In the current financial climate it is more important than ever that we are proactive in developing our creative talent, honing our practical skills, marketing our products and clinching that all important sale. Joining a group of like-minded people can be a vital part of developing and promoting talent in a given area. As a jeweller living a rural Cambridgeshire, I find conversing and sharing ideas with other creative people both inspiring and rejuvenating. When I heard about the ACJ I knew that it was an organisation that I would find enormously beneficial. This is the story so far...
The Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) was founded as a membership association in 1997 to promote, represent, understand and develop contemporary jewellery in the United Kingdom and abroad. The ACJ organizes conferences, lectures, seminars and workshops for its members, as well as publishing a quarterly newsletter featuring news, reviews and information. The ACJ is open to everyone who has an interest in contemporary jewellery. The organisation includes both professional and enthusiastic hobbyist jewellers, lecturers and students as well as gallery and shop owners. In fact anyone with a passion for jewellery can become a member.
ACJ-Cambridge is a regional branch of the ACJ, formed in 2008 to develop a network of jewellers in our local area. We meet once a month to discuss current issues, share knowledge, stimulate ideas and plan exhibitions to promote contemporary jewellery in the eastern region and beyond. A year from the group’s
initial formation, we have grown from a handful of members to our current sixteen strong team. We are a very eclectic mix of individuals with vast ranges in background, training, age and design styles. Some of our members are full time jewellers, who sell direct to the public at design shows and through galleries. A number of our full time jewellers are also lecturers in the subject and teach in a variety of schools and colleges around the county. Several of our members are part-time jewellers, juggling their creative talents with other unrelated jobs and/or young families. Our backgrounds are all very different, whilst some have had formal training up to degree and post graduate level, others are either self taught, or have only attended a few short courses. The materials we use to create our jewellery vary greatly within the group. Precious metals and stones, semi-precious stones, textiles, glass and recycled material are all used to create unique and fabulous work. We see our group as a real support network, working together to run exhibitions, functions, workshops and talks; supporting newer members who are maybe lacking in confidence and invigorating the more experienced jewellers to encourage fresh work. At Cambridge we are an increasingly active group. We have a varied skills base, a vast amount of experience, good contacts and more ideas than we have yet had time to put into action. As a fairly new group we have spent a great deal of time this year planning events and exhibitions.
We are launching a new exhibition, The Jewellery Roadshow - ACJ Cambridge, in August this year. The idea is to create a travelling exhibition which will be continually travelling from gallery to gallery. Much of the work in this exhibition will be unique and different from work exhibited elsewhere. The Jewellery Roadshow - ACJ Cambridge will be launched on 29th August, with Alison Bartram owner of Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge, to coincide with the 3rd birthday of her gallery www.heartgallery.co.uk With Alison’s enthusiasm, dynamic drive and wide ranging marketing skills and our creativity, the exhibition is guaranteed to get off to a flying start. Everyone involved is really excited about this collaboration and we are anticipating a busy day on Saturday 29th August when people will be invited to join us to view our exclusive collections and enjoy a glass of fizz whilst being able to talk to all ten artists exhibiting, and of course to Alison. The Jewellery Roadshow - ACJ Cambridge will run from 29th August 2009 until 27th September.
We then bring the Roadshow home to Cambridge, where we are exhibiting at the well established and renowned Primavera Gallery www.primaverauk.com where the owner, Jeremy Waller, is enthusiastically supporting our group. The exhibition runs from 10th October until January 2010. WATCH THIS SPACE!
