This week, I interviewed
Laura Wood (founder of the East Carolina University [ECU] Metals Symposium, Material Topics) and Leia Zumbro
(coordinator of this years symposium, Material
Topics: Merging Methods). This year's symposium took place January 13-16, but luckily for those of you (and me!) who missed it, planning is already
underway for next year's symposium!
Laura, I didn't realize you were the founder of the symposium! Can you give
me a brief history of the symposium, and what you were hoping to achieve when
you developed it?
Laura
Wood: I coordinated and planned the
first ECU metals symposium in 2010; it goes without saying, though, that my
graduate colleagues were an enormous part of why my planning and template
worked. Initially, this started as an
idea to rally graduates and undergraduates form different schools together to
talk about our ideas, nerd-out about metal, and network EARLY! I had just gone
for a visit to Athens, Georgia and met with my former BFA professor Rob
Jackson. We discussed having the UGA metals students up for a weekend. After returning to East Carolina University
and discussing this with my fellow metal graduate colleagues we decided that we
should extend the invitation to all the schools in our surrounding area.
This
was a daunting idea, and I expressed the interest in being the guinea pig to get
this thing rolling. It is important to
note that although our professors supported this dream, they were not going to
walk us through this; if we were going to take such a challenge on it was to
be done 100% by the students. So, we developed and organized a budget, a fundraising strategy, housing for visiting students, visiting
artists to come and demonstrate techniques and ideas, a panel discussion,
exhibitions, and of course a final night party to celebrate the event. Thankfully, because we do have a solid
relationship as a metals guild and peer group, the support, energy, and
motivation was there to see this through. The mission was to start professional practices early and support
emerging talent to facilitate the growth of our metals and crafts family.
I was so hap
py when Kat
Cole stepped up to the plate to coordinate year two of Material Topics; she kept the ball rolling and played a significant
role in the growth of the symposium. Laritza Garcia and Leia Zumbro did an
amazing job this year, and I can only hope that there will be a year four
coordinator getting ready as we speak!
How many people attended this year, and how does it compare to previous
years?
L.W. The first year
(2010) we had about 116 participants, including five universities and
professional artists in the field. The
second year (2011) topped at about 130 with the addition of a couple more
participating schools. This year, the
event had over 150 participants, and I think this will be the cap for any
future events as it is hard to keep a nice comfort level and intimate
experience over that number.
Leia Zumbro: The
symposium at ECU is really unique because it is so intimate; we had about 165
attendees this year. This allows for everybody to engage in conversation with
presenters and one another, and by the end of the weekend you have new mentors
and friends. There is so much sharing
of work, ideas, and new friendships it is hard not to let the excitement
overtake you.
What were some of the highlights of this years
symposium?
L.Z. This year's
symposium was a bit different because we brought in artists working in
different media. Though it is mainly a gathering of metalsmiths, we were
excited to be inspired by artists outside the realm of metalsmithing. In
concert with the Ceramics department, we invited Lisa Clague, a clay artist who
uses fabric and metal in her work. With
the help of the textiles department we brought in Jean Campbell, a fiber artist
who uses beads to make amazing sculptural jewelry pieces.
Another focus of this year's
symposium was to beef up the professional practices sessions to educate students
about life after school. We brought in four people to talk about life as an
artist, how to make and manage money, and how to bridge the gap from school
education to making your living as an artist.
L.W. My favorite part of
the symposium this year was The Art of
Influence exhibition co-curated by Josh Craig and Tina Lazzarine. This
exhibition is only up through the end of the month in the Gray Gallery at East Carolina
University, but it was a big contribution to the energy of Material Topics 2012.
Would you share with our readers some of your thoughts
on the symposium?
L.Z. The most exciting
part of the symposium (and what keeps us doing it as a group) is the excitement
and energy from students and participants. Though I didn't speak at closing, the culmination of months of work and
an inspiring weekend full of great people reaffirmed our feeling that it was
all worth it and that yes, we should do it again next year.
