Weekend Treats Made Even Sweeter With Family & Friends

This weekend was pure food for the soul. I wish I could describe so eloquently as some, but I will do my best to put these moments into words and images...

Jim Norton, White Pearl Bracelet, 2007, Enamel on copper, pearls, 4" x 4" x .5"

It all kicked off with Friday night's opening reception for Bend, Mold, Cut, Join: Small Works in Metal. Juried by Ellen Lupton, the exhibition features pioneering art jewelry, vessels, implements, and small-scale sculpture that combine traditional metalsmithing techniques with a vision representative of the field of contemporary metalsmithing by utilizing innovative materials, techniques, and concepts. On exhibition through May 31 at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (DCCA), Bend, Mold, Cut, Join: Small Works in Metal is held in the main atrium of the DCCA and Alternatives Museum Shop, an elegant retail showroom featuring an eclectic collection of handmade crafts by artisans from the region and beyond. A must see!

Gorgeous flowers from H.B., by our neighbors, Sweet Pea's of Jennersville

Before going any further, I will mention that this weekend was also my birthday. Last year represented a more significant landmark so I was happy to have a quiet one this year. After all, I've never been one for odd numbers, so I call this the third anniversary of my 28th. Next year however, will be something different all together! ;) Nevertheless, despite my blasé attitude, I was pleasantly surprised by so many wonderful treats and well wishes. To my friends and family, thank you.

Yummy gingerbread cookies by Elizabeth, Aidan, Frances, and Paul -- thank you!!

Saturday's treat came in the form some very sweet cards and emails, some delicious and very unexpected cookies (they taste even better than the look, if that's possible!), and one of my favorites, Ray LaMontagne, who we saw live at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. Having waited for this show for several years, I would like to report that the entire experience was everything I had hoped it would be, but things were unfortunately dampened (literally) by some very rude, yelling, beer-throwing patrons. LaMontagne, was however, as spectacular as expected.

The garden, an ongoing project, but making progress: Maria weighing down the rake while H.B. drives the tractor... faster! faster!

Sunday brought more good vibes in the form of some hard work in the garden with the assistance of our friends, Maria and Boris. I don't think I could put into words how much we appreciate the company and heart they bring to our little corner of PA. Maria, with your wisdom and spirit, Boris, with your humor and curiosity; your presence makes every task so enjoyable, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A gift, lace made by Maria's grandmother

So many good memories, thank you all!

Anthropologie: everything they're cracked up to be

PRESS RELEASE: On the Rise

On the Rise, Work From the Metalsmithing & Jewelry Program at Towson University

Curated by Jan Baum

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts

Wilmington, Delaware

June 5-July 31, 2008

Opening reception 5-8 p.m., Friday, June 6th, 2008

On the Rise represents the diverse cross section of current undergraduate and graduate work as well as recent alumni from both degree programs. Work comprising this exhibition stretches the traditions and boundaries of both the metalsmithing and art jewelry discipline. Age-old impulses of body adornment are reinterpreted individually and personally in 2008. The Metals & Jewelry discipline attracts artists drawn to the intimacy and site specific nature of the art jewelry object and objects historically associated with the Metals & Jewelry discipline. A number of works bridge multiple disciplines in conveying the artists’ conceptual ideas.

The intimate and site-specific format of the art jewelry object and objects historically associated with the Metals & Jewelry discipline attract artists by virtue of the ideas they are seeking to express. A number of the works here bridge multiple disciplines.

Many of the artists in the exhibition are exploring non-traditional materials in the expression of their individual artistic pursuits while others utilize prominent materials in new and individual ways. A handful of artists are engaged with new materials and new technologies while simultaneously pushing and exploring the boundaries of art jewelry object.

The work in On The Rise has been selected because of its forward thinking and level of investigation into diverse and rich frontiers, which are evolving the Metals & Jewelry field.

Jan Baum is Professor and Director of the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Program at Towson University. She holds an MFA from University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and a BFA from Arcadia University.

Photo: Norway Maple, sterling silver and tourmaline, 2008, Whitney J. Marsden