Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference Review

Snag Conference

San diego, ca
june 5-8, 2024

Review By: Louise Perrone
Published: 2024/09/17

The last Society of North American Goldsmiths conference I attended was in Chicago in 2019. Since the pandemic, I’ve tightened my purse strings and drastically reduced international travel. So why did I decide to attend this year? Firstly, San Diego is a direct 4-hour flight from where I live in Vancouver. Unlike pre-pandemic conferences, which were usually held in expensive hotels, this year was at San Diego State University. There were a variety of dorm room options, and I chose the most affordable, sharing a room with two friends. I knew that since I wouldn’t be spending much time in the room, the considerable savings were worth the shared bathrooms and bunk beds.

The atmosphere at this conference was notably different from the one in Chicago in 2019, which at times had a tense and discontented vibe. It was clear to me from the start that SNAG has made a concerted effort to make real changes within the organization. This year felt more inclusive and open, with a more diverse range of presentations than ever before. For the exhibition “In Focus”, SNAG partnered with Queer Metalsmiths to showcase BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ artists from marginalized communities. You can see a digital version of the exhibition and  discussion that took place during the conference here, In Focus

There was also an a pop-up exhibition of select pieces in Adorned Spaces, featuring work by Isabella Clark, Cadmium Daniels, Denton Fae, Naomi Johnson, Celeste Lucero Maas, Omar Monroy, Kristin Diane Morales, Andrea Ortiz, Nanette Pengelley, Damion Pollard, Mercede Sheybani, Olivia Shih, and Apollo Timp.

Another highlight of the Adorned Spaces pop-up exhibitions came from the jewellery department at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Their exhibition “Colour Wheel” featured works from students and faculty, and used colour to make links between the individual pieces and the exhibition display. You can see information on all the Adorned Spaces Exhibitions here: Adorned Spaces

SNAG’s Juried Student Exhibition never fails to impress; 2024 Juried Student Exhibition. I was proud to see work by one of my past students from Vancouver Community College, Viyan Petekkaya, who is now a resident artist at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre; Metal/Jewellery.

Needless to say there were some amazing speakers including Ronald Rael, who delivered the keynote address on the hybrid culture of the historic and contemporary borderlands between the United States and Mexico. Another standout for me was J Taran Diamond who gave an inspiring lecture about her practice and queer identity with humor and clarity. I was so pleased to see Ingrid Valou present on “Forging community on unceded lands” on behalf of the Vancouver Metal Arts Association. It was exciting to see all the work that the VMAA team put into their 3-year feasibility study for a Metal Arts Hub in Vancouver shared and celebrated on the SNAG mainstage. I can’t deny that the vendor room this year was a disappointment, with only 5 booths (Charon Kransen Arts, Knew Concepts, Otto Frei,  Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, and Reactive Metals Studio) participating. Unfortunately, the timing of the conference overlapped with JCK, which impacted vendor attendance. I know that this issue will be addressed in future conferences and that the vendor room will return to its previous standards.

Despite the lack of vendors, the room served as a social hub for the conference, sharing space with the Adorned Spaces exhibitions and SNAG fundraisers including carnival games with excellent prizes, that proved to be very popular!

Part of the feeling of inclusivity may have been due to the reduction in VIP/ticketed events. The only exclusive event that I was aware of was the VIP trunk show hour. I received a ticket as a thank you for volunteering as a portfolio reviewer. During this hour, I enjoyed a glass of bubbly and had the opportunity to browse the tables with fewer crowds, but talking to trunk show artists afterwards, the VIP hour did not produce any significant sales or connections. Once the event opened to the public there was a fantastic atmosphere, with lots of sales and happy customers.

Sadly, the Trunk show, featuring work by conference attendees, was the final event of the conference, and unlike previous years there was no Exhibition in Motion or final night party. As co-chair of the EIM from 2016-2020, I know how much work it takes to create these kinds of events, however, as SNAG begins to recover from the effects of the pandemic, I hope to see more members volunteering to help bring them back. I would love to see the Exhibition in Motion carry on in a new format at future conferences, with fewer barriers to entry and less work for organizers. Perhaps a Final Night Party/EIM hybrid, where everyone can wear and showcase their biggest pieces? We shall see.  

On Sunday, the day after the official end of the conference, there was an optional tour of Tijuana, operated by Art Scene Baja. I opted for the $25USD bus tour, but there was also a fancier more expensive option, and a free self-guided tour. I think the highlight of the day for everyone was the initial visit to the La Frontera exhibition at the El Cubo museum. The exhibition examined the complexity of the U.S.–Mexico border through the lens of jewellery and was fittingly situated at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, and on the other side of the border in Tijuana. You can read more about the exhibiton here in Ornament Magazine https://lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=60607&i=827343&p=50&ver=html5

  Those of us who had opted for the $25 bus tour then embarked on a surreal journey that would require a separate article to describe. At one point we found ourselves sitting open mouthed in a community theatre being serenaded with a live duet of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. It was an unforgettable experience, and the SNAG Tijuana Bus Tour Group are now bonded for life: #SNAG24aintnomountainhighenough.

I’m so grateful that I was able to attend the SNAG conference this year, and relieved that SNAG has survived such turbulent times and is rebuilding the organization. Overall, the shift away from exclusive VIP events to a more inclusive approach, with a greater focus on genuine participation and open dialogue was incredibly refreshing, and I left with a sense of hope for the future of our field. If you have an opportunity to attend a SNAG event in the future, you won’t be disappointed, and if you want to see change, volunteer.

All photos are courtesy of Louise Perrone.