Image courtesy of http://dspoke.wordpress.com/
This time-lapse video shows how Matthias Pliessnig turned a Thonet chair into a sculpture by using steam-bent oak. I found the video on Dezeen this week and really enjoyed it.
See the video here.
Oliver's Observatory
The Blog & Observations of Oliver H. Evans
Tenure of a Designer, Tenth Year of a Studio
Photo courtesy of Conduit Studios
Shortly after Neocon, I contacted John O'Neill of Conduit Studios to get his thoughts on this year’s showrooms. He was kind enough to share with me his story, his studio, and his thoughts on many subjects; including the importance and relevance design has in West Michigan; his process of integrating both business and creative; and his thoughts on pro bono work.
I learned a great deal about his process and have decided to write a piece about what I had learned. First, I'd like to share how he and I first met.I first became aware of John when he was a freshman, which would have been in 1997 or '98. I happened to see a student walking into the College, carrying a work that I assumed was for his 3-D class. Because I thought the work was interesting, I wondered if whoever this student was might consider selling it. So I did some checking, found out John’s name, learned from the faculty that he was a highly respected student even then (which is a good thing, because it is always awkward if I “latch on to” a student who is about to be dismissed from Kendall), and I asked someone to ask John if he might want to sell the work, which he agreed to do. It was the first student work I bought at Kendall, and it hangs in my office. Where I was wrong was in assuming that it was created for his 3-D class. It turns out that John created the work for his psychology class and that, from what he told me, the work represents his mind.
John has made some milestones since that psychology class. Upon graduation in 2001, he co-founded Conduit. This year happens to be the design studio's tenth anniversary. I am both proud and happy to hear of this achievement. I am also glad to say that, along the way, I have become a friend of John's.
I'd like to point out that John went directly from college to Conduit; upon graduation from Kendall, he stayed busy freelancing for various businesses. He worked in what I call "the coffee shop circuit." (It's remarkable - and fitting - that so many creatives, artists, and even musicians have gotten their start in cafes.) One day, at a Kava House in East Town, John ran into Tim Carpenter who shared a similar situation, creating print design while baristas served espresso. The two began to work together, and in a sense, Conduit was formed. The studio now has 5 full-time employees who create for some of the biggest companies in the area. The studio is housed in a beautiful space in downtown Grand Rapids. I hope to write about more about it in subsequent post, as I feel it deserves one.
From the discussion, I learned that John is no stranger to small business; his father, and several uncles owned and operated their own businesses. It seems the entrepreneurial spirit is strong among his lineage, which may explain, to some degree, his level of success for someone his age. That and a passion for design, which seemed to develop early. He said of his design interest: "It's not like I chose design; it kind of felt like design chose me. Even when I was a kid. It seems like it was always there."
John is passionate about the design community in West Michigan. He is a board member of both Design West Michigan and AIGA West Michigan. He promoted the idea that West Michigan is design-centric because designers in the area are asked to perform many different roles. He expressed that designers do more than design; they also consult more regularly with clients. And maybe this role of consultant is becoming more prominent because, as John puts it, design "doesn't always have an aesthetic outcome." John said of design in West Michigan: "It just seems like there's a lot of us." While putting together the new AIGA West Michigan chapter, John was excited to see the amount of interest designers displayed to join. "There's a real critical mass of people here," he said.
If you visit Conduit online, you can see that they have designed and consulted for a wide (and long) list of reputable clients. I was especially interested in his pro bono work, particularly curious of his studio's process working with pro bono clients. He shared his thoughts, using his work with the UICA as an example.
In 2004, he volunteered to help the UICA promote the first annual Live Coverage event. Conduit has helped out every year since, designing all the of the event materials. He says of the work, "[we] use it as a chance to express our creativity." He expressed that pro bono work offers more flexibility. He said of doing pro bono work: "If we can fit it into our schedule, we'd love to."
A Place for Printmaking
A view of Dinderbeck Studios' 2,000 sq ft studio space.
When I came to Kendall, I had an affection for printmaking and was impressed with the facility that existed then. Unfortunately, the numbers of students who registered for printmaking were not large; and although I hate to admit it, I do watch enrollment numbers and was beginning to wonder about printmaking’s future. And given the size and weight of the presses in the third floor print lab, I was not anxious to have to try and have them moved out. My understanding is that to move them in the College had to have a crane lift them to the third floor. If you know the building, you know they could not have come up the stairs or up the elevator. As I recall, a number of years ago, Kendall conducted a search for a number of faculty to teach drawing. One of those selected, Mariel Versluis, brought great strength in drawing to the College. But then she sort of “volunteered” to teach printmaking courses as well. Of course, I was delighted; and she began teaching printmaking.
