2008 Woodie Awards
Project to feature 'Women in Metal'
Andrea Budde
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The goal of the project is to provide visitors to the "Women in Metal" exhibition further information about local women metal smiths. It also hopes to assist in giving exhibitors, as well as other key artists, due acknowledgment in the field.
In terms of the coming event, "The exhibition isn't coming here," Meier said. "It is being born here. This is a huge undertaking that any artist, curator, critic, historian or writer can appreciate, especially here in Wisconsin for all of the women in the exhibition are either from Wisconsin or UW system, live here and teach here now, or have taught here in Wisconsin."
Meier said the information and research will help with artist recognition and benefit the future of the metalsmithing world by showcasing the work of women metalsmiths.
"We are hoping to show the major role women have had on the field to the general public," Meier said.
Meier and Redford have been gathering information and conducting interviews with about 30 women who have made an impact on Wisconsin metal smithing. The two traveled throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee and Georgia in search of these inspirational women. Some of the artists that have been most prominent in the project are Linda Threadgill, Eleanor Moty, Mary Lee Hu, Teresa Faris and Mary Tingley.
"The majority of the women were second generational female metal smiths whose primary mentors and educators were fellow female metal smiths," Meier said.
During their interviews, the artists were asked to reveal information about their views on education, their relationship with their mentors, and their experience as a woman in professional metal work.
"All 30-hour long interviews were transferred to DVD and an average of six hours for transcription was necessary to archive them into the UW system," Meier said.
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