There are tons of jewelry making experiences for you at all skill levels! Each will give you a different experience and are great options for hobbyists and business owners alike. Continue reading to find an event for you.
As you look to grow in your jewelry making, there are a lot of experiences, conferences and classes you can check out. Check out some of our favorite jewelry making experiences from short events & conferences to craft schools with in-depth education to residencies available to experienced jewelry artists able to teach a skill to others.
Halstead is proud to support jewelry events such as retreats and symposiums across the country. Our amazing jewelry community is doing great things! From jewelry workshops to lectures, exhibitions and more, there are so many opportunities to gather and appreciate our favorite art form. Jewelry conferences and symposiums are great places to learn from your favorite instructors and recharge your creative batteries. We might just see you there!
Learn more about:
Jewelry Conferences
Jewelry conferences take place around the country and range anywhere from a single day event to a week long conference. Some of them are even fully digital so you can tune in from anywhere. Many are an annual event, so we've included the approximate time of year it usually happens and where it takes place, but be sure to check each event's website for full information each year.
Please check the website for each event for current dates, locations, and information. Most of these events happen on a yearly basis, but unexpected changes are always possible.
Dates: Mid January
Online
This entirely virtual event will bring jewelry business experts in a variety of fields to help you build your business, no matter what stage your business is in. It was created to empower small jewelry business owners through professional development in marking, business, and more. Attendees will be inspired and ready to move forward through the new year! There are also 2-3 JBF related events throughout the year with both jewelry making demos and business topics. Learn more about Halstead's jewelry conference.
Dates: Mid-January
Greenville, NC
The Material Topics Symposium has been a production of Metal Design MFA students within the School of Art and Design within East Carolina University since 2009. They host students and faculty from over 45 institutions ranging from California to Florida. Attendees are beginners, hobbyists, sculptors, professional jewelers and metal artists, and current and retired faculty members. Presenters/lecturers are not repeated, and they are nominated and voted on by members of the ECU Metals Guild, then chosen by the incoming committee. Each year the symposium has a different theme.
Dates: Late winter/Early spring
The Baltimore Jewelry Center in Baltimore, MD and Online
Every winter, the Baltimore Jewelry Center hosts Ornamenta, a fundraiser that provides them the opportunity to raise much needed funds while exposing a larger community to the work they do. It often involves an in-person event and auction and virtual speaker events.
Dates: January-February
Tucson, AZ
Over 30 events and shows happen throughout the months of January and February in Tucson, AZ – turning the city into all things jewelry and gem. Events happen across the city indoors and outdoors. Some shows do require registration and a wholesale/tax ID, so be sure to look into that and the show dates. Many shows do overlap, but each has their own set of dates and times they are open to the public. Be sure to research each show individually to determine the dates, location, requirements, and vendor information.
Vivi Magoo – Art Retreat in the Desert
Dates: January/February – concurrent with the Tucson Gem Shows
Tucson, AZ
Held in February during the Tucson Bead and Gem Shows, the retreat offers more than 80 classes held over six days that range from metalsmithing to art jewelry classes. And in true Vivi Magoo style, they bring in the best artist-instructors that provide excellent teaching in combination with a welcoming, inspirational setting. Vivi Magoo offers other retreats, classes, and education opportunities throughout the year, so be sure to explore their website for the full offering. The Academy by Vivi Magoo is their virtual course offerings.
Dates: Late February
Yuma, AZ
The Yuma Symposium is a series of demonstrations, lectures and slide presentations given by both internationally recognized and emerging artists who have demonstrated unusual talent. Activities include an exhibit of work by presenters and a student show, the National Saw, File, & Solder Sprints, the annual pin auction, and a fiesta and dance at the end of the symposium.
Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference:
Dates: Varies
Location changes yearly
The SNAG conference happens every ear in a different city across the US or Canada. It includes lectures, demonstrations, a vendor room, gallery crawl, exhibitions and exhibition opportunities, and more. Each year the conference has a different theme. Scholarship opportunities are available, and certain exhibition opportunities are available only to those who have current SNAG memberships.
Colorado Metalsmithing Association Conference:
Dates: July
Colorado
The annual CoMA conference is held in July in Colorado and allows members to network, share ideas, and learn from industry leaders in metal arts. Be sure to follow their Instagram and Facebook pages for up to date information.