Enrollments in printmaking grew. I am at a loss to explain why a person of Mariel’s ability and achievement as a printmaker, coupled with her commitment to printmaking should result in a growth in printmaking enrollments. But then I do not try to explain mysteries—I just accept them. The long and short of it is that printmaking has become remarkably viable and some current and former students have done extraordinary things.
One that quickly comes to mind is a collective known as Dinderbeck Studios. I'd first like to point out that the partners at Dinderbeck, which I believe the list has increased to eight partners, are all affiliated with Kendall - either as graduates or current students. Most of whom studied printmaking while at Kendall, taking courses taught by Mariel.
Alison Horn, of Dinderbeck Studios.
Initially conceived as a printmaking collective and studio, the group has received small grants and donations allowing them to fund a larger space, which they have begun to renovate for shows, workshops, and gatherings.
The group has displayed a great work ethic, along with an ability to manage projects, tasks, and duties while each maintains a 9 - 5 day job. Each member is quite driven in his or her craft, planning to contribute to the group as much as possible. Co-founder, Brandon Alman, says of the group’s process, "I wouldn't say it's delegated. When things need to get done, we pull together and get it done." I think they possess a certain chemistry that proves them a true collective. Whether they're hosting a show for local artists, or tuning up a print press from the 1950's, they have been keeping busy.
A collection of type: Finding type for antique printing presses can be an arduous task.
Community is an important part of Dinderbeck Studios. I favor their gumption to reach out to other groups and clubs seeking funding, and offering their space and talent. Alman says of this, "A lot of kids graduate from any school in printmaking and they just can't do it. It's hard to access the equipment." He also mentioned that a more distant goal is to allow the community to benefit from the use of their studio space and actual printing equipment. In the meantime, they will continue to host shows, curating their space for others to enjoy.
Last Saturday, on the 1st of the month, Dinderbeck Studios hosted a collective show titled “Fortified,” featuring forts from more than thirty artists. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. However, based on this Flickr set I found, it seems the show was a splendid one. I would like to continue a series on printmaking by following the work of Mariel, the printmaking department at Kendall, and the Dinderbeck group.
Photography Graduate Going Places
From just east of Grand Rapids to the East Coast, recent KCAD alumni, Katie Zychowski, will be honored for her work and featured in two shows: one local, at the state capital in Lansing; the other in New Jersey at Monmouth University.
A recent graduate of KCAD’s photography program, Katie Zychowski has much to look forward to this fall. Her work has been chosen to be part of an upcoming exhibit at the state capital. Members of the Legislative Art Caucus have selected Katie to be part of the Student Art in Legislature (Arts in the House) Initiative after a nomination, which came from professor and head of Photography, Darlene Kaczmarczyk.
"We Settled on Wanting" - Katie Zychowski
"I Followed When We Separated," a photograph taken from Katie's Photography Thesis, was selected and will be displayed in the Anderson House Office Building. This month, a formal reception will recognize her work as part of the initiative. I expect this to be an exciting and interesting show in Lansing.
And, until October 14, Katie is being recognized on the East Coast. Her work is currently showing at Monmouth University's Ice House Gallery, in New Jersey. She was asked by Anne Leighton Massoni, after her senior thesis show. Katie is showing photographic pieces from her senior thesis entitled Langour, Temperance, Repose. I look forward to hearing more of Katie, and her work, as she continues to pursue her career in photography.
Oliver's 2011 ArtPrize Itinerary
What if I don’t see my venue on the itinerary? Send an email to hello@oliverhevans.com and let me know. You will be immediately added. My hope is that some artists will meet me at their work so we can talk about their work and about ArtPrize itself.
Follow my tour via Facebook or Twitter.
