← Success With Jewelry
Success With Jewelry
142 - Laryssa and Liz Interview Brienne and Chelsea of Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)
00:25:11
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. In Episode #142, we’re thrilled to welcome Brienne Rosner (Executive Director) and...
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry Podcast. Your go to source for real conversations about business marketing and what it actually takes to succeed as a jewelry brand Today.
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B
I'm Larissa, the strategist, systems queen and the one who finds joy in turning big marketing challenges into step by step plans that actually work. Email marketing and generating revenue through it is the specialty of my agency, Joy Joya.
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A
And I'm Liz, your creative compass and advocate for designers doing things differently. I live for brilliant brand storytelling, beautiful visuals, and helping designers confidently show up and shine. I founded the Stay Gold Collective to create community and support for independent jewelry brands.
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B
Together, we bring you nearly two decades of jewelry marketing experience. And on this podcast, we're pulling back the curtain on everything we've learned. Whether you're just starting out or scaling to your next big milestone, you'll get honest insights, helpful tips, and maybe a few laughs along the way.
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A
This is episode 142 and we're excited to welcome Brianne and Chelsea from Snag, the Society of North American Goldsmiths. If you're not already familiar, SNAG is a nonprofit membership organization that has been supporting jewelers, metalsmiths and makers for more than 50 years. What began as a community of goldsmiths has since grown into a hub for all kinds of artists, from fine jewelers to blacksmiths to educators and students. Brianne is snag's executive director, wearing many hats to keep programs running, from exhibitions and conferences to publications like Metalsmith Magazine. Chelsea is snag's communication specialist, helping to amplify the organization's mission through social media events and member outreach. Together, they're helping SNAG evolve into a more inclusive, connected and forward looking community. In this conversation, we'll dive into what SNAG does, how they serve independent designers and small studios, and why organizations like theirs matter so much in today's jewelry landscape. Let's get into it.
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B
Welcome Chelsea and Brianne.
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C
Hi, thanks for having us.
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B
Yeah, we're really excited to have you.
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D
On the POD today.
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A
I remember because I've been in the industry for a while, so has Larissa, but kind of coming in through, you know, Todd Reed. I've been aware of SNAG for a long time and I know it's changed quite a bit. What's going on with it now?
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D
What's.
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A
What are the things that you're very excited about?
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D
Yeah. Well, right now we've got an open call for New York City jewelry we called Exposed. We've got an upcoming virtual symposium called Tides and Ways Indigenous Peoples of North America. What else, Brian? I mean there's, there's always so much going on.
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C
Yeah, yeah, we've done a lot to, we're very intentional about having, you know, an inclusive community. So we historically were founded by academics and have a lot of academics and students organizations, a lot of people from different areas of the field. But really broadening that umbrella because there are so many different kinds of people working in the field, working in fine jewelry, working in blacksmithing, making vessels, teaching, writing. And this is a, you know, our events are for everyone to come together and meet each other. So, you know, we're really unique in that we're bringing people together from all of these different paths and they probably wouldn't meet otherwise and can form lifelong relationships with people and really, you know, advance their careers through our different opportunities.
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B
Yeah, Brianne, I think you're kind of like, I mean, in the scope of the whole organization's history, you're relatively newer and Chelsea, I think you are too. So it's interesting to me how something can be like a long standing institution and then like a new group of people come in and try to create change. Like what has that been like? And like how did you take that on? Like, what were you inheriting?
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C
Yeah, I mean, I think for me personally I've had a non traditional path into jewelry. So I have a studio practice on the side when I can fit it in. My background is in painting and I worked at a craft school for a long time and took workshops there. And so I got into jewelry and I do mixed media jewelry and wall pieces with removable jewelry and things. And so I had, you know, become aware of the organization and had joined a couple years before. But I'm really, I don't, I'm very interested in learning all of that history. I actually got to meet one of the founders, Bob Evendorf, just a couple days ago. I was in Sanford, excuse me, Santa Fe for the Santa Fe Indian Market. And a lot of our presenters for our symposium are there and so that was really exciting to get to meet them in person. But anyway, learning. So I am very interested in learning that history, but I don't have that in my lived experience. And so I'm coming in with that fresh perspective and really again, I'm connected to a lot of different kinds of participants in the field, so I find that really exciting. And then I get to bring everybody together, which is just a joy.
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A
Bob's work, amazing. They carry it at Mora here locally, so it's really great.
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D
I love that.
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A
Oh, it's so good.
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C
Yeah, that was a real treat.
