Attended by media, designers, and industry players, a reception kicked off the exhibition’s opening at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.
Paul McClure, professor of jewellery and gemmology, said the annual event is a way to introduce Canada’s young design talent to the local jewellery industry, create networking opportunities, and to learn the ins and outs of mounting an exhibition.
“Part of the final semester is working toward setting up an exhibition as a group,” he said. “Many graduates want to be entrepreneurs or independent craftspeople and set up their own workshops. Having an exhibition and presenting to the public is part of having that kind of a career.”
Events like this one also allow for industry feedback, McClure said.
“First and foremost is our visibility—that the industry knows who we are and knows about our program. It’s also so that the faculty is more aware of what is happening in the industry. As educators, we sometimes don’t have that information to pass on to our students.”
The state of the economy is helping to encourage a sense of co-operation, said Martha Glenny, professor of jewellery studies.
“We started talking about this even before the economic situation developed,” she explained. “But I think we became even more committed to it in thinking that through this time, let’s come together as a community and forge those ties and think positively and actively about the future.”
The exhibition remains at Harbourfront Centre until May 10. From there, it moves on to Mitton’s Jewellery in Ridgetown, Ont., from May 22 to June 12.
