FUSENEWS April 2018

The Enamelist Society Featured Member - Jewel Clark

Jewel is a native Texan currently living in Phoenix, Arizona. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in metals and jewelry. She attended the University of Texas at Austin for her undergraduate degree with Thelma Coles. Jewel studied with metalsmith and enamelist Harlan Butt for her graduate degree at the University of North Texas.

After graduate school, she was offered an Artist in Residency at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, TN. She assisted the professor, Bob Coogan, in the upkeep of the studio and helped students with their projects. In addition, she taught metals workshops in her specialties, fabrication, enameling, and chainmaking. In 1997, Jewel also began teaching art histroy, one of her passions, at a local community college, and began working on her own jewelry lines and one-of-a-kind pieces in her home studio. Teaching, shows, community involvement with TACA (Tennessee Association of Craft Artists), and working at the Craft Center Gallery kept her very busy.

In 2002, Jewel went back to school to pursue another of her passions: computer art and animation. She found a small college in Tempe, AZ that suited her needs and moved to the Valley of the Sun. After completing an associates degree in computer arts, she returned to metals as the Artist in Residence at the Phoenix Center for the Arts where, for three years, she ran the metals program, scheduled classes and visiting artists, maintained the studio, curated and installed shows in the gallery and taught the bulk of the classes and workshops in metals and jewelry. As soon as she finished her tenure at the Phoenix Center, Jewel was fortunate to be offered a residency in Metals at the Mesa Arts Center, where she currently has her studio and is teaching workshops.

From 2006- 2009 Jewel was adjunct faculty at South Mountain Community College where sheI taught art history survey, drawing, 2-d design and computer graphics. In November of 2009 she started working for the Heard Museum, the preeminent museum of Native arts and culture in the US. She ran the online shop for nearly 5 years, redesigning the shop website twice while doing all product photography, writing all copy and providing customer service for clients around the world. In October 2014, she assumed a new position as the Digital Technologies and Websites Manager for the Heard, overseeing the full digital presence from websites to exhibition interactives. Jewel has deepened her understanding of Native cultures and continues to meet incredible artists, which has only given her more inspiration for her own work. She feels very privileged to work at such an amazing institution.

When not teaching, working in the studio, on the computer or spending time with her husband and stepson, Jewel likes to get out into the mountains and hike, to sit in front of a good movie (or PBS) designing in her sketchbook, or to knit. Alternately, she heads for the local museums and botanical gardens. She can sometimes be found out with friends making a good-natured ruckus talking art, knitting (yes, knitting) or geeking out about computer programs, DSLRs and design. She runs as often as she can and  she enjoys yoga and tai chi when her schedule permits. She is also a cat person.

And Jewel really is her given name.