Sawtooth Metal Clay Artists Symposium
Dates: End of August
Winston-Salem, NC
The MCAS features a mix of one and two-day hands-on workshops by nationally known metal clay artists, an opening evening round table discussion, breakout sessions, Technique Discovery Workshops, an exhibition, vendor’s marketplace, and more. This event happens at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art in North Carolina.
Dates: Spring, End of March
Online
This virtual summit for jewelers, metalsmiths, makers, artists, and all curious minds is a chance to find inspiration, discover new techniques, and connect with the metals and jewelry community near and far. A diverse five-day showcase, the Spring Symposium offers attendees a mix of presentations, demos, and studio tours with established and emerging artists, all online! We will learn new skills and techniques, broaden our jewelry and metalsmithing knowledge, and peek into fellow artists’ studios and bodies of work. In addition to the scheduled webinars, there are social meetups and live chats throughout the week as a way to meet other makers and make valuable, long-lasting connections.
Seattle Metals Guild Symposium:
Dates: Fall
Online or Seattle, WA
The Seattle Metals Guild Symposium includes live presentations, a silent auction, and allows for jewelers and makers to get to know each other and network.
Dates: Mid/End of November
Online and NYC
NYCJW is a week-long celebration that invites a global audience to experience the world of jewelry in NYC. Our hybrid program blends in person experiences with virtual engagement and programming, as we host the best and brightest in the industry to deliver thought leadership, exhibitions, shopping experiences, retail collaborations, and first look designer discovery. NYC Jewelry Week is free and open to the public, modernizing the way the world thinks about jewelry by bringing together everyone from the window shopper to the avid collector. NYCJW also hosts programs throughout the year, such as their Here We Are and One For The Future initiatives.
The Enamelist Society Conference:
Dates: August
Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Columbia, NC
The Enamelist Society conference includes workshops, a vendor room, live and silent auctions, speakers, demonstrations, an exhibition, and more. Check their website for up to date information on each year’s conference.
Enamel Guild North East Conference:
Dates: Spring
Online
The conference includes workshops and presentations by instructors. You must be a member of Enamel Guild North East to register for the conference. Check the calendar and events tabs on their website for up-to-date information on each year’s conference.
Dates: Fall
Orlando, FL
MicroWeld is Sunstone Welding’s welding conference for bench jewelers. The conference includes panel discussions, demonstrations, exhibitor showcases, and more. It focuses on the uses of welding for jewelry applications. The mission of MicroWeld is to continue to develop a connected community by sharing proven business models, tools and techniques that are live demonstrated by peers in real-time.
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference:
Dates: Early November
Chicago, IL
Creating and sustaining responsible jewelry supply chains is extraordinarily complex. The jewelry industry, governments, NGOs, communities, individual employers, and consumers each have a stake, often with conflicting interests. To reconcile these divergent viewpoints requires transparent communication, deep listening, and collaborative problem-solving. The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is where the stakeholders in the jewelry supply chain gather to participate in the skillful navigation of challenging problems and it was livestreamed and recorded.
IAC’s Gold and Diamond Conference:
Dates: End of July
NYC
Join Initiatives in Art and Culture for a deep dive into critical issues in responsible practice, sustainability, luxury, and artisanry at the Gold + Diamond Conference. The conference includes podium presentations, panel discussions, conversations, and more. Keep an eye on their website for up-to-date conference information.
Dates: Mid-end of May
Minneapolis, MN
The Jewelry Symposium for the Advancement of Jewelry Manufacturing Technology is a passionate, collaborative, non-commercial, global community inspiring creativity, fostering innovation, and encouraging the further development and advancement of all facets if the jewelry making family. Organized by the committee who organized the Santa Fe Symposium.
Craft School Experiences for Jewelers
Traditional Craft Schools are dotted around the country. These schools do not offer traditional degrees or certifications. Instead, they have impressive studio facilities and programming designed for a broad range of adult learners. They exist to build skills, appreciation, and community. Each school is unique in its own right but they all share common features that define the Craft School model.
What is a Craft School?
