Promoting metal arts
Archive of past Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild events
Sunday January 11, 2012 we held our annual MBMAG Winter Party at the Haute Enchilada restaurant in Moss Landing, CA.
Guest speaker Emiko Oye gave us an inspiring talk on her work and creative process. We enjoyed seeing so many faces of our metal arts community.
Party details
Members join us free on Zoom, January 24, 2021 from 1-4 pm for our annual winter party. We’ll have a talk from our own Jeannie Pratt, introduce our 2021 Board members and enjoy catching up with each other. We’ll also be announcing the winners of our 2021 Winter Challenge. Our Zoom account is limited to 100 attendees, so you must register to assure your space. Free registration for the party is now open.
Jeanie Pratt talk “My Journey as a Metal Weaver, Enamelist and Insect Enthusiast or Nothing is Ever Simple”
Metal artist Jeanie Pratt uses a variety of textile techniques including weaving, knitting, twining, looping, and bobbin lace – all with metal! Her fiber art and metalsmith backgrounds inform how she approaches the construction of each piece, but it is her entomology background that inspires her designs through form, color, and texture. “I love making interesting woven patterns for my beetle brooch wings and twined bodies in gold and silver for my insect brooch bodies.” The synergy of her two life-long pursuits in one body of work is unique, dynamic, and full of life. “Although I hadn’t used my entomology degree in many years, I am now relearning about insects and am drawn to critters that are real, but surreal.” She lives by a philosophy that “bugs are beautiful” and the organic nature of both her subject and her artistic process give her pieces beautiful harmony with a whimsical touch.
As a response to the strange and stressful year of 2020, you are being challenged to create a pair of eyeglasses that will see into the future. Three prizes will be awarded!
The challenge is open to members only. Become a member or renew your membership by going to WWW.MBMAG.org. Membership will be good for the entirety of 2021.
THE METALS CHALLENGE: Create a pair of eyeglasses using anything you have on hand: wire, found objects, gems, beads, etc.
Let your imagination run wild!
Thanks to Emmy McKenzie for inspiring this challenge
Your Challenge Chairs: Annette Nemes and Toni Danzig
Last January we challenged the membership to create a wearable piece of work which would include at least eight pieces from a kit.
The results were fantastic and creative as we would expect. The pieces were voted on earlier this month and winners elected by the members, as shown here.
The winners were announced by email and are listed below:
If you are interested in a work, please contact the artist directly and make an offer. Put MBMAG Summer Challenge Bid in the subject line of your email.
(To see a larger image, right click on the image and open the image in a new tab or window)
 | Annette Nemes | annettenemes@comcast.net |
 | Dick Walvis | Not for sale. |
 | Emmy MacKenzie | emmymackenzie@gmail.com |
 | Lynn Guenther | Not for sale. |
 | Marylou Forrest | alohacglass@gmail.com |
 | Nancy Yee | Not for sale. |
 | Rebecca Thielbar | bex-1@comcast.net |
 | Ron Baldwin | Not for sale. |
 | Susan Shallenberger | susanshallen@comcast.net |
 | Tim Robinson | americanshorthair@juno.com |
 | Tim Yee | Not for sale. |
The video of this Zoom meeting on July 27, 2020, is now available. This video is available for members only.
this is a previously held event
visit the Santa Cruz Mineral & Gem Society website to learn about more current events
Friday, Dec 11, 2019, 6:30-8:30 PM
Don’t miss this month’s MBMAG Speaker Series
We’ll be meeting at Cabrillo College Jewelry Room #3001
The event is free and open to the public
Presenters Angela Gleason and Lynn Guenther will talk about their work and how to make to make a meaningful life with creative practice.
Angela will talk about her work and her opening SCRAP exhibit. Lynn will show a short video about her teaching trip to Rosebud Reservation and talk a bit about other educational programs that she is involved in.
Lynn is collecting tools and donations to complete the “tool kit” she left for the students to use at the school on Rosebud Reservation. Below is what they are missing. You can bring any donations to the meeting.
Lynn says, “Fortunately some artists were very generous with materials last year, but the kids are using them and they could always use more if people want to donate any extra stuff they have. 20 or 18 gauge copper would be helpful, too, for bracelets.”
Join us for good food, fellowship, an inspiring talk by Merry Lee Rae, and take part in The Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild 2ndAnnual Challenges!
Challenge #1: Scavenger Hunt
Create a wearable item (i.e., necklace, ring, brooch, tiara, etc.) containing at least 5 of the 8 items in the list.
Must contain something with*:
A hole in it;
Words/letters
With stripes
That hangs
With a square corner
A textured surface
Fabric
Yarn
*An item can include more than one requirement.
Finished item must be primarily metal.
Materials list:
Your choice of metal: copper. Silver brass, etc.
Sheet
Wire
Chain
May be soldered or cold-connected
An entry fee of $5.00 will be collected at the time of delivery (the Winter Party).
Items will be voted on by the members at the Winter Party. The winner of the most votes will receive 50% of the collected fee; the second winner will receive 30% and the third winner will receive 20%. The entrants may keep the finished piece.
Challenge #2: Unfinished Symphony
Yes, we all have them – that piece that has been sitting on your bench or in the “projects” pile and you are tired of looking at it.
Bring it to the Winter Partywhere another member will select it, finish it, and bring the finished piece tothe Summer Party. There it will be auctioned as a fund-raiser for the Guild.
The finished work must be wearable, i.e., necklace, ring, brooch, tiara, etc.
Lapidary and jeweler Sky Paxton will share his love and knowledge of agates with us on Friday, Sept. 21, 7-9 pm at the Moss Landing Harbor Master’s Office.
Sky will share slides with examples of various types of agates, locations where they are found and some factors that affect prices.
He’ll also give us some tips on hardness and cleavage planes of popular stones which affect their use in certain types of settings.
Sky has been working with stones for many years, so bring your questions about working with these varied and beautiful stones.
This meeting is free and open to the public.
The address is 7881 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing. After you enter the driveway to the Harbor parking lot go to the building all the way to the end of the parking lot on your right, “Harbor Master’s Office”.