Regarding Amber’s note about the school, we are always moving
forward, expanding the program and improving what we do. For
instance, we now have live video of teachers’ demos so that if
students cannot see close up enough, they can look up at a blow up
on a TV monitor.
Enrollment is up, interest is up, quality is up and we are rolling
along better than ever. I invite questions about our program from
anyone interested. Alan Revere
How do you do?
My sister is interested in making necklaces (similar in style, but
much more intricate than y-necklaces).a She’s an absolute beginner,
still in college (so on a very tight budget, tuition wise), but
very creative.
Can you tell me pls. if you have any summer time courses that may
be applicable for her.
Thank you in advance 
Revere Academy;
What subjects are being taught in Revere Academy. Is it an
institution for jewellery training or their promotion.
Hello Robert, I regret to say, there are no jewelry courses in
the summer at my school. I take off in the summer for R&R and
start to gear up for the Xmas market. If your sister already
has the skills to solder, I would suggestshe get some books from
the library and just try to do the necklace designs or think up
some using inexpensive wire from the hardware store. Copper is
a nice medium to work with.
revere is a very fine school…check out their site at
revereacademy.com.
good luck!
Cindy Edelstein
FranklyCin@aol
Hey! I have a question for you. Just wondering but why don’t you
teach using newer tools ie; fordoms, sanding discs, etc. ? just
wondering. Matt W.
Hey! I have a question for you. Just wondering but why don’t you
teach using newer tools ie; fordoms, sanding discs, etc. ? just
wondering. Matt W.
Hi Matt, speaking as someone who teaches at Revere regularly, they
do. If this expereince was with a specific instructor there then
you may have had an odd one, When I teach there and the
professionals I know who do teach every contemporary and new method
they know about. Alan always has cool new tools around to show and
share with students and efficiency is a paramount concern in the
classes I know about. Charles
Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain
Metals info download web site: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tree.cgi
Book and Video descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Gallery page at: http://www.ganoksin.com/brain/gallery.htm
I heard from a friend who had studied at the Revere Academy that it is quite a good school for learning jewellery design and crafting. But towards the end of course there are still many things to learn yet the instructors are quite reluctant to teach, is this true??
Thanks for the feedback. In 20 years, I have never heard that
comment. Our instructors are very skilled, dedicated, open to
sharing and aware of their vital role in the transference of
knowledge across generations of bench jewelers. If anything, they
are so gung ho and eager to share, that sometimes they get carred
away and their explanations run over-time. Each of the 14
instructors is very anexperienced working professional, and most
have taught with us for a decade or more. We take this seriously,
and we also try to have a good time. Our instructors understand
know the standards we need to meet. After all, we jewelers are a
pretty critical lot, with good reason, and we want to give more
than people expect, all the time.
As far as our strengths, we are more focused on technique than
design. Our best and strongest areas are in jewelry fabrication,
setting, repair, wax, metalsmithing, gemology, etc. We offer up
to 10 levels of fabrication from beginner to advanced platinum
fabrication, granulation, chain making, hinge making, and more.
We offer 4 levels of setting, 2 of gemology and lots more.
As your friend said, there is always more to learn. That is one
of the realizations that students come up against. The more we
know, the the more we want to know, because there is so much to
learn. I consider myself a beginner, despite 30 years of
experince, because I know how much more is possible and that many
jewelry techniques have been lost, because jewelers (at lease
what might be called commercial jewelers0 are notorious for not
sharing skills. As far as the instructors holding back, this is
the first time I have ever heard that said. If anything, many of
them tend answer all questions, even if it leads down a side
alley. But reluctant, no, not Geore McLean, Ed Friedman, Yas
Tanaka, or Dean Wilson, Cortney Balzan and the others. In fact
instructors often stay after class to answer extra questions.
And so, I really think that our instructors are devoted to
passing on the gifts they have received, both from others and
also through self experimentation. every class they take. Most
replies give us very high marks, often including statements like,
“I learned more than I expected.” In fact, here are a few of the
thousands of remarks people have made on the class evaluations:
The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable, each with an
individual style, a common quality of professionalism and openess
to questions.
I have greatly enjoyed all the classes I took for my diploma. My
thanks to everyone at the Academy for helping get my new career
off the ground. H. Farah, Santa Monica, CA
Outstanding! The teacher was the best I have ever had in my
life, including those who taught my classes at that other big
school. I’d like to take more classes soon. Burdette Milkins,
Monroe, MI 1998 Winner of the AJDC/JA New Talent Contest
The instructor presented material in a manner which was easy to
understand and use right away on my own. It’s great to work in a
real jewelry workshop. A. Goldstein, Los Angeles, CA
There was so much good to absorb that I find myself
pulling out valuable little nuggets months after the class ended.
