The BJC will host its annual summer sale, taking place in person Friday, June 24th through Sunday, June 26th and online through July 8th. The BJC hosts a limited number of sales each year that provide opportunities for jewelry artists working in the studio to sell their work and patrons a chance to buy handmade jewelry while directly engaging with makers. Artists in the sale consist of instructors who teach at the BJC, working artists who utilize the BJC’s studio, students of the BJC’s educational programs, and other local jewelry artists. This is a juried sale and each artist will present a unique line of work. Included jewelry pieces are made of sterling silver, steel, brass, copper, gemstones, and alternative materials. The sale will take place at the BJC studio from 5-8pm on Friday, June 24th and from 12-7pm on both Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th. Entry to the sale is free and open to the public.
In conjunction with the summer sale the BJC’s current three-month mid-career resident, Berlin-based artist Anja Eichler will give a culminating artist talk about her residency experience with the BJC on Friday, June 24th at 7pm. The Baltimore Jewelry Center’s artist residency is one of its core programs and offers four different types of residencies for artists at different places in their careers, including an one-month emerging artist residence, a BIPOC residency, a one-month mid-career artist residency, and a three month residency that’s available to both emerging and mid-career artists. Eichler took a non-traditional path to jewelry making, leaving her previous career in Economics & Business Administration in 2008 to pursue an education in contemporary jewelry, via Alchimia, School for Contemporary Jewellery, in Florence, Italy. Since then Anja has split her time between Berlin and Shanghai, where she has become immersed in China’s growing contemporary jewelry scene. In addition to her final presentation an exhibition of the work Eichler has created during her residency will be on view.
“ Our residency program brings local, national, and international metalsmiths and jewelry artists into our community for a rich exchange of ideas and techniques. The Baltimore Jewelry Center features one of the few art jewelry galleries in the Mid-Atlantic, and our annual sales help introduce the larger public to contemporary and traditional metal arts, while also acting as a platform to promote and sell the work of local artists and national artists in the field of art jewelry,” said Shane Prada, Director.
ABOUT THE BALTIMORE JEWELRY CENTER: Founded in June 2014, the Baltimore Jewelry Center is the successor organization to the MICA Jewelry Center. Located in Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District, the 501c3 educational nonprofit is dedicated to building a vibrant creative community for the study and practice of metalworking for new and established artists, offering classes, workshops, and studio space access. The Baltimore Jewelry Center’s offerings are open to anyone regardless of educational or artistic background, and the program provides affordable educational opportunities by subsidizing class, workshop, and studio rental costs. In addition to its education program, the Baltimore Jewelry Center helps metal and jewelry artists grow sustainable business practices by offering professional development, sales opportunities, and a promotional platform. For more information, visit baltimorejewelrycenter.org.