Craft Schools are designed to be immersive creative experiences for budding artists or professional masters. Facilities have fixed locations where most have been operating for decades or longer. They provide simple, on-site accommodations in cabins, lodges, or dormitories. Usually, communal meals are part of the experience to facilitate bonding and collaboration among visitors.
All craft schools take pride in building community within each field and across makers working in different mediums. Most schools offer artist residencies and/or administrative internships to foster career development in the community.
Nature plays a large role in the craft school experience as students are given the opportunity to escape from the pressures of daily life and technology. Campuses are located in rural or remote locations on large grounds that integrate into the surrounding landscape. Participants are encouraged to reconnect with nature to find inspiration.
What Classes are Available at Craft Schools?
Programing varies from school to school but all cater to at least a handful of creative disciplines. Workshops are scheduled as weekends, week-long, or multi-week retreat segments where participants can dig deeply into a technique to explore a skill set. Usually, a range of subject levels is offered, from basic introductions to master-level workshops.
Looking to get away from it all and feed your creative spirit? One of these destinations may be just what you are looking for. Our list includes craft schools that meet all the aforementioned criteria and offer jewelry metals programming on a regular basis. Click on the name headers to visit school websites directly.
Touchstone Center for Crafts
Closest major city: Pittsburgh, PA
Season: May - September
Metals Director: Travis Winters
Program Areas: Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Glass, Metals & Jewelry, Painting & Drawing, and other Special Topic areas
Touchstone is known among metalsmiths for its blacksmithing facilities. They have a world-class forge, with 12 complete forging stations plus an instructor forge station. Touchstone's small metals studio can accommodate 12 students plus an instructor. One of its most beloved features is the outdoor brick pizza oven where guests gather during their time on campus. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of the Ohiopyle area’s leafy woods and rushing rivers. Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater is just 14 miles away and another of his creations, Kentucky Knob, is even closer. The jewelry community enjoys an annual symposium event held at Touchstone each fall, The Alchemist Picnic hosted by Wayne Werner. This regional event attracts members from the jewelry community of nearby Pittsburgh as well as others from around the country.
Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program
Closest major city: Boston, MA (2 hours), Hartford, CT (2 hours), Albany, NY (2 hours)
Season: May – October
Metals Director: Miriam Cody
Program Areas: Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Welded Metal Sculpture, Clay, Glass (stained, fused, glassblowing, flamework), Fiber & Baskets, Wood, 2D & Mixed Media, Mosaics.
Snow Farm Campus & Metals Studio
Snow Farm offers workshops that introduce people to the art and craft of metalsmithing and jewelry making, as well as workshops in more advanced techniques and skill-building. They also have a work/study program that runs in 7-week sessions throughout the year. Snow Farm is located on a 50-acre historic New England Farm, nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. Their fully-equipped metals studio was once a small barn on the dairy farm. Today it houses workstations for eight students with individual task lighting and storage for tools. Additionally, they have four state-of-the-art soldering stations with Smith torches, two flex shaft stations, a finishing station, three kilns, and a wide assortment of additional equipment, tools, and materials.
Arrowmont
Closest major city: Knoxville, TN (1 hour) Asheville, NC (2 hours)
Program Director: Nick DeFord
Season: Workshops Summer & Fall, Community Classes Winter & Spring
Program Areas: Metals, Glass, Pottery, Handbuilding, Drawing, Painting, Fibers, Textiles, Woodworking, and Woodturning.
Jewelry Casting at Arrowmont with Emily Cobb
Enroll at Arrowmont to be immersed in art – away from the pressures and responsibilities of daily life. Partnered with exceptional instructors and quality instruction, the housing, meals, evening programs, and access to well-equipped studios provide an environment for stimulation and inspiration. Arrowmont is located on a 13-acre wooded hillside in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They offer a secluded retreat experience with access to a busy tourist center. Arrowmont offers an artist in residence program. It is an 11-month residency program that invites 5 artists of varying media backgrounds to participate. The residency typically chooses one metal/jewelry participant. They provide the residents with housing, a private studio, a monthly stipend, a gallery, and professional development opportunities. Arrowmont also offers an invitational limited residency each year called Pentaculum, with media-specific coordinators who bring artists to campus for a week of collaboration and work, rather than instruction.
Penland
Closest major city: Asheville, NC
Metals Coordinator: Nadia Massoud
Season: Spring, Summer, and Fall. 8-week concentrations & 1-week workshops in the Fall and Spring, 2-week workshops in the Summer.
