Studying jewellery in Melbourne (update)

It’s been over a year since I last wrote about places to study jewellery in Melbourne. Time for an update.

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With respect to formal degree study, the schools in Melbourne are:

• NMIT, now Melbourne Polytechnic :
  • short Certificate II in Engineering (Jewellery) ;
  • Certificate III in Jewellery Manufacture, part of apprenticeship ;
  • 1-yr (also available part-time) Diploma of Jewellery and Object Design ;
  • 2-yr full-time Advanced Diploma of Jewellery and Object Design ; 
  • I’ve mentioned before that NMIT is exceptionally well-regarded (with reason) for technical skill development
• RMIT
  • 3yr FT Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art), specialising in Object Based Practice
  • + post graduate options
  • this degree is now a little different to the one I graduated from in 2006, particularly the reduced teaching hours
  • also see my post about the comparative qualities of RMIT .v. NMIT
• Monash:
  • Bachelor of Fine Art, major available in jewellery
  • + post graduate options

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Now, short courses for jewellery and silversmithing:

• Melbourne Polytechnic (was NMIT), six short courses currently on their website:
  • Introductory Jewellery
  • Intermediate Jewellery
  • Enamelling
  • Jewellery CAD
  • Gem setting
  • Silversmithing
• Northcity4:
  • Beginners Jewellery
  • Intermediate Jewellery
  • Lost Wax Casting
  • Tutored Access is sometimes available for experienced makers
  • there are also regular Workshops and Seminars to take part in
• CAE : there are so many courses offered under ‘jewellery’ and ‘silversmithing’ at CAE
• RMIT : regularly holds a master class in Jan/Feb each year, though these are usually only for experience artisans
• The Gordon Institute in Geelong also offers jewellery making classes

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There are also many jewellers who regularly open their studio doors and generously share their knowledge and passion.

• William Llewellyn Griffiths, of Metal Couture, holds wax carving classes
• Jeanette Dyke has classes in the beautiful surrounds of Monsalvat Art Centre
• Annie Broadway Studio (Geelong) offers classes
• in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne Jane Ruljancich regularly runs workshop classes of varying levels, and has a specialist class for couples to make their own wedding bands (no prior experience necessary)

… I’m sure there are many more, so I’ll add to this listing as I uncover them.

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I’d really like to create a listing of the best short courses in Melbourne for jewellery making – can you recommend where you’ve been or heard is good?

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Previous, now superseded, posts about learning jewellery making in Melbourne

• 27Nov13 : Studying jewellery in Melbourne
• 13Jan13 : Short courses in Melbourne, update
• 17Oct11 : Short courses in Melbourne

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NMIT graduates ‘Mettle’ @ Red Gallery

Hoorah for graduate exhibition season!

NMIT graduates are showing ‘Mettle‘ at Red Gallery.
I do like this space.

photograph taken with gallery permission

There is a lot of work here … as in all previous NMIT exhibitions actually …. and that’s a great thing, though I can sometimes feel overwhelmed with so much to look at.

photograph taken with gallery permission

Participating artists are:

• Christine Amery, Bianca Browne, Antonia Field,  Mehrnoosh Ganji, Jessica Gilbert
• Gemma Grace, Nao Hirata, Danielle Horseman, Joanna Hyun, Mel Jeffery,
• Michal Klimek, Rebecca Koster, Nicole Lawrence, Sisi Liu, Lisa Lubbock
• Philip Monk, Melrose Oh, Jan-Maree Oliveira, Shea Pinxt, Jane Reilly
• Pierina Sannia-Carbone, Emily Jayne Schilg, Benjamin Stiekema, Mimu Tabushi
• Marcelle Thomas, Mary Turner, Ann Welton, Callie Whelan, Ash Whitchurch, Robyn Wilson, Yokie Yatagai

It took quite a few turns around the rooms to somehow ‘get to grip’ with the works … perhaps I was a little low on comprehension power today!

Eventually I think I had a good look at all the groups. Again, as expected of NMIT, the quality of construction was mostly excellent; and I noticed more conceptual pieces and more exploration of materials than previously.

photograph taken with gallery permission

Collections I connected with and liked included:

• Jane Reilley’s smithed pieces; she has a very strong group in the first room (image in the ‘read more’ section below) and playful colourful works in the last room too (image above)
• Bianca Browne’s geometric works, exploration of an almost moderist aesthetic; her bracelet is very bold, I like it a lot (image in the ‘read more’ section below)
• Callie Whelan’s enamel collection (image in the ‘read more’ section below)
• Robyn Wilson’s earrings and shape combinations (wall panel in top image); in fact, I could see a pair on Margaret Pomeranz (and I mean that in the very best of ways!)
• Nao Hirata’s shapes and incorporation of plastics (right of second image)

‘Mettle‘ is at Red Gallery until 22nd November 2014.

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2013 ‘33 Carat‘ @ Red Gallery

2012 ‘Kaleidoscope‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2011 ‘Auteur‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2010 ‘Forge‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

2009 ‘Mint‘ @ Northcote Town Hall

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To save loading times, I’ve popped the individual photographs of the groups I liked below:

Other Nov&Dec: NMIT

Naturally it’s only fair to now look at past NMIT graduate exhibitions.

November/December 2009

• ‘MINT‘ @ Northcote Town Hall
  

  photograph taken with permission

November/December 2010

• ‘Forge‘ @ Northcote Town Hall
  

  installation; photograph taken with permission

November/December 2011

• ‘Auteur‘ @ Northcote Town Hall 
  

  image taken with permission

November/December 2012

• ‘Kaleidoscope‘ @ Northcote Town Hall
  
  

  photograph taken with student representative permission

November/December 2013

• Graduates ‘33 Carat‘ @ Red Gallery
  

  photograph with gallery permission

This year: ‘Mettle‘, Red Gallery [link]

Tertiary open days 2014

If you’re in high school and thinking about studying jewellery / making at university, or at any stage in life and considering your next creative move, then you’ll want to get to the university open days.

It’s a great way to get a feel for a place, see the facilities first-hand, and speak with lecturers and in many cases current students.

Melbourne universities:

• NMIT: actually has regular information evenings, next one is 19th June [link]; keep an eye on their academic calendar for announcements of their formal open day
• Monash: 2nd & 3rd August [link]
• RMIT: 10th August [link]

It’s not the end of the world if you can’t make it though – I didn’t and believe I was still able to get a good feel for each university (RMIT and Monash) during my interviews. But if you can possibly do it, try to find the time.