Wednesday
152 - The Lyon Den - 200 Ionia NW
50 - Fed Sq Bldg "The SPOT" - 29 Pearl NW
158 - Waters Bldg - 161 Ottawa NW Suite 104
51 - Fifth Third/ WN&J - 111 Lyon NW
105 - Mojo's - 180 Monroe NW
12 - Amway Grand Hotel - 187 Monroe NW
90 - JW Marriott - 235 Louis NW
164 - Z's Bar - 168 Louis Campau NW
98 - Louis Campau Promenade - 125 Monroe NW
3 - GRAM - 101 Monroe Center
112 - Open Concept Gallery - 50 Louis NW
102 - Mercantile Bank - 48 West Fulton
14 - Arts Council of GGR - 38 West Fulton
131 - San Chez - 38 West Fulton
43 - Dept of Corrections - 1 Division NW
72 - GR Police Dept - 1 Monroe Center NW
159 - West Coast Coffee - 55 Monroe Center NW
97 - Louis Benton Steak House - 77 Monroe Center NW
128 - Royal Securities - 89 Ionia NW
37 - Cornerstone Bldg - 89 Ionia NW
46 - Diversions Nightclub - 10 Fountain NW
56 - Fountain Street Church - 24 Fountain NE
65 - GRCC -Collins Art Gallery - 143 Bostwick NE
137 - Saint Mark's Episcopal Church - 134 North Division
Thursday Morning
67 - GR Children's Museum - 11 Sheldon NE
161 - WMCAT - 98 East Fulton
52 - First (Park) Congreg Church - 10 East Park Place NE
6 - St Cecilia Music Ctr - 24 Ransom NE
53 - First UM Church - 227 East Fulton
8 - Women's City Club - 254 East Fulton
75 - GreenLion Gallery - 150 East Fulton
160 - Westminster Pres - 47 Jefferson SE
1 - Diocese of GR - 360 South Division Ave
20 - Bethlehem Luth Church - 250 Commerce SW
27 - Calvin Coll Gallery - 106 South Division, Suite 1
34 - CODA - 44 South Division Ave
127 - Rockwell's Kitchen - 45 South Division Ave
123 - Pyramid Scheme - 68 Commerce SW
140 - Stella's Lounge - 53 Commerce SW
76 - Grid 70 - 70 Ionia SW
101 - McFadden's - 58 Ionia SW
9 - 25 Kitchen and Bar - 25 Ottawa SW
147 - The BOB - 20 Monroe NW
119 - Plaza Towers -- Eenhorn - 201 West Fulton
47 - Downtown Courtyard - 11 Monroe NW
84 - Huntington/ 50 Monroe - 50 Monroe NW
Thursday Afternoon
4 - GR Public Museum - 272 Pearl St NW
59 - Gerald Ford Museum - 303 Pearl NW
93 - Kent County Republicans - 725 Lake Michigan NW
110 - O'Toole's Public House - 448 Bridge NW
155 - Vander Hyde Mechanical - 1058 Scribner NW
29 - Carpe Diem Volleyball - 1010 Front NW
31 - City Art Gallery - 1168 Ionia NW
106 - Monroe Community Church - 800 Monroe NW
45 - DeVos Place - 303 Monroe NW
86 - Immanuel Lutheran Church - 2 Michigan NE
134 - Spectrum/Butterworth - 100 Michigan NE
135 - Spect./Lemmen Holton - 145 Michigan NE
Observing ArtPrize
Illustration - Greg Oberle
On Wednesday, September 28th, and Thursday, September 29th, I plan to visit each work in ArtPrize that has a Kendall connection, starting with the work by outside artists who are exhibiting at Kendall itself. Most of the time, however, will be spent observing work—and when possible, visiting with artists—who are associated with Kendall, either by being current students, staff, faculty, alumni, including artists associated with Kendall through the Continuing Studies Program.
I will be touring ArtPrize because, on the simplest level, I love the excitement and diversity of ArtPrize—so many people looking at so much creative work. And I want to recognize and celebrate the Kendall people who are participating in ArtPrize. There are too many of them to try to hold a reception or a similar event—and besides, such an event asks busy and committed artists to come to me, whereas I would rather go to them.
I will be publishing an itinerary of the tour early next week. I will also announce when I am heading to a given venue or to the work of a given artist on Twitter and Facebook.
What if I don’t see my venue on the itinerary?
Send an email to hello@oliverhevans.com and let me know. You will be immediately added.
My hope is that some artists will meet me at their work so we can talk about their work and about ArtPrize itself.
If I meet you, what are you likely to ask me?
In addition to celebrating the quality of your work and simply discussing it, I am interested in how an artist decides to participate in ArtPrize, how much advance planning went into that decision, what was the process that led you to submit the work you chose, what expectations/hopes do you have of the audience for your work? And we might talk a little about ArtPrize and the democratization of art. ArtPrize is absolutely right when it says that the important thing is the conversation about art. So what I really seek is a brief conversation—preferably videoed with you and probably lasting fifteen to twenty minutes.
