The
Manchester Jewellers Network holds 2 exhibitions every year. One is a selling
exhibition of new and unseen work by our jewellers, usually around Christmas
time and the other is a more conceptual show, celebrating the unique talents
of each maker, some of these new pieces will be for sale but some will not.
Each of our shows has a specific theme or project that the members interpret
in very individual ways. Although gold and silver are the standard precious
metals that we use, you can expect to see non precious materials too along
with innovative designs and challenging thoughts, incorporating resin, steel,
rubber, nylon, textiles and found objects. At our exhibitions you will see
something new every time!
If you
are a gallery or museum and are interested in housing one of our exhibitions,
please get in touch with our exhibition coordinator Gemma Scully or Liz
Chamberlain at exhibitions@manchesterjewellersnetwork.co.uk
LATEST
MJN EVENTS: : : : : :
Christmas
2007 MJN exhibition::::
At Christmas MJN presented
jewellery inspired by your favourite christmas carols. Held at the Royal
Exchange Craft Shop, St Anne's Square, Manchester, 30th of Oct 2007 and
ran til the 29th of December 2007.
All the makers were members of MJN and included:
Liz
Chamberlain - We Three Kings Gemma Scully - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Lisa Thornton - Good King Wensles
Tracey Birchwood - Ding Dong Merilly on High
Ewa Barker - Silent Night
Maria Duffy - TBC
Jo Lavelle - Deck the Halls Abbie Filer - O Little Town of Bethlehem Caroline Royal - Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Carrie Ann Black -Maker of the Sun and the Moon Rowena Golton - Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Architectonics
at Velvet Da Vinci, San Francisco::::
The MJN were very pleased
to announce that their exhibition ‘Architectonics: Foundations in Jewellery’
that was launched during Architecture Week 2006 in the UK was to be presented
in San Francisco this year at the Velvet da Vinci
gallery, 5 September – 7 October. Velvet da
Vinci is a gallery of contemporary craft specialising in artist jewellery
and metalwork from around the world. An opening reception will be held at
the gallery on Friday 7 September from 6-8pm with a gallery talk given by
curator and MJN member Heather Skowood. The gallery will also host more info
on their web site regarding the exhibition which you can visit at www.velvetdavinci.com
and the online exhibition can still be seen at www.architectonicsjewellery.co.uk
Summer 2007.
Manchester Jewellers Network collaborate with TELA textile designers.
MJN were busy working
on their new work for the summer show Wedding
Adornment. This was a must see show if your getting married,
hitched, spliced, civil ceremony, joining in partnership or even if you just
want some new jewels!
Wedding Adornment - a
contemporary exhibition collaborating jewellery & textiles to target the
wedding market. Inspiring bespoke pieces created by members of the Manchester
Jewellers Network (MJN//ACJ,) and ‘TELA’ with invited guests.
The intention of the exhibition is to celebrate Manchester’s unique
network of contemporary jewellery and textile designer/makers and the process
of commissioning a unique piece or collection of pieces for someone’s
special day. The proposed jewellery submitted for the exhibition incorporates
themes and aesthetics, taken directly from various cultural matrimonial ceremonies,
from church wedding, Muslim wedding to same sex ceremony, which will influence
new concepts in wedding adornment. Inspired by the historical collection at
Platt Hall Gallery of Costume in Manchester, TELA are creating contemporary
textile pieces that celebrate the range of matrimonial ceremonies experienced
in our society today.
The show was held at the
Royal Exchange
Craft Shop Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann's Square, Manchester. M2 7DH
from Tuesday 10th July 10th at the Royal Exchange
The full exhibition can
still be seen at www.weddingadornment.co.uk
where you can also contact all the makers involved.
Architectonics
– Foundations in Jewellery::::
Urbis, 16th June - 9th
July '06. Also at Renew Rooms,
RIBA NW Gallery, Liverpool from
Tuesday 18th July - Friday 11th August
Manchester
contemporary jewellery designers celebrate their city's outstanding architecture
in a new exhibition.
The power of 10! This
year sees the 10th anniversary of National Architecture week; it’s also
been 10 years since the Manchester bomb, and now, 10 MJN members celebrate
their amazing city with new inspired work, funded by the Arts Council England.
The
jewellery is both innovative and challenging, from Samantha
Mills’ sexy representation of the old Daily
Express Building incorporating steel and black acrylic, Lisa
Thornton’s elaborate neck piece proves the City
of Manchester Stadium can be redesigned into wearable art. Philadelphia
born Heather Skowood not only honours our very
own phenomenon ‘The Smiths’ but also twins her home town Eastern
State Penitentiary with Manchester’s
Strangeways: both buildings having a unique radial design, as does Heathers
sculpturally exquisite ring. The controversial B
of the Bang has been scaled down by Tara Kirkpatrick;
the giant steel spikes have been replaced with silver & seascape opal and
will adorn the head of only the most daring. Goldsmith Eddie
Grundy utilises computer technology to make his expertly created necklace
in silver & steel inspired by Manchester
Town Hall.
The
newest member of MJN, recently graduated Melissa
Hansom uses resin to represent ‘a building within a building’
– ‘a ring within a ring’; The
Royal Exchange. Tagua nut is a sustainable resource that comes from Central
American rainforests. This eco friendly material was used in the Manchester
textile industry pre-WWII for buttons, bobbins and needles and Rachel
Hearne has used it in her Lowry Cuff.
Toby Cotterill gives us his Mamuciun, a kinetic
ring, its name taken from the Roman fort built on the Castlefield site in 79AD.
