What is BJC Focus?
IN THE MAKING: October 5 + 6
The BJC Focus symposium is a free annual event that features workshops, demonstrations and presentations all centered around a particular theme. Our featured speakers are artists and intellectuals who are well-studied and acquainted with the chosen topic for the year. The symposium, while developed with jewelry and metalsmithing students and enthusiasts in mind, is free and open to the public, with something to offer everyone.
Our 2024 symposium, BJC Focus: In the Making, will investigate the role of memory and archiving in the processes artists and makers use to source inspiration, conduct research, create work, and document their projects. The first day of our symposium will feature speakers whose academic or artistic work intersects with the idea of memory or the functionality of the archive. Featured speakers will be: Lamar Gayles, Ana María Jiménez, Maria Konschake, and Manon van Kouswijk. Our day of online lectures and conversations will be followed by a day of free workshops in the BJC studio, each connected to the symposium theme.
The event will culminate with a charge to artists to participate in our community challenge; this year’s challenge will engage our community in launching the BJC’s newest initiative: a digital archive capturing our history and evolution.
Join the BJC October 5 & 6, 2024 for our annual symposium. Two days of lectures, workshops, and demonstrations all focused on jewelry. Opportunities to participate online and in-person!
In the making: SPEAKER LINEUP
LaMar Gayles
(he/him)
Archaeologist, curator, and scholar of material culture from Chicago. PhD candidate in Preservation Studies at the University of Delaware. Holds an MA in Museum and Exhibition Studies and a BA in art history, archaeology, and ethnic studies. Former Archive and Collections Manager at South Side Community Art Center and Executive Director at Union Street Gallery. Focuses on Black American material culture from the 17th to 21st century, using interdisciplinary research methods.
Ana María Jiménez
(she/her)
Plastic artist, jeweler, and architect; founder of Taller sin Borde, a creative lab exploring space, objects, and the body. Trained in Fine Arts, Architecture, and Jewelry across the UK, Spain, and Colombia. Researches pre-Hispanic jewelry techniques, combining art, craft, and sustainability. Focuses on decolonization, female creativity, and environmental responsibility through her project "Volver al proceso" (Back to the Process), using traditional Amerindian goldsmithing methods.
Manon van Kouswijk
(she/her)
Dutch artist and contemporary jeweler based in Naarm (Melbourne) and Toora, Australia. Studied at Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, NL, and later led its Jewellery Department. Her work explores the potential of jewelry through diverse media, focusing on archetypal objects and their contexts.
Maria Konschake
(she/her)
Former BJC Resident Artist. German artist and researcher based in Belgium. Trained as a goldsmith and studied jewelry design. Works with various media, including glass and porcelain. Ph.D. candidate at UHasselt, Faculty of Architecture and Arts and PXL-MAD School of Arts in Hasselt (BE) researching memory and identity in jewelry.