J. Dorazio, San Lorenzo, CA
The instructor was the best! A credit to your fine school! K.
Stazio, San Carlos, CA
Excellent. The instructor gave simple down-to-earth
explanations. He certainly knows his stuff. The will
be of tremendous help in my career as an antiques dealer. T.
Cerletti, Oakland, CA
EXCELLENT! I learned more in these three days than in five
semesters of jewelry at college. Leah McNally, Belmont, CA
One of the best experiences of my life. I will forever be
thankful to the Academy for the knowledge I received. Nancy
Schuren Cerny, Tomahawk, WI
The teacher was wonderful, with the skill and ability to explain
the “whys” behind the techniques. Bruce McLeish, Jamestown, CA
Terrific! The instructor showed us dozens of tricks and answered
all of our questions. The class covered everything I expected and
more. Ginger Mason, Sacramento, CA
Chime in! I invite those of you who have taken our classes to
shed some light on whether our instructors met your needs and
expecations.
Thanks.
Alan Revere
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
San Francisco
www.RevereAcademy.com
I’m pretty much me-tooing what Alan said – The classes at
Revere are incredibly well structured, so the amount of
imparted in three days is darned impressive.
Obviously there’s always more to learn and lots of practice that
needs to take place, but I have found all the instructors to be
very open and sharing. They have been the best classes I have
ever taken anywhere. ~kara
My name is Bob Faries, live in Klamath Falls, Ore. I have Been
a bench jeweler for 10 years. In that time I have taken quite a
few classes at Revere Academy.I think he still has some of my
projects for examples. In regards to instucters not answering
questions, I can’t imagine. Every instructer in my experience has
been extremely willing to answer any and all questions, big or
small. The instructers seem very motivated to make sure
everyone understands completly what is being taught.
Best regards from AUBOBpt@AOL.com
I have heard nothing but praise for the classes and instructors
at the Revere Academy. As a jewelry instructor myself, I have
found that students want questions answered relating to other
areas that are not taught in the class they are taking; ie, they
are taking a fabrication class and they want questions answered
on casting, etc., or they want to go from the basic class to
begin doing Faberge eggs, etc. I have also taken classes on
mechanicms, clasps, etc. and the students are not interested in
what they are taking - they want questions answered in other
areas such as enamelling, etc.
I find that it is sometimes the students who do not let the
instructors impart the knowledge they are trying to give to the
students.
Iris Stuecklen
I have flown in several times from NYC to San Francisco just to
attend workshops at the Revere Academy and I plan on returning
this spring and summer. I have taken classes at all the art and
design colleges in my area for jewelry, so before I took my first
class at Revere I thought I was pretty buttoned up. Well, after
my first class I realized I have a long way to go. Revere is the
only school I ever attended where they concentrate on technique.
For me, once I started improving my technical skills, my design
skills naturally improved as well. Once you realize all the
wonderful things you can do with metal - the sky’s the limit. With
all the new skills I learned at Revere I find myself filling up
entire sketch books with new ideas. If only my hands now could
work as fast as my mind!
The teachers there are so incredibly patient and for every
question I asked I received a very detailed explanation. If
anything, you are given so much that at first it can
be a little hard to process so I suggest anyone who plans on
going to take really good notes so you can review everything later
on.
I wish they would open a school here on the East coast! I am out
of frequent flyer miles!
DeDe Sullivan
Iris… Your comment on students with unrealistic
expectations hit the nail on the head (Carpentry 0001) . If one
attends a 2 day workshop, it is unfair of him to blame the
instructor if he does not emerge with a completed masterpiece.
Workshops and basic courses are for the purposes of teaching
techniques and skills in specific areas. The rest is practice,
practice, practice. more courses, more workshops, more practice.
Apparently the student in question was under the false impression
that the course he took at Revere would make him an instant
jeweler in one shot. (Kind of like the idea some people have that
if they don a chef"s hat they become instant cooks).It takes
time, concentration, patience…and (again) above all, practice,
practice practice!
DW
As a credentialed CA State certified instructor, I have been
teaching jewelry classes for many years, and had the privilege
to teach at the Revere Academy. From the day I heard about Alan,
and after we met and I saw his academy, I wanted to teach there.