Last Wednesday, for example, I had the chance to start this kind of conversation with Jonathan Brilliant, who is showing in the Kendall Gallery. Tuesday was his last night in Grand Rapids; and his answers to my questions, his perceptions of ArtPrize, and his interest in being part of ArtPrize were intriguing and illuminating. I look forward to sharing them next week when the tour itself will appear in video, images, and text here on my Blog.
I am intrigued by the questions I just outlined and by the kind of conversation those questions can trigger. So I look forward to Observing ArtPrize in a very special way the middle of next week.
Follow my tour via Facebook or Twitter.
- Oliver
Running Artist Makes Great Strides
One evening last week, I happened on a very busy brewery. Perhaps the summer heat brought on a neighborhood-wide craving for craft beer, because Brewery Vivant was alive with traffic.
Housed in what was once a neighborhood funeral home chapel, I noticed dinner parties, after-work socialites, young couples on dates, old couples on dates, and a most helpful staff - all enjoying the ambiance, the drinks, the menu, and the artwork of a recent KCAD alum, Jacob Zars.
The work, titled "Fun With Electrocution," will be exhibited on the walls of Brewery Vivant throughout the summer, adding as much beauty as it does curiosity to the venue's experience and overall aesthetic - which still lightly alludes to the dead and nearly buried. Jacob’s exhibit consists of 8 monotypes that toy with, and welcome the idea of death through a series of electrifying scenarios. I felt the work most effective, given the nature of the space. It requires the amount of intimacy and appeal offered by the venue to really capture the element of danger.
The close relationship between Jacob's work and the venue is, according to Jacob, all by design. He saw an opportunity in Vivant, where the collection could live and breathe along with the space and its visitors. He said of the relationship, "I was trying to tell stories on each wall. The art has to feel comfortable in its place." He added, "the work enhances the venue and the venue enhances the work." I believe his curating instinct is accurate, as each piece curiously contemplates an idea of darkness that I find wild with the notion of life or the living - just as the word Vivant, itself, suggests "to be alive" or "lively."
After discussing Jacob’s process of curating his work within the venue, we discussed his process of the work itself; which may suggest why he was so careful and thoughtful about where it was to be shown throughout the summer. He shared that each print took approximately thirty hours to create. Each transparency was carefully and directionally brushed with mainly black ink (one of the works includes some color) before it met paper. He explained his use of watercolors, cardboard, ink, and paper with great detail and passion. Jacob also included that the work was part of a larger, 24-image collection he created more than a year ago as part of his senior project. Jacob said the eight pieces used at the brewery "chose themselves" for the show.
I'd like to point out that Jacob made a big decision to pursue art verses the many athletic offers from other institutions. He said of his choice to study art, "it just doesn't compare." Fortunately, Jacob was able to demonstrate his love of sports while at KCAD. He helped start the Kendall Soccer Team and KCAD Club Tennis. He continues his love of distance running and still works part-time at Gazelle Sports, assisting other athletes.
Jacob said he would like to pursue an interest curating work for local venues in Grand Rapids. He also expressed that he will continue to create art in his studio space and at area events such as UICA Live Coverage or the Art Battle For Community at Sazerac Lounge - where, last year, Jacob won first place.
KCAD Alumni Board President Presents Beautiful Decay
Terry Frixen - Photo by Ryan P. Photo
I am pleased to share with you this post about KCAD alum, Terry Frixen; partly because I have always found it gratifying when graduates such as Terry have the ability to continue onto successful careers while managing the passion and inspiration to create fine art of their own.I also wanted to write about Terry, who currently serves as President of KCAD’s Alumni Board, because of his many roles within the community.
Terry, a Fine Art Photography graduate, has sustained a balance between his career with Meijer and his personal portfolio; including his latest show titled "Beautiful Decay," which was on display at Pub 43, a local venue in Grand Rapids.While Terry was a student at Kendall, he held a job at Meijer. When he graduated, the company awarded Terry a series of promotions. Three years ago, he had proven himself enough to the company that he secured a position in the corporate office. What's more remarkable is that Terry remained committed to the art community and to various non-profit organizations as he climbed the corporate ladder.
