Contemporary Cement Jewelry Workshop by Jim Cotter

This workshop is designed to challenge common notions of value, preciousness, and jewelry. Concrete is cast into sculptural ring-forms with precious stones embedded directly into the concrete. In other cases, concrete is set into place where a gem might normally be. We will consider various materials, including steel, Styrofoam, cement, rock, diamonds, and different industrial materials to make jewelry—even fine jewelry. Students are encouraged to bring found materials, industrial materials, and recyclable jewelry. There may be a surprise guest artist and maybe even time to deal with gallery and art, as well as social issues in the contemporary metals field. Come join the workshop for a potluck of ideas. Saw, file, and solder skills would be helpful. All levels welcome.


About the artist:A pioneer of alternative materials since the 1970s, James Cotter’s work consists of creating images from a variety of materials not normally associated with jewelry, such as steel, concrete, rocks, and sought-after everyday objects. By combining non-precious materials with precious materials, used to create intimate jewelry objects, he seeks to challenge notions and assumptions of how jewelry is perceived and what jewelry can be. James Cotter received a BFA in Education from Wayne State College in Nebraska and an MA from the University of Wyoming. He has taught at Penland and Anderson Ranch and his work has been in exhibitions at Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, Republic of Korea; National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, Tennessee; and Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin; and is in the collections of the Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, New York; Georgia Museum of Art in Athens; and Herman Miller Collection.