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A
I just sent out an email about community to my list. Although, like I'm often writing about community and I think that for metalsmiths and makers of any kind in whatever medium they're using, it's such a solo experience because most studios are. Are you're alone or most jewelry benches, you're alone or even if you have other folks in your studio, you're still working like in a solidary practice. So yeah, I think it's so important that that community exists and that there's opportunities for people to meet.
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D
Yeah, yeah, that's something that we talk about quite a bit, you know, within the SNAG staff is. Is the fact that we're all sitting here at our individual benches and like.
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A
You might not pop out to see.
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D
A another person unless you're going to the library or the coffee shop or getting grocery, you know. And so like we're going to a market regional or local. And so that's, that's what we. That's what I've really appreciated about SNAG and is that connection to other people. Right? Like it's people focused.
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C
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And people finding their people also.
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D
Yeah, yeah.
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C
You know, there are local communities, there are guilds and, and centers where people are. But we have members from, I mean, all over the world. And so some of them might live remotely and you know, we are that community for them.
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A
I've been talking a lot about like local community too, but I often have to check myself because I'm in Asheville where there's a big appreciation for the arts and there is a lot of community. And I'm like, everyone lives this existence or like not everyone has the same opportunities. So having a organization that kind of serves a larger group and helps people find their local community or local ish community organizations I think is really important.
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B
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point, Liz, because I know, I mean I've been in some. I was talking to Chelsea before we started recording. I used to be in like Women's Jewelry association and I would recommend it to a lot of like emerging new jewelry designers. But then some of them would be like, oh, but I don't have a chapter like in my local area, so how do I still get involved? So there's also this element like being part of a community, but maybe not necessarily physically being able to be part of it. What are some ways that you kind of help people who are more remote or removed from the in person connections?
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C
One of the best things we do. We have a monthly. It's called In Conversation. It meets the. The fourth Thursday of the month and it is open to everyone. You don't even have to be a member to participate. And we have regulars that come and then we have people that just come on and off, you know, when they're available and we talk about anything. We really cover a range of, you know, what shows that people seen or they're participating in or questions that they might have. Sometimes people bring technical questions to the group and it's really open. There are people that have are names in the field that some of the people that are coming on are just new to jewelry and don't know who they are. And it's a level playing field where we're all in conversation together and it's really great. I highly recommend joining.
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D
I'm newer at SNAG and just joined in last month for the first time to In Conversation and it was, I mean it was great. There were people working at their bench as well. They were chit chatting as a group and then other folks very focused and zoned in there for the conversation, like. Yeah, so it was. It's a fun group. It's. It's fun.
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B
I love that.
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A
I love just the opportunity to connect, even in a casual way, like you're like the event you're talking about. I started doing a weekly co working group where we just sit on Zoom for an hour and we work and we can ask questions if we want and things like that. And that's what I feel like a lot of makers need is just like a place to show up, a place to connect with people, whether it be virtual or in person. Yeah.
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C
Another really fun event we do. We've done it a couple years. During New York City Jewelry Week we host gallery crawls. So I look at all the shows that I'm gonna see in packaging and we do one day in Manhattan and then one day in Brooklyn and again, that's open to everyone. But we had so many people last time we had board members having, you know, splitting up into group because there was just. There were a lot of people and it was, it was great. And you know, we had like a whole cohort from. Where were they from Nova Scotia, Canada. And they had a traveling pin exhibition. So they were giving you brooches off of their bodies and putting them on your bodies. And so they were coming along the call doing that. But it was, it was really great to connect with them and all the different people.
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A
I love that because New York City jewelry Week can be overwhelming. Like, what exhibitions do I go to? What do I need to see? So the fact that you're taking people, especially like newer metalsmiths or artists who maybe haven't been before to like handhold them and be like, this is what we're going to come with us is so nice.
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C
Yeah, yeah. It's totally overwhelming. And there are people that come. Probably been there. Oh, I wish I came before. Like, I didn't know where to go. And we've just. We've got it all outlined and. Yep. Hold your hand, take you along.
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A
That's.
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C
And we had. We actually had a talk for the first time on. What was that? On Saturday at the end, we had the jurors from our exhibition speak. We had an exhibition at Pratt Institute, so we've had shows there for a couple years and we're doing one. We'll have one there this year that's called Exposed. It's the hidden parts of jewelry your class and hinges and backs. And I don't even know what people will surprise us with conceptual ideas, things like that. So we'll hopefully organize something else.
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B
What are some other benefits and. Or resources that your members have really loved lately?
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D
Yeah, I mean, I think the. We've. We've. We've talked about quite a few of them like. Like being able to submit work for New York City Jewelry Week. We've also gotten an Ann. Annual archive of member work called We Are snag. So that. That just closed, but archive and of membership work. Right. So that's.