Program Areas: Books & Paper, Clay, Drawing & Painting, Hot Glass & Flameworking, Iron, Metals, Photography, Printmaking & Letterpress, Textiles and Wood.
Metals Studio at Penland
Penland is known for attracting high caliber artists/educators who provide relevant programming in topics from jewelry design and metal fabrication to mixed media sculpture and everything in between. Located in North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the campus features several hiking trails, and porches across campus offer breathtaking views of the mountains.
Penland has two metals studios, Upper and Lower Metals. Both studios feature soldering stations and a wide selection of hand tools. Upper Metals houses enameling and casting equipment, including a J-2R Neutec vacuum casting machine. Lower metals supports forming and raising workshops, with a wide array of raising stakes. The studios are well equipped for fabrication, casting, enameling, hollowware, etching, and finishing for jewelry and small objects. Annually they host a show entitled WEAR: Contemporary Jewelers from early August to Early September. The WEAR collection includes work by exceptionally talented artists with a range of aesthetic sensibilities. Penland also offers three residency programs that are open to artists in a variety of media, including metals and jewelry. They have the three-year Resident Artist Program, the two-year Core Fellowship, and the Winter Residency.
Peters Valley
Closest major city: New York City
Metals Director: Jacob Brown
Season: 7 months
Program Areas: Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Fine Metals, Woodworking, Fiber/Textiles, Photography, Printmaking, Glass
Peter's Valley Metals Studio
Peters Valley’s fine metals studio has twelve jeweler's benches, polishing stations, rotary flex shaft tools at every station, enameling, soldering, casting equipment, hydraulic presses, anvils, raising and forming tools and equipment, a plethora of hand tools and rolling mills. They also have a fully equipped blacksmithing studio with 9 coal forges, 3 gas forges, two power hammers, a huge array of hand tools, grinders, torches, welders, anvils and metal cutting tools. They are located in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area, near many hiking trails, waterfalls and of course the Delaware River. Peters Valley offers weekend and week-long immersive hands-on workshops with a different teaching artist each week. Offering beginning, intermediate to advanced level topics one from introductory to jewelry making to specialized stone setting, casting, how to make mechanisms, holloware, chasing and reppouse, enameling and more.
Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft
Closest major city: Norfolk, VA (1.5 hours)
Metals Director: Marlene True
Season: January - October
Program Areas: Ceramics, Metals, Wood, Digital Fabrication, Textiles, Mixed Media, Painting and Drawing
Pocosin Metals Studio & Campus
Pocosin is known for its exceptional artists & instructors with workshop topics including jewelry design, raising, enameling, fabrication, casting and more. The Ebendorf Metals Studio features 12 jewelry benches, each equipped with a flex shaft and basic hand tools. The studio has a guillotine shear, two rolling mills, anvils, an ample number of stakes, stumps and forming equipment, including a 20-ton Potter hydraulic press. Enameling equipment includes Vcella and Paragon kilns and vented soldering stations. Students also have access to the Digital Fabrication Studio which includes a high-speed laser, 3-D printers, vinyl cutter and a ShopBot. Pocosin is located near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The campus features a one-mile boardwalk into the pocosins along the Scuppernong River. The Riverview building features relaxed outdoor seating areas overlooking the river where students enjoy meals, sunsets, conversation, and nature.The Scuppernong River is perfect for kayaking, SUP, fishing, and other water sports. Free weekly boat tours are available through the visitor's center. Pocosin offers two residency programs that are open to artists in a variety of media, including metals and jewelry. A 10-day summer residency from June 1-10 for up to 20 artists and a 10-month residency for up to three artists runs from August 1 - May 31.
Haystack
Closest major city: Bangor, Maine (1.5 hours) Portland, Maine (3 hours)
Metals Director: Ellen Wieske
Season: May- October
Program Areas: Graphics, Fiber, Metals, Ceramics, Wood, Blacksmithing, Glass, Writing.