This was the birthplace of Manchester, occupied by the Romans for three hundred
years. Martin Rees sensuously miniaturises the
Gateway Transport
Interchange with a silver and 18ct gold ring. And finally prepared to be
moved by Colette Hazelwood’s interactive
Manchester Guardian
(underground tunnels) brooch as she invites you to listen to the sounds of chaos
should a nuclear bomb ever drop on Manchester. The piece symbolises the futility
of war and the fragility of life.
Christmas
Wishes Jewellery Show::::
7th November 2006 –
6th January 2007.
The Manchester Jewellers Network continued their run of success with a new
exhibition of work at the Royal
Exchange Craft Shop, Manchester, this coming Christmas season, all the
work was for sale.
Limited Edition::::
continues it's tour, onto
Golddigger 79 in Belfast in August/ September
'06
is the latest offering
from The Manchester Jewellers Network. It's an exhibition showcasing the best
in north west contemporary jewellery design and will be housed at The
Royal Exchange Theatre Craft Shop from 31st OCT - 7th JAN
2006
Manchester Jewellers
Network // ACJ go colourful for their new exhibition at Manchester Craft
and Design Centre. Following on from the international success of their
current show, “Ring”, this exhibition presents new work from
designers across the North of England.
Each jeweller has
made an exclusive range of 3-5 pieces incorporating colour and with over
20 designers taking part the exhibition promises to deliver an amazing
variety of styles and influences. Specifically using colour in jewellery
is a new challenge for many of the designers as most normally work in
precious metals and stones. This brief encourages the use of new materials
and techniques resulting in a totally unique collection.
Martha
Camargo Lawrance
This collaborative
show is the first joint venture between Manchester Jewellers Network and Sheffield
ACJ members and is the beginning of an exciting programme planned for the
next three years culminating in a major touring exhibition in 2008.
Work from the
exhibition will be for sale with pieces made to order for each individual
customer so that the complete collection can continue as a touring exhibition.
Another
crowd pleasing exhibition
Previous
Chair Jo Bloxham being interviewed for TV
Our Ring::::
exhibition was on show
at Inner City Living 05
at The Old TSB Bank on Church St, Preston, Lancashire.
4th
Exhibition of Manchester’s HOT New Contemporary Jewellery Group
'Twas the
month before Christmas and all through the house not a jeweller was …...
The spirit of Yuletide has inspired the stars of Manchester's design scene
to celebrate the season in style. Each member of Manchester Jewellers Network
will bring their unique talents to bear on one line from the classic Christmas
anthem
Following
our highly successful summer show, ‘Ring' @ Manchester
Craft & Design Centre, M.J.N. were pleased to announce that 'Ring' has
been accepted by Barcelona's prestigious 'Alea' Gallery from
25th November '04 - 1st February '05 after which it
returns home to Clitheroe's renowned Platform Gallery 9th
April '05 - 15th May '05
Adele
Kime's Ring
Ring::::
Manchester has just scored
the biggest goal to date. ‘Ring’, the brainchild of Jo Lavelle
from the Manchester Jewellers Network, is based on the simple concept of offering
all participants the same 10mm silver ring and asking them to return it some
weeks later having altered it in some way. The artists gathered together before
the preview to guess each other’s work. Audible gasps of wonder and
surprise from all.
Accompanying statements
unveiled the motive behind each piece which ranged from sheer delight
in playing with basic geometry, to deeply felt distant memories. A moving
entry by Rowena Golton encases memories
of childhood tragedy in a box containing a brooch of many gems, exquisitely
made in the time available. Eve Redmond, employed wild linear forms and
a fantastic gem set off-centre to create a stunning and surreal piece.
Political protest from Martha Lawrence, with a piece in three parts crying
out for peace whilst Jo Bloxham concerned herself with the problem of
“what to do with all those baby teeth the children give you?”Jo
Lavelle’s own entry came camouflaged in a forest of plastic blades
of grass. The group is diverse, and infinitely energetic, but it can rely
on Debbie Zeldin-O’NeiIl to come up with an alternative to get people
talking. Hydroponic tubing and rubies were used in her piece which I think
went around the neck… Heather Skowood,
Tara Kirkpatrick, Maria Duffy, Yvonne
Chadderton, Sarah O’Hana and Adele Kime complete the picture of
this small but spectacular show of talent from the North.
Until 31st
of August at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, 17 Oak Street,
Northern Quarter, Manchester. 0161 832 4274. www.craftanddesign.com
AJC
Magazine 'FINDINGS': March 2004:::
A report
about the 'ICE' exhibition, written for AJC Magazine by Heather
Skowood (MJN member)
Yvonne
used actual ice cubes wrapped in silver wire and when the ice melted it left
behind a lovely wire structure of its shape
January
25th 2004:::
Second
Exhibition of Manchester's HOT New Contemporary group. Manchester Jewellers
Network presents 'BE MINE'
An
exhibition of romantically inspired jewels at 'HABITAT', St Ann's Square,
Manchester
November
19th 2003:::
Exciting
First Exhibition of Manchester's HOT New Contemporary Jeweller's Network.
For
this refreshing exhibition, twelve Manchester - based jewellers have interpreted
the theme 'ICE' to create a scintillating, slippery and seasonal celebration!
'WINTER'
Start date 4th Nov 2008
End Date 27th Dec 2008
Shopping Event – Preview 7th Nov 2008, 6pm,
MJN is proud to announce they will again put on there annual
Christmas Exhibition at the Royal
Exchange. This year Jewellers have been given the title of Winter all
the work reflect there personal thoughts on this. On the 7th of November the
Royal Exchange is hosting a special shopping experience, where shoppers are
treat to a glass of wine while they shop, taking advantage of special offers
and discounts.
