I have been attending the Pacific Northwest Metals Symposium every year for the last eight years. Each year the artist’s presentations seem to be stronger, while the program’s quality has become more consistently accessible and engaging. After David Freda and Harlan Butt spoke about their incredibly awe inspiring enamels in 2007, I thought the Symposium committee would be hard pressed to top themselves. But the 2008 Symposium which took place on Oct. 18th, 2008 at the Museum of History and Industry was one of the most exciting and wonderful collection of speakers I have ever had the good fortune to be in the audience for.  

The Symposium for me has always been about making connections, with past teachers, colleagues, former students, friends, and fellow members of this tribe know as metalsmiths. This year I was happy to bring a new friend, Kathleen Yorston, owner of Pouncing Rain - Jewelry Metals Center, to her first Symposium. The networking with friends before and between speakers is fun and rewarding on so many levels, that I always come away energized.

The speakers program started with Gary Griffin who’s work, to be honest, I was unfamiliar with. To my enlightenment the charming and dapper gentleman who spoke had been the head of the Metals program at Cranbrook Academe of Art in Michigan for the last two decades, retiring in 2006. His presentation focused on the work he produce as an artist in residence at the Kohler Co. Art and Industry program, and a series of gates he produced for private clients using CAD/CAM processes. It was fascinating to see.

Harriete Estel Berman gave an incredible presentation called “Crafting Identity,” which aptly illustrated how she has incorporated her identity as an artist into her work and into her signature on her work. During the break, Symposium attendees got the extra bonus of Harriete showing us two videos she produced that covered the making of her “Consuming Conversation - 200 Teacups” collection. 

Susie Ganch was next on the agenda. While I have never found the images of her work very compelling, the art-speak written about her work has compounded the problem by leaving me baffled. Hearing the artist herself speak about her work, suddenly made her work approachable and interesting in ways I had not anticipated. I thought to myself that this was truly the benefit the Symposium offers SMG members; to hear the artist’s own words about their work, their process, their ideas. 

Kristin Mitsu Shiga spoke next and related the making of objects to important events that occurred in her life. Kristin’s humor and humanity were artfully presented as the audience was invited along on her very personal journey through jewelry making and a life of Art. This remarkable young woman has not only established herself as an original voice in our field but has also brought her helpful organizational skills to the administration of SNAG and is now at the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts as the Director of the Extension Program.

The final speaker was a personal favorite of mine, Fred Fenster. The Professor Emeritus from University of Wisconsin at Madison presented a rambling conversation on the making of hollowware in pewter. His presentation covered the work of fellow metalsmiths working in pewter over the last 20 years. The historical importance of his personal anecdotes on metalsmithing may never be documented in writing making his lecture at the Symposium a true lesson in the importance of oral history. His talk made me really want to stay and take his workshop to learn more about pewter.