Haystack Campus & Metals Studio
The Haystack Metals studio can accommodate a wide variety of processes such as enameling, fabrication, raising, casting and bead making as well as mixed media which may require grinding/sanding equipment, rolling mill, stamping, repose and tumbling. Pioneering figures such as Robert Ebendorf, J. Fred Woell, and Arline Fisch have all had long connections to the school, and current Assistant Director Ellen Wieske maintains high visibility in the field while helping to lead the school. Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is located on the Atlantic Ocean in Deer Isle, Maine and is known for its seamless integration into the landscape. Their Open Studio Residency supports approximately 50 participants who have uninterrupted time to work in six studios--ceramics, fiber, graphics, iron, jewelry, and wood-- to develop ideas and experiment in various media for two weeks.
Mendocino Art Center
Closest major city: Santa Rosa, CA (81 miles) Sacramento, CA (134 miles) San Francisco, CA (150 miles)
Metals Director: Nancy Gardner
Season: Spring, Summer & Fall/Winter
Program Areas: Jewelry/Metal Arts, Fine Art, Ceramics & Textiles
Mendocino Art Center has high caliber instructors from across the country, relatively affordable tuition, and well-equipped studios with a little ocean view! Mendocino is a coastal town in Northern California known for the cliff-side trails and beaches. The Art Center offers an AIR and a PAIR program. Artists in residence program is October - May, the applications are due in April of the preceding year. PAIRs - Professional Artist In Retreat can be contracted for any length of time on an individual basis. The programs include studio rental with an apartment on campus.
Armory Art Center
Closest Major City: Palm Beach, FL
Season: Year-round
Jewelry and Metalsmithing Department Director: Alicia Jane Boswell
Program Areas: Ceramics, photography and digital media, drawing, jewelry, painting, printmaking, textiles and fiber, and sculpture
Housed in a historic art deco building, the Armory provides art classes for students of all ages, exhibitions, art salons, lectures, and special events. Nearly 100 courses held in 12 state-of-the-art studios are offered including ceramics, digital arts, drawing, glass fusing, jewelry, painting, printmaking, fibers, sculpture, and 12 exhibitions are hosted annually in four galleries. They host a variety of workshop and class lengths, have visiting master artist workshops, and a jewelry repair program. In addition, Armory offers studio and bench rental and an artist-in-residence program.
Sawtooth School of Visual Arts
Closest Major City: Charlotte, NC
Season: Year-round
Metals and Lapidary Department Director: Sara Sloan Stine
Program Areas: Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Textiles, Glass, Metals and Lapidary, Photography, Printmaking, Wood, Digital Arts, and Art and Wellness
Sawtooth offers classes and workshops in metal and jewelry techniques, including metal forming, jewelry fabrication, lost-wax casting, stone-setting, enameling, metal clay, and lapidary arts. In addition to focusing on technical skills, they emphasize the creative process of combining these materials to create unique works of art. Open studios are available for more advanced and independent metalsmiths. Sawtooth also hosts visiting artist workshops that are designed to inspire mid-career professionals. From beginning to more advance, and youth, Sawtooth offers options for jewelers and metalsmiths of any level. Located in Winston-Salem, NC and is named for the iconic ‘sawtooth’ shaped roofline of their current building.
Worcester Center for Crafts
Closest Major City: Boston, MA
Season: Year-Round
Metals Department Coordinator: Julian De La Garza
Program Areas: Ceramics, Stained Glass, Metals and Enamels, Photography, Multi-Media, and Healing Arts
The Metals Studio is a 2,000 square-foot space that provides access to a variety of metal working tools. It includes studio space and work benches for 12 students, a glass-enameling studio, a polishing room, and a tool room. Classes are offered for adults and youth, and open studio time is available for those have participated in a metals class. Additionally, Worcester Center for Crafts offers an Artist in Residence program.
Jewelry Residency Programs
Residency programs give you time and resources to focus on your creativity and master your skills. Learn about what is expected of resident artists, how to apply, where programs are offered, plus an insider look at two craft school Jewelry Residencies.
What is a Jewelry Residency?
A Jewelry Residency is an artist-in-residence program that is dedicated to metalsmithing or jewelry making. Artist-in-residence (AIR) programs are designed to give artists the opportunity to live and work in a new location where they can explore their craft further and connect with other artists. A residency is intended to be a transformative experience in an inspiring place. Inspiration can come from the natural surroundings of a location or the unique creative community that hosts the AIR.