Terry volunteers for the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) visual arts committee, the Kids Food Basket, and soon plans to start training at the GRAM, where he wishes to help out. Terry is also the Artist Relations Coordinator of the SiTE:LAB team. He says of his volunteerism: "I feel that by volunteering with the groups that I am, I will meet great people, make great connections, and learn a lot. This is starting to prove true." I should probably note that SiTE:LAB, co-founded by KCAD adjunct sculpture professor Paul Amenta, is a non-profit group of artist and art enthusiasts - one of which I hope to write about in the future.
"Beautiful Decay" was shown throughout the month of June. For those of you who hadn't the chance to see his collection hung elegantly along the north wall of the venue, Terry has graciously included two pieces of work from the show as part of this blog post.
He explains "Beautiful Decay" as a collection of three different series that express his recent fascination with rust, warped or rotted wood, and chipped or peeled paint. He says of his work: "I look at all the images I have right now and I feel that it truly shows the beauty in what could be considered ugly."
Terry has managed to pursue his love of photography, his career at Meijer, and his volunteer activities in the community, including the KCAD Alumni board, where he currently serves as the board president.
Terry’s Twitter: @tgf1980
The Founder of the Feast
Helen and David Kendall
The photograph of Helen Miller Kendall and her husband, David Wolcott Kendall, intrigues me. The temptation is to begin by talking about David Kendall, of whom many people have heard because of his work as a furniture designer and his association with the American Arts and Crafts movement.
I have always regretted, however, that despite his association with American Arts and Crafts, he is not as famous as Gustav Stickley (1858-1942), who lived to be eighty-four years old, whereas David Kendall, born seven years earlier in 1851, died in 1910, in his late 50s.
McKinley Chair
Nonetheless, David Kendall was famous enough in his time to be referred to as the Dean of American Furniture Designers and if/when you are in the Art Institute of Chicago, you can see his armchair, sometimes referred to as the McKinley Chair, manufactured by Phoenix Furniture Company—a company he is credited with saving in his role as the Company’s chief financial officer. And, of course, integrating the pursuit of a career in art or design with an understanding of business is a hallmark not only of David Kendall, but of Kendall College of Art and Design. He knew how to navigate what George Beylerian calls the “romance of the commercial and the intellectual.”
If you are in Grand Rapids, you can see evidence of another of David Kendall’s interests by visiting his grave in Oak Hill Cemetery (Eastern and Hall), where his grave is marked by a huge carved boulder, reflecting his interest in sculpture.
As you can tell, I have completely succumbed to the temptation to focus on David Kendall, who, interesting though he was, is not that Founder of the Feast that we know today as Kendall College of Art & Design of Ferris State University. The Founder of the Feast is Helen Miller Kendall.
Helen Bookplate
Notice that the photograph presents her as audience to David. She is seated, he is standing; she is observing, he, decked out in a costume and with a prop that reflects his travels, is presenting. She is in her own costume, of course, and has several props of her own. From her costume and manner, we would infer—if we did not already know it—that she was a leader of the community, and in her time she indeed played her role as a supporter of the arts and the cultural life of the community.
And, then, eighteen years after his death, she honored and memorialized David by providing the initial gift that established the David Wolcott Kendall Memorial School, a school which her will describes as being for “boys and girls”—which we today interpret to mean college-aged men and women. From its beginnings, it was a school with a professional purpose—it intended to prepare people for professional lives as artists and designers, a purpose shared by many other colleges of art and design in the United States at that time and that continues today.
One thing I have always liked about Helen is that she knew how to combine vision and resources. Many people over the years have told me that they have wonderful ideas—or visions—for Kendall. And I always think that visions are easy; it’s the resources that are the challenge. Helen provided both.
David Kendall
We have many photos of David, not as many of Helen. Yet in terms of a direct influence on American furniture manufacturing and design, she is the actor, not the audience. In terms of the number of people who have pursued lives as artists and designers, she is the actor, not the audience. She is the Founder of the Feast. (And interestingly, although I could research this issue and someone, I am sure, will tell me where Helen is buried, her grave is not near David’s. He is buried near his first wife.) But Helen reminds me of what George Elliot says about the heroine of her novel, Middlemarch: “the effect of [the heroine’s} being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”
KCAD Faculty and Two Chicago Galleries
Gianfredi - Alison
This past week, I was in Chicago for a meeting and had the opportunity to see the work of two of Kendall’s faculty, each in a different Chicago gallery. David Gianfredi, an assistant professor of Illustration, is being shown in the Museum Works Gallery in the Merchandise Mart. Margaret Vega, a professor of painting and chair of the painting program, is being shown at the Lydon Contemporary Gallery, 230 W. Superior Street.
