2025 Emerging Artists Lecture Series

The Seattle Metals Guild is hosting a new program via its 2025 Lecture Series, featuring emerging talent in the field of jewelry and metals: You. Alongside a cohort of emerging artists, you will have the opportunity to speak about your work in a supportive program designed to provide a platform for both sharing and learning.

The Lecture Series will consist of four monthly events, each featuring three artists' talks followed by a moderated panel discussion of your work. 

We hope you'll apply to be a part of this exciting series. Applications are due by Friday, January 31st, 2025, and selection will be communicated by Friday, February 14th.

Share

• Give a 15-minute online presentation about your jewelry & metals work in the form of a free Zoom Webinar for members the Seattle Metals Guild and the general public, to be scheduled in the first half of 2025 
• Immediately following your talk, participate in a 15-20 minute moderated panel discussion alongside two other emerging artist speakers
• Participate in a final, series-wide panel discussion with all 12 speakers

 Receive

• Participate in a cohort of emerging artists taking part in the series, via a private online community forum, setup just for you
• Access to one or more participating established artists guiding you toward a successful presentation via feedback on your recorded first draft
• An opportunity to be featured on the Guild's website, social media accounts, and in our newsletter
• A year of individual membership with the Seattle Metals Guild
• A $50 stipend for your presentation and time, with the possibility to earn more as our fundraising enables it

Emerging Artists

• For the purposes of our Lecture Series, we define an Emerging Artist as anyone who has yet to gain widespread recognition for their relevant work.
• A priority will be given to those working in the field of jewelry and metals, or to those whose application makes clear the relevance of their work to others working in this field.

Guild Members

• Guild members are encouraged to apply! Our members will be featured in one or more of the events in the series, as interest and space permits.

Who is an Emerging Artist?

An Emerging Artist, as defined by the Seattle Metals Guild for the purposes of this Lecture Series, is a Maker/Artist who has participated in no more than five exhibitions (*see definition below). Additionally, an Emerging Artist, or their work, may have been featured in no more than five relevant publications including articles, blogs, books, essays, catalogs or periodicals. 

Students and practitioners may both qualify as Emerging Artists.

*An exhibition, as defined by the Seattle Metals Guild for the purposes of this Leture Series, is a display of artist-made work on view to the public or a specific group(s). Sales of exhibited work is not the primary goal of an exhibition, although sales can take place. Exhibitions may be group, solo, juried or curated. Exhibition Venues may include galleries, museums, art centers, schools, even stores or shops. Jewelry/ craft stores, restaurants, wine shops, airports, etc. qualify as Exhibition Venues but the work must be available to view by the public or a selected group(s). Collections of work on permanent display also qualify.

All proposals will be evaluated by members of our Lecture Series Committee using the following criteria:

• Relevance. The applicant's concepts and work are relevant to practioners in the jewelry & metals field and hold relevance in the broader contexts of contemporary art and design.
• Individuality. The applicant's perspective, process, and/or output is unique.
• Artistic excellence. Creativity, technical ability, and clarity of intent are demonstrated by the applicant's provided work samples and written statements.

The Seattle Metals Guild is committed to fostering a community free from discrimination and inclusive to all. All decisions related to Lecture Series speaker selection (and other Guild opportunities) are made with fairness, inclusivity and equality in mind and are applied evenly toward all qualified candidates. As a guild, it is our goal to examine and acknowledge our unconscious biases and to create an inclusive environment in which every member and participant is welcomed, celebrated, and heard.

Preference may be given to Members of the Seattle Metals Guild, at Selection Committee members' discretion.