You're invited: closing reception for Pratt Fine Art Center's Women in Metal gallery show

I'm so excited about this upcoming event and I would love to see you all there! The closing reception for Pratt Fine Art Center's Women in Metal group gallery exhibition is on Friday, May 22nd from 6-8pm. In tandem with exploring the art of urn making, I have displayed a new funerary vessel in bronze that I can’t wait to share, and am proud to be showing alongside some of the region's most impressive metal artists.

A little bit about the program: Coordinator and artist, Lisa Geertsen, has made a truly groundbreaking contribution to the community this Spring by composing a multi-faceted program to celebrates women in metal. WIM showcases local female professional artists working with metal on a large scale and successfully navigating a traditionally male-dominated discipline. Lisa’s vision for this diverse series of events is to "bring awareness to the public about these artists, and to create exciting and inviting opportunities for women to experience working in metal for the first time, or to further their artistic practice." The exhibition, along with the other events involved in Women in Metal, have truly brought to light how strong the metals community is and created an extensive, lifelong pool of resources for artists or those who are interested in learning.

The Women in Metal events included a panel discussion moderated by Bellevue Art Museum's Curator of Craft Jennifer Navva Milliken, a series of specialized workshops taught by leading women in the field, and an on-going exhibition featuring individual works from local women sculptors from a wide array of disciplines. I was so honored to be invited to speak on the panel and present work for the show, as well as to have a chance to take a class from another arist whose techniques I deeply respect.

The show features the vast talents of the artists Catherine Grisez, Erica Gordon, Eva Funderburgh-Hollis, Alair Wells, Celeste Tracy, Carla Grahn, Hazel Margaretes, Leah Gerrard, Chelsea Gaddy, Kelly Gilliam, Lisa Geertsen and Lauren Osmolski.

To learn more about the purchase and details of this urn, please contact me at chelsea@forcecollide.com. As always, I also love to work on a custom basis.

For more information about Pratt Fine Arts Center and the exhibition, please visit www.pratt.org. I hope to see you there!

Funerary Vessel II | silicon bronze (vessel), blackened mild steel (stand)
8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 7 1/2" | Inquire for price
Photo by Genevieve Pearson/Project Girl Crush
On display at Pratt Fine Art Center through the end of May
 

Project Girl Crush

I love to talk about what I do. Fortunately for Seattle, dynamic duo Jen Utley and Genevieve Pierson have combined forces on a bold endeavor they call Project Girl Crush, providing a platform for women they find inspiring to do just that. What I love most about them is that they've perfected the art of asking the hard questions in an effort to get the whole story, not just what people want to hear. To say I'm flattered that they wanted to hear from me would be an understatement.

Here's a more personal look into how I came to merge what I love and what I do, and what makes me tick. Follow the link below for the video and article, which Genevieve has documented with an unparalleled lens both in my home and at the shop.

Project Girl Crush talks with Chelsea Gaddy

Women in Metal: A Conversation

I've had the honor of participating in Pratt Fine Art Center's Spring program, Women in Metal. Coordinated by talented friend and artist, Lisa Geertsen, and Pratt's Lindsay Walter, this is a multi-faceted series of events and classes designed to promote women who work in the field and provide resources for women who may be interested in learning metalwork, asking questions and getting involved in the community.

As well as the panel discussion and specialized classes taught by artists from the Pacific Northwest throughout the season, several women metal artists will be exhibiting work at Pratt Fine Arts Center for the months of April and May. Pratt is located at 1902 S Main St, Seattle, WA 98144. I have a new bronze funerary vessel on display that will be for sale. Photos of this piece and information on a closing reception coming soon!

For more information on classes, visit www.pratt.org.

Panorama View of the Force/Collide studio by Bradford Bohonus

For the last ten years, Seattle artist Bradford Bohonus has been documenting artists' studios and translating them into virtual 360 degree panoramas. He recently visited the Force/Collide and Sideros Designs workspace to capture where the alchemy of metal takes place.


Take a virtual tour of the Force/Collide shop.