Why do a residency?
Many artists use residencies to network, explore career options, or develop a body of work. You will get the most out of a residency if you have goals or outcomes in mind. But, remain open to unanticipated opportunities that may come as a result of a residency. Residencies are competitive so this is a good experience to have on your resume to show dedication to your craft and your professional development.
What types of institutions offer residency programs?
Metalsmithing studio schools, craft schools, or other art organizations offer Jewelry Residencies. Many craft schools offer AIR programs for all mediums within visual arts and have multiple studios on campus to support an array of artists.
What is required of the Jewelry Artist-in-Residence?
This can vary depending on the program. Most programs offer food, housing, and a small stipend in exchange for a certain amount of teaching hours. AIR may need to log a certain amount of studio time or some programs require a body of work to be produced during the residency.
How long is a residency?
Jewelry residencies can be as short as a few weeks and some can last several years.
Arrowmont AIR Show 2016
How do you apply?
When looking for a Jewelry Residency program you need to do your research. You will need to thoroughly look through the application to identify deadlines and further details about the residency. You will want to find out how long the residency is, what are the housing options, will you be required to work, what is the stipend, etc. Make sure you are the right fit for the residency and that the program is the right one for you. Consider living expenses you will need to cover and whether the residency will require your full-time attention.
Emily Rogstad, Sarah Rachel Brown & Maia Leppo share their Jewelry Residency Experiences:
To get some insight into the craft school experience I spoke with Emily Rogstad about her time in the Core Fellowship at Penland from 2014-2016. The Core Fellowship is a little different than an Artist Residency in that it is a 2-year work-study program, but it does offer a lot of the same perks and experience as an AIR.
Emily heard about the Penland program during her senior year at Maine College of Art. The previous summer she had completed a two-week intensive metals class at Haystack and fell in love with the craft school experience. She knew when she graduated she wanted more time in that type of setting.
When I asked Emily about her greatest accomplishment or best memory of her time at Penland she said “It’s impossible for me to pin down one experience as paramount. Every day I was surrounded by people who were helping me broaden my mind and hone my skill set. More than anything else I am so grateful I was given the time and opportunity to realize a truer version of myself, as both an artist and a person.” She has formed lifelong relationships with the community of artists she worked with and met during the fellowship.
Emily’s favorite spot on Penland’s campus located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is the metals studio. “The studios are definitely my favorite thing about campus. They’re the essential reason everybody is there after all. Of all of the studios I have been in, Penland’s are by far my favorite. They have an amazing array of tools, equipment, and machinery that is all kept running smoothly by an amazing staff of studio coordinators.”
Emily wholeheartedly recommends this program to other artists and says that applying to Core was the best decision she has ever made.
Sarah Rachel Brown also participated in the Core Fellowship at Penland from 2013-2015 and then went straight into the 11-month residency at Arrowmont. I asked Sarah what attracted her to these programs, “I was looking for opportunities that could connect me with the greater craft community but more importantly, support me financially. Both Penland and Arrowmont gave me the community I was wanting and the financial support that was necessary.”
Sarah agreed with Emily that the studios at Penland are hard to beat. “They have state-of-the-art studios with equipment I could only dream of owning someday.” Sarah thoroughly enjoyed her time at Penland and feels she has become the unofficial spokesperson for the craft school experience. “The core fellowship is a great opportunity for artists who want to immerse themselves in a creative community and explore other mediums to inform their current studio practice.”
Subsequently after leaving Penland Sarah started her artist-in-residency at Arrowmont. She loves the campus located near the Smokey Mountain National Park. Her favorite place is the library that houses many out-of-print books on craft and design. Sarah admits to napping there on the big leather couches next to the fireplace.
Sarah is also a huge advocate for Arrowmont’s AIR. “The Arrowomont residency is a great choice for an emerging or early career artist who is seeking focused time to work, paid teaching opportunities, and a supportive/creative community.”
Maia Leppo did her artist residency at Arrowmont from 2016-2017. She was attracted to the program because she was looking for community and was excited to meet students and instructors from all over the country. During her residency Maia really enjoyed teaching. "I was proud of all the different classes I developed. I also really appreciated getting the experience to teach a variety of ages and skill levels."
