MJSA Press Room

Providence, RI—In a strategic partnership, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) and the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) have agreed to partner on several initiatives—from high school outreach programs to collaborative magazine articles—to bring new educational opportunities to the jewelry industry.

In an attempt to both strengthen the jewelry workforce and increase minority representation in the industry, high schools that receive a SNAG Minority Outreach Grant will now be eligible to participate in MJSA’s Tools for Schools program. The SNAG awards, which were seeded with a three-year matching grant from the American Craft Council, enables guest artists to give class presentations and provides funding for tools and supplies. The Tools for School program, which is administered by the MJSA Education Foundation, enables schools to purchase discounted supplies from MJSA member companies, thus expanding the program’s resources and capabilities.

Schools receiving grants will also be invited to take part in the MJSA Future of the Industry Awards competition, in which industry professionals judge jewelry pieces created by students. The competition will now feature a new category, sponsored by SNAG, recognizing outstanding metals technique. In addition, all participating schools will receive complimentary issues of Metalsmith and AJM: The Authority on Jewelry Manufacturing, the national magazines published by SNAG and MJSA, respectively.

“This is a win-win collaboration,” said James F. Marquart, President/CEO of MJSA and Publisher of AJM. “Combining the complementary strengths of MJSA and SNAG extends the reach of both associations, and in so doing allows us both to provide expanded jewelry education and lay the groundwork for the industry’s future growth. It’s good for MJSA, for SNAG, and for the schools and the industry overall.”

“We are very excited about the synergy of this partnership in the high schools,” said Dana Singer, Executive Director of SNAG and Publisher of Metalsmith. “It’s a natural fit that benefits all of us, with the true winners being the high school students and the future of jewelry education.”

AJM and Metalsmith have also joined forces to publish complementary articles that focus on both the artistic and the technical aspects of Asian metalworking techniques. Metalsmith is focusing on the philosophical approaches: Its Spring 2002 issue will showcase the work of several key artisans who use such Asian techniques as keum-boo and mokume gane, and will explore the aesthetics that each artist employs to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Meanwhile, the March 2002 AJM will explain the damascene process, as told by the artists who use it (including Dawn Nakanishi, who also makes an appearance in the Metalsmith article, and Bruce Clark, who taught damascene to high school students as part of SNAG’s Minority Outreach Grant program). The full text of the damascene article will also be available on the AJM Web site (www.ajm-magazine.com), as will reprints of two earlier technical articles on mokume gane and keum-boo. The text-only version of the Metalsmith article will be available on the SNAG Web site, www.snagmetalsmith.org. The magazine will also be available on newsstands.

In addition, SNAG and Metalsmith are cosponsoring two related seminars at MJSA’s Expo New York: an “At the Bench Live” demonstration of the keum-boo technique, taught by Charles Lewton-Brain, and an exploration of mokume gane by goldsmith Jim Binnion. (Expo New York will take place March 10-12 at Pier 94, the UnConvention Center, in New York City.)

For more information about these seminars, contact MJSA at 1-800-444-6572 or 1-401-274-3840, or click here.

The Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), the association of jewelers, designers and metalsmiths, provides a range of programs and services to its 3,000+ members. SNAG publishes Metalsmith magazine and its 16-page newsletter, each 5 times a year, and produces an annual conference, among other membership benefits. (The 2002 conference is in Denver, June 12-16.) For membership or subscription information, visit the SNAG Web site at www.snagmetalsmith.org, or contact the SNAG/Metalsmith Business Office at (630) 579-3272.