GALVANIZE SHEFFIELD: Cutting edge contemporary metal creations
KNOWN far and wide as steel city, Sheffield has a historical association with metal.
But it is its reputation as a fount of endeavour, creativity and craftsmanship that makes it the natural place to hold a festival celebrating contemporary metal design and innovation.
Galvanize Sheffield which opens today brings together leading designers, makers and innovative companies pushing the boundaries of contemporary design with both precious and functional new metal creations.
Running for a month until December 14, it features more than 50 exhibitions, events and commissions taking place in 30 venues across the city and the wider region.
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The city may no longer be infused with the smell of hot metal, the sound of heavy forges and the glow of furnaces at night but despite the decline of heavy industry it is still a place of innovative technology and awesome engineering producing castings of unimaginable size, complexity and accuracy, milling machines the size of a house and products and techniques that lead the world.
Add to that the beauty and style of individual pieces being designed and created in silversmith's studios, and it is evident that the tradition on which Sheffield was built is still very much part of life in the city today.
But this is not necessarily appreciated as widely as it should which prompted various groups in the city to collaborate on setting up an event to provide a platform for the city to shine, to show off its own wares, and give further opportunities for its designers and makers.
Building on the first Galvanize Sheffield in 2007, visitors to this year's event can see new pieces from recent graduates, from starter studios and from established designers fashioned in silver, pewter and gold. Objects range from bespoke jewellery to contemporary ecclesiastical pieces and commissioned civic work. New work can be seen in galleries, factories, a cathedral, a hotel, a country house and in the Winter Garden. There are also opportunities to 'meet the maker' and find out more about the design and making process with a number close-up factory tours.
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An important element of the festival is to encourage the creation and display of new metal works. The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Coun Jane Bird, has commissioned Sarah Stevenson, a recent graduate from Sheffield Hallam University, to produce a new piece to be added to Sheffield's Civic Collection.
The Civic Collection has evolved alongside the city with the earliest pieces dating back to 1843 when Sheffield became a borough and had its first Mayor. It contains precious metal pieces which have been created for function and display in civic ceremonies, as gifts bestowed to the city or commissioned to celebrate certain occasions such as royal visits, local anniversaries and sporting events. Most of the items in the Collection have been made by some of the leading silversmithing firms and individual designer makers in Sheffield.
However the Collection had not been added to substantially over the past 30 years so when Galvanize Sheffield was created in 2007, it was decided to commission an annual piece for the collection to support local silversmiths and and create new work for the city.
Stevenson, who is benefiting from the acclaimed Starter Studio programme at Persistence Works, has just completed a copper and silver platter which celebrates the changing face of the city. It can be seen in the Town Hall collection from Wednesday.
Sheffield silversmith Chris Knight has been commissioned to design and make a new chalice and ciborium for Sheffield Cathedral and chose to form the base in the shape of Sheffield's iconic cooling towers which were demolished last summer. The vessels are made from silver and anodised aluminium, some of the objects combining precious and other metals which can be hallmarked and he decided he wanted to make the design specific to both Sheffield and the Church.
The new pieces feature as part of an exhibition of church silver in the Cathedral's 1554 Gallery and will be used for the first time on the last day of the festival, Sunday, December 14.
Fine Design, on show at the St. Paul's Mercure Hotel, celebrates eight years of outstanding metalwork and jewellery commissions, designed and crafted by a generation of talented Sheffield Hallam students, graduates, and staff. The exhibits will include the spectacular St Leger trophy, the only permanent trophy for a Classic race, which was presented to the race winner at the newly re-opened Doncaster race course for the first time last autumn; a silver rose brooch, which was given as a gift to Bollywood stars and VIPs at the 2006 Bollywood Film festival, which was held in Yorkshire; and various commissions for the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.
Full details of the events programme are available on the website: www.galvanizesheffield.com, where visitors can sign up to receive free Galvanize e-bulletins with latest festival news. Information is also available by email: galvanize@sheffield.gov.uk
Partners in Galvanize Sheffield are Sheffield City Council, Yorkshire South Tourism, Sheffield Assay Office, Sheffield Cathedral, Sheffield Hallam University, Yorkshire ArtSpace Society, Ruskin Mill Educational Trust, Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, Chatsworth Estate and Sheffield Museums.
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Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
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