Similar to Emily and Sarah, the relationships Maia built during her AIR are very special and important to her. She definitley recommends Arrowmont's program and said "It is hard to uproot your life for only a year and live in a new place but the experiences definitely make it worth it!"
U.S. Jewelry Residencies:
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts
Gatlinburg, TN
Arrowmont offers an artist in residence program. It is an 11-month residency program that invites 5 artists of varying media backgrounds to participate. The residency typically chooses one metal/jewelry participant. They provide the residents with housing, a private studio, a monthly stipend, a gallery, and professional development opportunities.
Penland, NC
Penland offers three residency programs that are open to artists in a variety of media, including metals and jewelry. They have the three-year Resident Artist Program, the two-year Core Fellowship, and the Winter Residency.
Layton, NJ
Two to four-week residencies are available on a case by case basis during the months of October, November, and April. The guest artist residency program is open to all artists, from emerging to professional.
Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft
Columbia, NC
Pocosin offers two residency programs that are open to artists in a variety of media, including metals and jewelry. A 10-day summer residency for up to 20 artists and a 10-month residency for up to three artists.
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Deer Isle, MA
Haystack has a two-week Open Studio Residency in the summer. The residency is designed to foster artistic exploration at the highest level, and those selected attend for free.
Mendocino, CA
The Art Center offers an Artist-in-residence and a Professional Artist in Retreat program. The programs include studio rental with an apartment on campus.
Brooklyn, NY
NYC Jewelry Week through the HERE WE ARE platform partnered with Nolo Studios to launch the pilot residency program. The NoLo Collective Residency aims to create a tangible opportunity within their corner of the jewelry industry by providing a Black, Indigenous, or POC jeweler with a fully furnished spot in the NoLo Jewelry Studio for one year.
New York City, NY
92Y’s Jewelry Artist Residency is a juried residency for cutting-edge, emerging, and established jewelry artists to develop their work in the multifaceted New York City art scene. For a month during the summer, the Residency will provide the opportunity for an international artist with a studio-based practice to develop a new body of work or complete research while engaging with NYC’s cultural community.
West Palm Beach, FL
This highly competitive program attracts a diverse group of emerging artists within varied disciplines who have earned at least a BFA. Residents receive a generous monthly stipend and are also paid for teaching and extracurricular events in the community.
Baltimore, MD
Offers a one-month and a three-month-long professional mid-career artist residency.
Chicago, IL
Lillstreet Art Center offers a year-long residency, in Ceramics, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Painting & Drawing, Printmaking & Book Arts, Textiles or Photography. The residency includes personal workspace, 24-hour access to facilities and equipment, free classes in any department, paid opportunities to teach and/or assist classes, participation in a group exhibition, and a monthly stipend.
Farmington, PA
The Residency Program provides the time, creative space, and support for emerging and mid-career artists to explore new ideas and bodies of work in any media that we are able to accommodate. One to four-week residencies are offered in May/June and again in August/September and provides studio access, room, and board.
Thank you to our residency contributors:
Emily was born and raised in the small village of East Calais, Vermont. She graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Metalsmithing + Jewelry from Maine College of Art. After some traveling, she moved to Penland School of Crafts for two years for the Core Fellowship. Now a resident of Asheville, North Carolina she spends her time maintaining an inquisitive studio practice and enjoying the mountains.
Sarah Rachel Brown is an adornment artist located in Philadelphia where she is a member of the JV Collective, a collaborative contemporary jewelry studio. Beyond the studio, Sarah is Art Jewelry Forum’s US Ambassador, the Custom Design Specialist for Bario Neal Jewelry and was the founding Metals Coordinator for the Pentaculum Residency at the Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts. Most recently, Sarah is known for Perceived Value, a podcast launched in 2017, acclaimed for radical transparency and candid interviews discussing the financial and logistical aspects of artist’s careers.
Maia graduated from Tufts University in 2008 with a degree in Biology and Community Health. She received training in jewelry and metals from various craft schools, including Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Pocosin Arts, Penland School of Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and her Masters of Fine Art from SUNY New Paltz. She has participated in artist residencies at Arrowmont and Fallingwater and has taught around the country including Penland, Arrowmont, Pocosin, and Touchstone. She currently works out of her studio in the Brewhouse Association on the south side of Pittsburgh.
