ASK THE ARTIST: ANNIE PENNINGTON64 Art Jewelry ■ March 2016
him how to use the jeweler’s saw and the manual crank drill
to start piercing. He was so proud of his creation. I was soon
after awarded a fabulous jar of homemade corn salsa by a very
proud grandmother!”
This type of interaction is what the ArtCycle is all about. Davis
and Bernard explain, on the ArtCycle website; “By bringing art
out into the streets, we are able to reach an entirely different
demographic than in the art galleries. We think of it as a grass-
roots attempt to reveal the joy of working with your hands.”
The takeaway
When asked what she gained personally from the project, Davis
was quick to reply. In addition to becoming competent at MIG
welding (and learning how to change the tubes on her own bike),
she got an inside look at what it is like to be an educator and an
artist. Bernard is a full-time professor, the UWM studio technician,
has his own studio practice, and still made time to work with Davis
on ArtCycle. She learned the importance of maintaining a life-
work balance, however delicate it may be, and saw how being
able to prioritize tasks is everything.
As the closing statement from Davis’ SURF presentation, she
relayed the most important lesson she learned: “If you put your
mind to it, you can build anything — even a bicycle with a
jeweler’s bench on the front.”
Rachel Andrea Davis: http://www.rachelandreadavis.com,
[email protected]
Michael Dale Bernard: http://www.michaeldalebernard.com
What studio mistake
have you learned the
most from?
“The biggest learning experi-
ence I’ve had didn’t happen to
me. A friend of mine forgot to
tie her hair back one time, and
leaned in too close to the ex
shaft while she was using it. She
lost a large chunk of hair, and she’s lucky her scalp
stayed intact! I used to keep a hair tie on my bench,
but now, I keep a hair clip on the ex shaft itself. It’s
loose on the shaft, so it knocks against the hand-
piece. I see, hear, and feel it every time I grab the
handpiece, and I’ve yet to forget to keep my hair
pulled back.”
Contact: http://www.anniepennington.comvideo advocacy
Two craft-advocacy performances by artist/activist
Gabriel Craig spurred Bernard and Davis to create
the ArtCycle.- PRO BONO JEWELER: In this series, Craig took
his bench outside every week for a month to
share handmade jewelry with the uninitiated.
He gave away silver rings, but people had to
participate to receive one. He’s taken this combi-
nation of jewelry and performance to the streets
in three states. It’s a reminder of how exciting it
is to discover the making process. - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CRAFT: This
performance piece took place in Richmond,
Va. Craig used the form of sidewalk religious
preaching to share craft with a wider audience.
Intending to attract and repel, and to capture
onlookers’ instantaneous response, he forces
people to reconsider their expectations when
faced with a man speaking from a pedestal.
“By bringing art out into the streets, we are
able to reach an entirely different demographic
than in the art galleries. We think of it as a
grassroots attempt to reveal the joy of working
with your hands.”
To watch Craig’s performances, visit
http://www.gabrielcraigmetalsmith.com.