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A
I think that's a really exciting way.
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D
To see the type of work that is represented amongst SNAG SNAG members. Right. We've got. I mean, yeah, I'd say the biggest one. To me, one of the biggest perks of membership is connecting people to other people. Right. Like you're meeting other people virtually and then you maybe come across them on Instagram or maybe you're going to see.
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A
Them in person at New York City Jewelry Week.
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D
Yeah.
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C
And I mean, a really big benefit of membership is a subscription to Metalsmith magazine, which is the only publication of its kind. We're in our 45th volume right now. We publish that three times a year and we cover the breadth of the field. Like. Like we're talking about with the organization. The magazine does the same thing. So we had. I'm trying to think in the last issue, like, there was cast iron and then an article about optical. Like really conceptual optical work. And so all paired together, it's a really beautiful. And it's a beautiful publication. We doesn't matter. It's expensive to produce and we will continue producing it because it is just so beautiful to hold this tactile magazine and look at the work and people. People always comment on that. So we will keep doing that.
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B
Cool. So that's something that's included in the membership or can people just get the magazine?
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C
You can just get the magazine. We sell on digital subscriptions, print and digital, print only.
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A
It's a beautiful publication. I remember we used to get it and I. I'm just looking at your site now. I'm like, I have to resubscribe because it's a beautiful publication. And I think that there are very few publications that are giving a platform to unique artists doing interesting things with metal. And I think that that's like such something I think about a lot. Again, like checking myself because I'm in Asheville, which is like one of the hearts of, you know, craft. But there's just not a lot of places to get exposure for. For, you know, metalsmiths.
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D
Right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, and that's. That's the thing. Like we're within snag. We're really doing our best to promote other jewelers and metalsmiths, people within the jewelry field, people within the metal, however they. Metalsmithing field, however they're identifying whatever type of work they're making, whatever materials they're making. Like that is what we're wanting and doing our best to promote within the magazine, on our website, through exhibitions, on Instagram, reposting work, things like that.
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A
Even this article with April from Shibumi. I mean, what a great article and what a great feature on an incredible gallery that, you know, everybody should be on snag's website reading some of these articles, everyone who's listening, because it. It's such great insight to again, like a gallery that you don't necessarily hear about.
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C
And we do, we publish two free articles per issue. And then right now we have digitized from 2011 to the current. And so I think it's like the two. The two most recent volumes are behind the paywall. And then everything else is available. And we're actually so thrilled. We're in the process of digitizing the entire catalog that will be available for free, going back even to the newsletters in from the 70s. So hopefully in the next year we. We get that.
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B
Such a big effort to put that publication together. Do you have like a whole separate team that manages just the magazine?
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D
Like who.
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B
Who all is involved?
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C
We have what we have an editor in chief who's on our staff and she has an editorial assistant who works like five hours a week. And then we contract with a graphic designer who does. Does it. But it's a very small team.
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D
Yeah. That's amazing. The history of it.
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A
I'm gonna, as soon as that happens, I'm gonna go back and, and make a goal to read it all because it's just really interesting to like. Well, like just having been in the industry for, you know, like 12ish years and IT, it's. I, I feel like I know a lot, but I feel like I want to know more. And I think that for anyone kind of entering the industry, it's so helpful to kind of understand where we've come from or who was before us and things like that. So I think it's a really important thing.
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C
Yeah, it's fun. I, I actually just recently got a couple boxes of the earliest issues from the original. I think he, he edited the newsletters and anyway, I'm flipping through them and it. And it was just fun. Like, you know. Right. Time has changed. But then that magazine was the opportunity for people to have a dialogue. So there was a really robust letters to the editor and there was a lot of conversation that was happening in print and it was, that was fun to see. Oh, wow.
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A
Letters to the editor.
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C
Yeah, we wish we got more letters to the editor now.
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A
It's really hard to get feedback, it's hard to get reviews, it's hard to get even people to like, send us any kind of dm. Like, we'd love to hear from you listeners. Feel free to reach out. Question about the magazine. Is there an opportunity for non members to like, submit or to pitch to the editor? Like, is this something people can add to their, like, press outreach?
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C
Yeah. There's a submission form on our website. I think you could just go under Metalsmith. You can subscribe there. You can submit a pitch. Yeah, it's all, it's open. Completely open.
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A
Awesome. Okay. Where do we want to go from here before we get into it with listeners or our insiders? Sorry.
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D
Yeah.
