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Washington State High Schoolers Encouraged to Create with Seattle Metals Guild's Passing the Torch Exhibit and Competition

Plusiotis Aurigans Chelsea Wood won 1st place in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. Thanks to the efforts of the Seattle Metals Guild (SMG), high school students in Washington State are being encouraged to learn and create in the field of metal arts through the guild's Passing the Torch exhibit and competition. The event kicked off in 2001 when a group of Washington art teachers began meeting with SMG's Educational Outreach Committee to collaborate on a statewide jewelry exhibition. Jewelry artist Nancy Worden was the outreach committee's first chair and gave the program its name. The goal was to display student work in a professional setting so students would see the value of their work and, in turn, themselves. Promotional posters were mailed to high school teachers across Washington, encouraging them to invite their students to submit metal jewelry or sculpture for the juried exhibition.

Glass enameled dome Sergey Godunok won 2nd place in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. In June 2003 nearly 50 people, including students and teachers from 12 high schools, attended the first Passing the Torch show and awards ceremony at the Tacoma School of the Arts. By 2008, the show had grown to include 65 students from 19 schools, and had moved into the Seattle Art Museum, where student work was on display from May 9th-June 10th, 2008. According to Dorin Meinhart, a high school jewelry teacher and regular Passing the Torch committee member, teacher Wendy Woldenberg tells her students, "This is like going to State for jewelry." Elizabeth T. Kessler, the event's 2009 co-chair, agrees. "The biggest impact [of the show] is to let young people know it's just as important to do creating and making as it is to be able to make a touchdown in a football game," she says.

Tiara of Leaves Liran Schleckser won 3rd place in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. Forest of Life Steven Singh won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. For the 2008 event, jurors were prominent northwest artists Harold Balazs and Laurie Hall, and they chose winners for the categories of first, second, and third place, plus three honorable mentions in both the jewelry category and the sculpture/hollowware category. A standing-room-only crowd watched the 2008 awards ceremony on Friday, May 9th. Winners received a medal and an award of metals-related merchandise or gift cards from prize donors. All participants received a gift. Activities vary year to year depending on the venue. Past years have included all-day workshops given by the jurors for teachers whose students submitted work to the show. Kessler notes that a side benefit of the exhibition is that teachers around the state can network.

Cracked Shield Chris Hashim won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. This April, the North Seattle Community College will host the show in its seventh year. Students who are able to attend the awards ceremony will get the added perk of touring the college's jewelry studio. The exhibit will open four days before the awards ceremony, although winners won't be announced until the ceremony. The deadline for entering the 2009 Passing the Torch is April 4th. Each school may submit up to five entries, with one entry per student. For details and entry forms, visit the SMG Web site, www.seattlemetalsguild.org. The Seattle Metals Guild would like to express gratitude for all prize donors past and present and all committee members past and present, especially 2008 chair Lynne Hull and her committee, who were responsible for a lot of growth that year. --Kristin Sutter

Jorge James Carroll won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch jewelry category. 2008 Winners of Passing the Torch Jewelry 1st place: Chelsea Wood 2nd place: Sergey Godunok 3rd place: Liran Schleckser Honorable Mention: Steven Singh, Chris Hashim, and James Carroll Sculpture/hollowware 1st place: Brandon Forgie 2nd place: Jeremy Hatfield 3rd place: Michelle Brant Honorable Mention: Joel Boggs, Gerald Burke, and Katherynn Enloe

United Patriot Brandon Forgie won 1st place in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.

Two Parts of Luck Jeremy Hatfield won 2nd place in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.

Suspended in Balance Michelle Brant won 3rd place in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.

Medieval Metal Joel Boggs won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.

Ode to Blossfeldt Gerald Burke won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.

Twilight Katherynn Enloe won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Passing the Torch sculpture/hollowware category.