The history of the Merchandise Mart is, itself, an interesting story; and getting to the Museum Works Gallery on the Mart’s eighteenth floor--the Design Center--takes a person past high-end showrooms for Henredon, Barbara Barry, Holly Hunt, (see http://www.josephjeup.com), Morgan Richards, and Maitland Smith. The Mart is home to a great many contract furniture showrooms that are extremely busy during NeoCon in June (Kendall holds a class in Chicago during NeoCon). Thus the Museum Works Gallery is in the heart of a commercial center.
Vega - Beyond the Landscape
The Lydon Contemporary Gallery at 230 West Superior Street is nine blocks north of the Mart, which is at 222 West Merchandise Mart Plaza. Douglas Lydon, the visionary behind Lydon Contemporary, started out to pursue a career in painting, but switched to printmaking. He graduated from Washington University with a degree in that area and, through a series of events, he took a job in sales—at which he has considerable ability. Building on his success in sales, he decided to move to Chicago in 1989 and begin his gallery. He is a realist, who speaks of the challenge for artists at any time, but especially in the current time. And the impact of the economy can take a variety of forms, including influencing the size of a painting people can or will pay for and thus the size of a canvas on which an artist can work. He realized that his love for art and his ability to sell, organize and operate a gallery represented a happy combination of commitment to art and the possibility of operating a successful gallery. Douglas Lydon has been doing just that—for more than a quarter century and always in the Superior/Franklin area of Chicago.
David Gianfredi is a Kendall alum, who went on to complete his MFA at Brigham Young University; Margaret Vega holds a BFA in Painting and Drawing, with a minor in Art History, from Michigan State University. She did her graduate work at Western Michigan University.
Davis says of his work: “As a result of studying the artist Norman Rockwell, I came to the realization that he painted his notion of the perfect vision of America’s golden age, yet it was never actual place. His paintings were an image of everywhere and nowhere. In concept my work resonates similarly, the images I use are from everywhere and nowhere, but certainly American.”
Merchandise Mart
Margaret says of her work: “In my work, the landscape, often juxtaposed with the figure, documents time and place. I am fascinated with man's need to re-organize a nature which has its own order.”
To work as a professional artist—i.e., an artist who seeks to express her or his vision, together with the ambition that someone will ultimately buy the work—requires commitment and courage. And it takes a similar commitment and courage to operate a gallery, especially in these times.
I know that over time I will be sharing my admiration for other artists; and David, Margaret, and Douglas present qualities I admire—a commitment to the integrity of their vision, coupled with an awareness of the realities of the market, and an ability to create work that expresses their vision and at the same time may find a home in the world.
Metals Jewelry Design Part I
Maggie Allesee
I have enjoyed the opportunity to watch a new program at Kendall develop from a “suggestion” to a reality that graduates students who go on to successful careers. In 2002, Kendall implemented a program in Metals/Jewlery Design—known, in fact, as the Allesee Metals/Jewelry Design program in honor of Maggie Allesee, a woman who, like Helen Kendall, had both the vision and the generosity to make the idea a reality.
Eight years old at the start of the 2010-2011 academic year, this program remains relatively small, but its graduates have achieved a striking level of success. Beginning with this post and continuing through a number of posts, I’d like to share some of the story of that program.
Jewelry Design
The program began at the urging of Milford High School (Milford, Michigan), a high school that has a particularly strong metals/jewelry program. Encouraged by Andrea Bronson, the high school teacher who had created Milford’s strong and highly-respected program, Linda McMurry and I attended a meeting with a number of jewelry store owners in that area of Michigan, who were requesting that there be a program which would prepare students to work in the commercial world.
From my point of view, the challenge and opportunity rests in this program's ability to navigate the intellectual and commercial. And that navigation has always been embodied in one of Kendall’s earliest and best known programs: Furniture Design, which navigates that space where design meets manufacturability and marketability.
Kelly Riekels
For David Kendall, good design that could not be manufactured and that, once manufactured, could not be sold was not of much interest. A jewelry design program that could join the strength of creativity and design with a knowledge of what materials can do and how designs might appeal to the market--to people who might actually wear the jewelry--became the goal as Kendall sought to develop a metals/jewelry program that would—in a previous post—"romance the commercial and the intellectual.”
Beginning with those early conversations and developing with Linda’s assistance, the Metals/Jewelry Design Program is now chaired by Phillip Renato, whose alumni will be the subjects of some subsequent posts.