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B
One thing that was really interesting to me when we initially chatted, Chelsea and Brienne was the way that you span a lot of like, diversity within the industry and how you adapt to like, create connections among all these diverse groups. I'd love to know, like, your learnings about building some of these connections across the creative disciplines, across different groups of people, all the different ways that diversity kind of takes shape.
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C
Yeah, I mean, we do a lot through partnerships. I Think that helps us to reach broader audiences. So we've partnered with Queer Metalsmiths. We just did an amazing event at Touchstone center for Crafts with Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths. We work with Pupcos and Art on a virtual series with an international speaker. So those have been really great and help us to have, you know, like the different, different kinds of programming. Right. That's how we can attract different people. So we do an event at the Tucson Gem show that it's free, it's. It's open to the public. It's the only show dedicated to tools and equipment and education that's going to attract a different group than our conference that has a lot of lectures. Right. Or our event with SIBS that was really had, we had demos we really wanted to have. It was a demo heavy event, but have techniques that would speak to people working both in like larger, you know, forging and small metals. So there were, you know, chasing a repouse. We did have like enamel. We did have some forging there. There was a hammer demo that everybody loved. So. But I think a lot of that too is, is that exposure to things that might, you might be doing outside your studio and then that. Right. Like, so it all. It's like you diversify in that way and then everybody comes together because they're interested in, in all of these different things.
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A
I've heard amazing things about your Tucson event. So for any designer who's thinking of going to Tucson or going to Tucson, I would definitely add that to your calendar. Also on your site you have a great page of resources, which is an amazing place to go.
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C
Yeah, we have, we have a whole resource library, talks and techniques and stuff. But we also have an opportunities board where anybody can submit to that. So there's jobs, exhibitions, all sorts of different opportunities in the field.
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A
That's amazing.
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C
And that's available to anyone.
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D
And it's updated quite regularly too. Like I'll check it a few times throughout the weekend. There's often new things on there.
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A
That's awesome. So kind of to wrap this up before we chat with insiders, what is upcoming that you're really excited about? And you may have answered that a little bit already, but then also like how can people get involved?
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C
Yeah, we're really excited. Our, our big virtual symposium is coming up at the end of September. So we do this every other year. We now do conferences biennially. We have a small staff. It's a whole lot of work and it's expensive, you know, to travel to a conference. So for the virtual symposium this will be our third one. We did one on East Asia and then West Africa. Those are available. I believe they're public. You can watch them through YouTube or on our website. And then this one is focused on indigenous peoples of North America. We have an amazing lineup. I, I like I said I was just at India Market and I got to see their work in person and talk with them and I'm just really excited. But it's great. We have the, the format of it. It's an interactive platform so we have some pre recorded presentations so that things run smooth. I am waiting for them also I can caption them and then there's, we like move in. There's like, you know, I, I think of it like a zoom webinar and a zoom meeting there. It's called, it's a platform called Hopin. But and so anyway after we have these presentations, people go into the sessions and that's just open for everyone. So we'll have a moderator, we'll have the presenters, they'll have a discussion but everybody can participate in that conversation. And then there's other opportunities for people to connect, you know, virtually. So that's a really special program and then that's the, that's the big thing coming up. And then what do we have? Jack Da Silva is going to do a workshop. So we have a, we've done some series of workshops that are really to raise money for our organization. So, so the instructors volunteer their time and expertise to help us raise money. And Jack De Silva did two workshops last year and he couldn't get enough so he wants longer and more. But they were, I think they'll be.
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D
On forming and forming and is it.
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C
Sync Classic or Anti Classic Forming?
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D
Anti Classic.
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C
Yeah, yeah. And then, and then we'll be at New York City Jewelry Week and then we'll be back at Tucson. And so those are our big upcoming events.
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A
And how can someone listening to this podcast become a member? Head to our website.
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D
Yeah, yeah, there's information on our website on membership. There's all kinds of memberships.
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C
Yeah, yeah, we've got all levels. So you go to snag metalsmith.org join and we have individual memberships, we have student memberships, we have emerging memberships, organizational, corporate. We also have a coupon code for your listeners. Oh yeah, you can get 25% off a one year membership. If you're new to join. It's SWJ 25 in caps and hopefully that'll get fancy.
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B
Thanks for that. We'll be sure to share that.
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C
Yeah.
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A
That's amazing. Thank you for that. And thanks for being here.
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D
Let's, let's. Thanks for having us.
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A
Of course.
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C
Thank you so much.
- [24:52]
B
Sure thing.
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A
Now, we'd love to hear from you. How do you find community and connection? As a jewelry designer or maker, do you look to organizations, local groups, or other makers for support? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community.