we
have (or, at least, once had) people on this forum whose beadwork is
very “high-concept” and involves difficulties that only those who
have taken on such projects can imagine. Every once in a while, these
folks have gotten huffy, too, and I can’t say I blame them.

Plus, part of my point was that (1) in other artistic communities,
the “value” of people’s work isn’t necessarily judged by how
difficult it is to form (ever hear of “soulless virtuosity”?); (2)
your beaded necklaces complement your pendants–if you want to
increase the concept and difficulty, you could e.g. make peyote
ropes, with beaded button closures, rather than add something that
doesn’t “fit,” just to get some half-assed juror to accept you; and
(3) if beading is your bliss, just do it! If you see it as merely a
starting place, and you really want to do metalwork, fine, move on
when you’re ready. I just don’t like the idea that jurors (and some
Orchidians) dismiss beadwork for what I believe are unsound reasons.

Whoops! I was packing! What happened? Oh, I checked my email…
Silly me!

Lisa Orlando

PS: Recently read a story about a juror for a teapot show who said
she immediately disqualified anyone who used a commercial bamboo
handle. People in the ceramics community didn’t react very well to
this. I wonder what Art thought about it.

40

lisa orlando -

I wonder what Art thought about it.

art asked me to let you know that he now actually prefers
commercially made handles on teapots as a result of a tragic accident
he suffered last week: art was having tea with his favorite aunt in
her penthouse condo on collins avenue. the tea table was covered with
every goodie he loved (it was high tea) and his aunt brought out a
new handmade teapot she had just gotten at one of the really big
shows down there. art picked it up to admire it and, without warning,
the handle parted from the pot and four cups of hot tea flooded his
lap. it took some time to get his aunt calmed down enough for him to
leave.

which explains why i found art sitting at his usual sidewalk bistro,
campari on the table, bag of ice in his lap. art definitely prefers
ready-made but then, he pointed out, he’s not an art show juror.

ive
lisa, almost forgot, art said ‘thank you’ for asking his take on commercial
findings, he’s just glad he could weasel out of an ‘otc’ (opinion that counts)