The variety of techniques, the structure, the environment and
the professionalism are very impressive. Alan is a true Goldsmith
and loves this Art. It is my believe that the so-called
unwillingness of instructors to answer questions has to be based
on non-curriculum questions , which are in the context of a
class, not only inappropriate but disruptive. But I am sure that
even these questions would be answered with a smile before and
after class. I regard the Revere Academy as a superb place of
learning the art of jewelry making and count the faculty among
the finest in the world.
PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL USA
Jurgen J. Maerz
Manager of Technical Education
JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler
http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com
DeDe you are so right. The Revere Academy is a great place to
learn. When a new jeweler is hired in the shop where I work, he
or she is told about Revere. And that we usually drive down from
Oregon to take weekend class. This means they have three days to
cram in everything there going to learn, and the practical skills
that go with that knowledge. And then 6mos to absorb it all! And
sooner or later working at the bench, some little gem of
that was past on in that class, will be just what you
need to make a repair or design job turn out just right. I’ve got
a few of those classes under my belt now, and let me say that the
best gems I get to work with are the gems picked up from those
instructors. Yes, I am biased, but when you find a good thing,
that tends to happen. And it’s not just the Academy, the senior
jewelers I work with are very open to sharing there knowledge,
making all of us better jewelers. So cheers to the Revere
Academy, and the instructors who teach us all. Brenda.
I have nothing to say about Alan and the Academy that is’nt
good. In my opionion they are both first rate.I know that he has
gone to alot of trouble to bring first rate training both to the
Industry and the Arts of jewelry.The knowledge on Platinum that
I recieved at the Academy with Jurgen Maerz( ie.“Mr. Platinum”)
as instructor was excellent.( see previous post)I have been
working in the trade myself for over 20 yrs and learned a great
deal in the weekend workshop both from the instructor,( who
answered all of my questions as well as everyone elses) and also
from many of the other jewelers taking the class. One has only to
look at the impressive list of the Masters Symposium to
understand the energy and concern Alan has taken to provide the
kind of quality avaible at the Revere Academy.Not only are some
of the instructors from across the country and overseas, but
truely are masters in their field. Names like Steve Midgett,Glen
Lehrer,Jean Stark, Bob Coogan, Doug Zaruba,to mention just a
few… and lets not forget Brian Adam ,Charles Lewton-Brain,and
Jurgen Maerz ,familiar to fellow Orchid members. Just my 2
cents Don Wollwage
At last you all clear my doubt. Thank you for your positive
response from people from the Revere Academy and also students
studying there. Your Academy has a good standing and certainly
proven by the response from various section of the jewellery
trade. At least now I have views from your side rather than from
one point of view.
Thank you so much,
Tay Thye Sun
Greetings:
I’ve taken a number of classes at Revere, and really enjoy and
get a lot from them. Alan teaches by the “European Method”, that
is, classes are very structured and students work on specific
projects tpgether. Classes stress accuracy and precision of
measuring, and doing a project with the correct traditional
tools, and broken down into procedurally correct steps.
At first, the cost of a class may seem too expensive (about
$400) for 3 days. But if you break this fee down to cost per
hour, it is a very reasonable $16/hr. A bargain in my opinion.
My only complaint is that Alan doesn’t open another annex school
down where I live (San Jose, CA.).
Cheers
Virginia Lyons
Metalsmith
Madeleine: I am a fellow New Yorker who has taken many classes at
Revere. I loved it! The school really gave me a strong
foundation of skills.
If you contact the school they will give you a list of places to
stay. For short term you can stay at the Victorian Mosier Hotel.
It is cheap- about $160 a week. The place only allows students
to stay in the cheap rooms so don’t worry, it is not a crack
hotel or anything. The hotel is literally a stone throw away from
the school.
For long term (2 weeks plus) there is the Madison. It is farther
from the school but you can take a bus or a trolley to school
everyday. It to is in a great neighborhood. It is something
like $600 a month and you get two meals a day.
Also, everyone at the school is very helpful. You should feel
free to call them and inquire about the classes
Good luck…
dede
Madeleine - I live in the East bay and you can Bart (train) into
SF from here quite easily. If you decide to come, please
contact me. I need to check with my family first (husband &
kids), but I would be interested in providing lodging and a ride
to Bart to you for some exchange of knowledge and skills that
you acquire while studying at Revere. I am a working metalsmith
and wish I could attend Revere myself, but it doesn’t look too
good for that this year. - Wendy: wensent @ aol.com