Now More Than Ever - Rio Grande

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fusion nine page 2 To become more efficient, members of the PMC Guild are taking online classes instead of traveling to workshops. They’re experimenting with dust, filings and shavings of PMC, learning to reconstitute the material for future use. Some are selling off surplus art supplies and scraps of silver so they can stockpile PMC to guard against price increases. Many are looking long and hard at the shows they attend to ensure they’re spending wisely. Some economize by sharing booths to reduce their fees. Others are using this time to develop different art-related skills that might lead to income, so they can keep learning and creating. One woman said she is writing more freelance articles for magazine and other publications. When she gets a check, she buys silver. Another said she is spending more time in the studio to put to use the skills she has already acquired. But the bottom line for everyone we talked to is this: They cannot afford to stop enhancing their skills, and will find ways to justify the expense of professional development, whether it is attending workshops, networking with colleagues via the Internet or spending more time in bookstores and libraries. Indeed, because of the economy, it may be more important than ever to focus on skill development so they will be better positioned to stand out in a crowded field when the economy improves. “When a workshop is being offered in a specific skill or technique I need and I am available, I sign up,” said Linda Kaye-Moses, a jeweler from Massachusetts. “This does not vary with the economy, because no matter what the financial state of the country is, I still need to learn those techniques that will allow me to make the work I want to make.” Melanie Miller, an artist from Georgia, agreed. “It’s a necessity for me. It’s not a hobby or a desire. If it’s worth it, I will make way for it somehow in my budget, because it will increase my income if I become better at what I do,” she said. Kelly Russell of Maryland is taking fewer classes than in the past. “When things were really good, I would take three or four classes a year and absorb the costs into my professional budget. If I have a good year and go to a lot of shows, there are a lot more classes to take. This year, I probably won’t take any classes,” she said. That does not mean Russell will stop learning. She is buying more books and making better use of other learning tools, redirecting her resources to lower cost self-improvement tools. “I read a ton, and I use the Internet,” she said. Jocelyn Cooley of Arizona began working with PMC three years ago, and “sucked up everything I could” in terms of workshops and conferences, spending several thousand dollars in a short amount of time. Confident in her skills and eager to put them to good use, lately she has focused her attention on her craft, spending as much time as she can in her studio.
journal of the pmc guild PMCguild International The PMC Guild is a members organization with the mission of providing support, education, and exposure for artists working in Precious Metal Clay. PMC Guild 1921 Cliffview Lane Florence, KY 41042 Executive Director Jeanette Landenwitch Director@PMCguild.com Treasurer Darnall Burks Treasurer@PMCguild.com Communications Tim McCreight Tech@PMCguild.com Journal Editor Bob Keyes Journal@PMCguild.com Web Manager Sadelle Wiltshire Web@PMCguild.com To Join, Renew, or Edit Info Online www.PMCguild.com Membership Questions (toll-free) 866–315–6487 Speak with the Director 859–586–0595 “For a good year and a half, I busted it out and did all the hands-on training I could. I was going to everything I could manage, always seeking out the best teachers,” she said. These days, she is content to learn by reading, and is discriminating in the workshops and conferences she attends. The only professional development she has in her plans are next year’s PMC Conference at Purdue and a preconference workshop. Miller dedicates most of her professional development budget to attending fairs and festivals, where she sells her work. While those events may not qualify as professional development in the strict sense of the phrase, Miller points out that the fairs allow her to meet people, exchanges ideas, and get feedback on her work from a diverse public. She attends as many as 20 a year, and does not plan to alter her routine in 2009. Each show has a booth fee that ranges from $95 to $650, Miller said. “But that’s how I sell my work. At some of these big shows where people come in hordes and come to buy, it’s worth it.” Because she stays busy year-round traveling to shows, Miller generally does not attend workshops or conferences. She does buy DVDs and books and also has taken courses over the Internet. This winter she took an online class about riveting taught by Robert Dancik. page 3
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