L.W. The Symposium hosted by ECU is a time for students and
professionals in the field of craft to come together and share new ideas and
techniques. This experience offers a
casual environment where emerging artists get to meet each other and network
effortlessly. Our mentors support us and
we encourage and inspire each other. Material Topics offers a place for
aspiring artists to engage with one another, ask questions, and see first hand
what other beginners and experienced craftspeople are doing with their
knowledge. This symposium is intended to
nurture creativity and innovation while offering a space for resourceful
participants to have an input and contribute to a conversation in the field. This experience offers anyone interested in
the field of craft an entry point where you can choose to listen, make, and
learn.
What workshops/lectures did
you attend, and what one bit of information did you take away from those
experiences that you foresee having a profound effect on your art creation or
career?
L. W. I sat in on the Professional
Development lecture given by Erin Gardner, Angela Bubash's workshop entitled
"Elegant Connections," Amy Tavern's workshop "Exploring Process," and Ashley
Brodie's Professional Development lecture. I chose two professional development workshops because I wanted to see
how others have approached their career in craft after school. I started my own business this year and I
found what they had to share helpful. Angela Bubash shared two clever making tricks: a stone setting and one
handsome pin back mechanism. Amy's
workshop showcased a one-hour piece challenge- it was great!
L.Z.
Amy Tavern shared techniques she uses to generate ideas and productive
work habits through play in her studio. The participants were given ordinary
objects that can be found at home (such as staples, paper clips, fabric scraps,
thread, and paper). They had one hour to
make a piece of jewelry. At the end of that hour, there were brooches,
necklaces, and bracelets; I am pretty sure everybody walked out of there
feeling amped up and ready to get into their studios! Amy just took everybody out of their comfort
zone and let them play. It gave me a new perspective on how other artists work
in their studios. Maybe we can look at it more as play and less as work, and it
will still be making. (Check out "Add the Element of Surprise to Your Classroom" (March 2009 issue) by Robert Dancik for another example of working outside the box.)
I also went to Ken Bova's lecture
on professional practices. Ken has had
every art job there is: Gallery director, adjunct professor, high school
teacher, independent artist, SNAG president, and now a full time professor at
ECU. He had lots of advice to give about
how to not be a starving artist, business practices, and schooling us on the
reality of becoming an artist. He
answered lots of questions from the audience and gave multiple hand-outs. Though I have heard Ken speak on this subject
before, I left with some new insight and the tools. I am half way through graduate school, and
the reality of the current job market is staring me in the face. Ken is very real about how difficult things
are for lots of artists but he also tells you what you need.
Are there plans for a
symposium next year?
L.W. I sure hope so! You
will have to check in with the grads for that. My suggestion for anyone
interested would be to register early! You can also check our the Material Topics blog.
L.Z. We just had a meeting, and we have a new group of grads
that jumped right into the drivers' seat after being electrified by their
experiences!
Is there anything I've
missed that you would like to share with our readers?
L.W. Marissa Saneholtz and Liz Steiner were integral in the
planning and organization of the student exhibitions in both 2010 and
2011. They had a large part in the
behind-the-scenes planning. Liz Steiner
also introduced our symposium to a larger community through her blog that was
featured on the online community Crafthaus. Jason Stein was also a graduate
student in 2010 that personally handled all of the technical support throughout
the weekend; without him and the initial work he managed we would be at a huge
disadvantage. Autumn Brown, Jenn Wells, and Abigail Heuss all worked very hard
in organizing housing for all the visiting participants and the general flow
for the event. Andy Denton and Mario Paredes
were also very important in the marketing and funding necessary for Material Topics.
So many individuals worked hard to get this thing off the
ground; it was truly the work of a village! East Carolina University is very supportive of student efforts; I am
proud to be an alumnus and will be forever grateful for the faculty and
professors there to allow us this opportunity!
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Answers to last week's Pop Quiz! Thanks for playing!
- Annie
- Hazel
- Reidin
- Theresa