Submitted MARISSA SANEHOLTZ
BGSU Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Object Design Area
The Bowling Green State University School of Art Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Object Design Area is collaborating with the artist-run nonprofit Ethical Metalsmiths and several other area Universities to stage Radical Jewelry Makeover Midwest, a community jewelry mining project. From Aug. 21 through Oct. 1, the initiative will solicit and accept donations of unwanted jewelry from community members in an effort to highlight a supply chain that offers an alternative to traditional mining.
Together with students from several other universities in the Midwest, students in the Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Object Design Area will subsequently transform donations into fresh, responsibly sourced jewelry that will be tentatively exhibited at the BGSU Wankelman Gallery that coincides with BGSU’s ArtsX event which will occur Dec. 2 from 5-9 p.m.
Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM) has convened semester-long projects in communities around the country and across the world since 2007. By drawing attention to the creativity and skills of local jewelry designers and revealing the stories behind our personal collections, RJM seeks to encourage reconsideration of consumption habits and raise awareness of and transform the sourcing of materials used in jewelry production.
Metals and gemstones are often mined in some of the poorest countries in the world, on sacred lands, in disputed territories, and at great cost to human lives and the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that hard rock mining is the most toxic industry in the United States.
In the Bowling Green area, RJM will engage community members – as volunteer “miners” of their unwanted jewelry – and student jewelers and other volunteers, who will collect the donated material, upcycle it into new pieces, and collaborate on an exhibition of the transformed jewelry.
The following locations will serve as collection points for donations of jewelry of any quality, quantity, or material Aug. 21 – October 1:
- Angelwood Gallery, 24195 Front St. Grand Rapids, Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
- Art Supply Depö, 435 E Wooster St, Bowling Green and 5739 Main St., Sylvania, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
- Coyote Beads and Jewelry, 178 S. Main Street, Bowling Green, Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Don Rose Auction and Realty, 1039 Haskins Road E, Bowling Green, Monday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- River House Arts, 425 Jefferson Ave, Toledo. By appointment, call 419-441-4025 or click to schedule.
Donors are asked to complete a submission form by printing and filling out the form available through this link (Donation Form – RJM.pdf), or by filling one out at the collection locations. Donors will receive discount coupons to apply toward the purchase of a new piece, and sales will support Ethical Metalsmiths’ efforts. Donations of gold or silver accompanied by an official appraisal document may be considered tax-deductible to their full appraised value. Donations may also be mailed to Attn: Marissa Saneholtz, 1000 Fine Arts Building, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402.
Together with BGSU students, metalsmithing and jewelry design students from Earlham College, Ball State University, Indiana University, Western Michigan University, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville – along with professional jewelers from the surrounding area and Chicago’s Gallery 2052 Chicago – will work to transform the donations over the fall, in preparation for a culminating exhibition at Indiana University in January 2024.
“The Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Object Design Area at BGSU is excited by the opportunity to work with the community to develop more robust and meaningful ways in which as practitioners we can responsibly and ethically engage in the work that we create,” said Saneholtz. “Teaming up with Ethical Metalsmiths for the RJM project has been a great way to further the mission of the university and help teach our students about how art can positively influence society. It will also provide perspective of knowing where the materials we used are mined, how they are extracted and in what way, and how other areas like fast fashion also play a role and have a significant impact on resources.”
About Ethical Metalsmiths
Ethical Metalsmiths is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage social change that values jewelry made with ethically sourced materials. They do this by educating people about irresponsible mining, promoting transparency in jewelry supply chains and highlighting the collective efforts of jewelers actively changing their practices. Ethical Metalsmiths’ vision is a world in which people can create and enjoy jewelry made with materials from responsible sources that protect and sustain the earth, its peoples and cultures. For more information visit www.EthicalMetalsmiths.org
