The Jewelry and Metal Arts program offers BFA, MA, and MFA degrees. The program is now accepting undergraduate and graduate applications for the 2001-2002 academic year. Entering graduate students are expected to be self-motivated, skilled in fundamental metalworking techniques, capable of technical and conceptual exploration and able to work independently.
The program provides all the major equipment and tools in a well-ventilated studio. In addition, students are afforded a supportive, nurturing, and stimulating environment allowing them to develop creativity, concepts, and technical skills.
Students work freely without any restriction on media producing conceptual and/or functional jewelry, hollowware, flatware, sculptures, mixed media objects, costumes, installation pieces and other creative objects for interior or exterior, including furniture, lamps, etc. Used are various metals and other materials; traditional, contemporary, innovative metalworking techniques; software and computer numerical control (CNC) technologies and other media techniques.
Creativity/Originality — developing and refining personal artistic directions and expressions.
Learning and refining technical skills in traditional, contemporary, and innovative metalworking techniques and other media techniques.
Exploration of progressive concepts, cutting-edge aesthetics, and technologies, use of new and unconventional materials, and development of new techniques to create diverse fresh art works.
Encouraging students to learn software techniques and utilize CNC technologies available at the metals studio for a broader range of career options.
Students produce one-of-a-kind or multiples in endless variety of materials using 3-D CAD technologies and the desk top 4 axis-milling machine at our metals studio. The 3-D CAD rendering (with AutoCAD, Alais, Rhino…) can be also converted into plastic forms through rapid prototyping at UI. The plastic forms can be used as they are, or, can be transformed to metal by casting or electroforming, or the plastic surface can be embellished with metal using the electro-appliqué technique at the metals studio. CAD designs can also be sent to advance industries for cutting, forming, joining and painting. Students’ designs have been produced in multiples for the marketplace through industries.
Group and individual demonstrations, discussions, and critiques, slide lectures, visiting artists’ workshops, reading and project assignments, and discussions of current trends in the metals and craft fields, etc.
Fundamental metalworking techniques,
including sheet metal fabrication, hammer forming, hydraulic die forming,
soldering, riveting, repoussé, etching, roll printing, anodizing,
stone setting, and patinations, etc.
Creation of jewelry, flatware, and other functional and non-functional objects using metals and/or other materials.
Producing work using fundamental
metalworking techniques, elecrtoforming, electro-appliqué, casting,
forging, "silent metal forming," inlay, stone setting, and mold
making, etc.
Creation of jewelry, hollowware, sculptures and other functional and non-functional objects for interior or exterior, and prototype pieces for production art work using metals and/or other materials.
Producing work using various
metal forming and surface embellishment techniques, enameling, laser print
transfer/resist, lathe usage, gold plating, kumboo, etc.
Creation of jewelry, sculptures, and other functional and non-functional objects, for interior and exterior.
Encourages creation of unique and/or mass production artwork, using 3-D CAD rendering, 4-axis CNC milling, rapid prototyping, and other CNC industrial technologies.
Searching and experimenting with
diverse media, techniques, and concepts, using unconventional and conventional
materials, found objects, and invented materials.
Creation of conceptual and/or functional mixed media or single medium objects of jewelry, sculpture, costumes, furniture, lamps, and other objects for interior or exterior, installation pieces, and site-specific work, etc. Works will reflect the individual vision and personal statement of the students.(This applies to all metals course works)
Students from diverse fields share their philosophies and technical knowledge.
Independent studio work. Students
continue developing and refining personal artistic directions, conceptual
and technical skills necessary for professional achievement in the field
of contemporary metals and craft.
Supported in purchasing materials
for experimental work and exploration of cutting-edge aesthetics and new
technologies.
Portfolio preparation, participation
in national and international competitive exhibitions.
Work freely, using and experimenting
with diverse media and new materials to produce innovative works that express
personal aesthetics and statements.
Research and theses writing.
Intensive workshop in electroforming.
Creation of hollowware, jewelry, sculptures, and other functional and nonfunctional sculptural objects.
The general metals studio is well-ventilated and provides all the major equipment and tools necessary for students to practice all metalworking techniques (traditional, contemporary, and experimental). The studio is equipped with 3-D CAD system with a variety of current hardware and software (4-axis desktop milling machine, pc, slide scanner, digital camera, flatbed scanner, printer), 250-gallon copper plating tank (the largest electroforming unit of any art school in the United States), 90-gallon aluminum anodizing tank, reactive metal anodizing setup, hydraulic die forming press, metal lathes, power and manual rolling mills, floor kick shear, box and pan brake, slip roll, draw bench, vacuum casting, vulcanizer and wax injector, fusion welder, buffing station, tumbler, sand blaster, scroll saw, belt and disc sanders, steam cleaner, enameling setup, extensive collection of small precision hand tools, metal forming station with a large collection of hammers and stakes, complete soldering and annealing stations with acetylene, oxy-acetylene, natural gas torches, etc., and photo room for slide-taking. Each graduate student has an individual bench in the graduate studio.
