Hidden Treasures

Antony Marshall explaining the space

Hidden Treasures showcased the work of the Sacramento Fine-Metals Guild during April 10-14 this year. Members of the guild are Sac States very own students who have taken the jewelry or metal smithing classes. The show described the different methods used in working with small metals with text on the wall next to the section that the group of projects that utilized that particular technique.
Curated by Sac State Alum Antony Marshall, I was able to ask about how he designed the layout especially since many of the pieces are small and the lighting in the Witt Gallery is very difficult to maneuver. The gallery setup was very minimalistic. Necklaces hung on the back wall (to also prevent stealing). The largest (and hardest things to steal) were masks by the door on top of white blocks and several other repousse works were also on white blocks. The bowls and small boxes were on floating shelves from Ikea. The spoons were on a slanted white shelf. Everything touched a wall, making the room seem very spacious. Marshall added lights to the odd corners of the gallery to help brighten the awkward areas with shadows.

Nikole Ballen's Elvish Headress

One of my favorite pieces was Nikole Ballen's Elvish Headress. I had the pleasure last semester to see Ballen wear the headress when it was near completion. Made of copper, silver, and clay, the headress is the embodiment of feminine power and mysticism. The large stone in the center is like a keystone that supports the daintiness of the droplets hanging from the chains.

The Sacramento Fine-Metals Guild is a student run organization at Sac State that creates wonderful work such as these pieces shown. Their dedication to their craft has been a driving force in what makes the small metals programs great. I highly recommend joining even if you have not taken a small metals class because the members are very friendly and would help teach basic techniques in the lab.

Chilling with Marshall

Variety of styles were exhibited in each section