To keep students up-to-date with new concepts and technologies, the program has excellent reference resources. The Art Library has a rich collection of historical and contemporary books, periodicals, and catalogs on jewelry and metal arts. The metals studio has a large collection of slides and other visual materials, and provides students with current computers and Internet access.
The program provides outstanding undergraduates and all10 graduate students with full or partial tuition scholarships and material scholarships from its own scholarship funds. Other financial awards are available through the School of Art and Art History, including scholarships for outstanding incoming graduate students, merit scholarships for current graduate students, and scholarships for minority students. Two teaching assistantships are offered each year in the area.
Chunghi Choo received a B.F.A. from Ewha Women’s University, Seoul, Korea and M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI. She is the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Professor of Art and Head of the Jewelry and Metal Arts program. She teaches beginning, intermediate, mixed media workshop and graduate workshop courses. Her jewelry, hollowware, flatware, sculptures, mixed media objects and textile art works have been exhibited worldwide. Her works are in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain; Museé des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France; Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, Germany; Det Danske Kunstindustrimuseets, Copenhagen, Denmark; Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y.C; Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.C; American Craft Museum, N.Y.C; Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Institution’s National Design Museum, N.Y.C; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Art Institute of Chicago; Detroit Institute of Art; Toledo Museum of Art, OH; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI; General Food Corporate Headquarters, White Plains, N.Y; Long House Reserve, East Hampton, NY, and other museums and public places. She is recipient of a N.E.A. Fellowship; AMOCO Excellence in Teaching Award from Univ. of Iowa; Regents Award for Faculty Excellence from State of Iowa Board of Regents, and elected to the College of Fellows, American Craft Council, among others.
Kee-ho Yuen received a B.A. from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. He is an Associate Professor of the Jewelry and Metals Arts program and teaches beginning, advanced and graduate workshop courses, as well as teaching software techniques, including AutoCAD and 3-D computer modeling, to interested students. Kee-ho’s work has been shown at numerous international and national invitational group and solo exhibitions, as well as competitive exhibitions, including those at the Goldsmith Hall, London, England; Museum Fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany; American Craft Museum, New York City and Aaron Faber Gallery, New York City; Pionine Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington; Museum of Art, the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Fortunoff, New York City and many times at the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, TN. Kee-ho’s works are included in the permanent collections of the American Craft Museum in New York City; the Museum of Art, Chinese University of Hong Kong; the University of Iowa Museum of Art; and other places. Among his awards and honors is the Certificate of Excellence and Outstanding Achievement in Metalwork at the prestigious Artitude International Art Competitions in New York City. At the 1998 National Conference of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Professor Yuen’s work was chosen to be presented in Dawn Nakanishi’s lecture, titled "Asian Roots, Western Soil: Visual Poetry in Metal,"
Dean Spencer received his B.F.A from Central Michigan University and his M.F.A. in Metalsmithing and Jewelry from the University of Iowa. Dean specializes in all metalsmithing and jewelry tools and machinery, chemical procedures, and safety instructions. His hollowware, jewelry, and furniture works are in numerous private collections. He produced a commissioned baptismal font for Saint Mary’s Church, and has been doing restoration work for the Grant Wood Historical Home in Iowa City. Dean received the People’s Choice Award and the Honorable Mention awarded by faculty for his surrealistic digital artwork and conceptual objects (using 3-D computer modeling and rapid prototyping) at the UI’s Image Analysis Facility Competition. He has taught beginning metals classes as a visiting assistant professor at The University of Iowa.
Kenneth R. Trapp, Curator-in-Charge of the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, will review metals students’ work, and present a public lecture in April 20, 2001, on "Collecting for the Nation."
Henry Dunay, Jeweler. Presentation of artist’s work, his methods and inspiration; discussions on marketing and apprenticeships. October, 2000
Paul Klecka, Jewelry designer. Presentation of artist’s work; discussion on marketing jewelry, and industrial/commercial jewelry versus academic/fine art jewelry. September, 2000
Sarah Perkins, Metalsmith/enamelist, Associate Professor at the Southwest Missouri State University, Spring field, MO. Presentation of artist’s work; enameling workshop, spring, 2000
For more information about the program and students’ work, refer to the exhibition review article "University of Iowa Metal Artists," Oct./Nov. issue 1994, American Craft magazine. For further information contact:
e-mail: kee-ho-yuen@uiowa.edu
For application forms for admission, write to: Office of Admissions, The University of Iowa, 107 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1396, Phone: 1-800-553-IOWA (4692), or 319-335-3847, Email: admissions@uiowa.edu
For information about scholarships, loans, and student employment, write to: Office of Student Financial Aid, The University of Iowa, 208 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1315.