Members have an opportunity to learn more about art jewelry through the annual AJF trip. These trips offer unique opportunities to see world-class museum exhibitions, enjoy behind the scenes visits with jewelry artists in their studios, talk with professors and students at area colleges and university metal arts programs, visit galleries, dine out on local cuisine and otherwise take advantage of all the area has to offer.
Here is the latest update on the London trip. Since we know price is a concern, we have completely rethought how to make it accessible to everyone.
The plan is to have daily events priced separately from the evening dinners so you can mix and match the exact days and dinners you want to attend. Quite a few of you want to bring along your spouses or mates and they may not want to join in during the day but might like to join us for dinner. Hopefully this will make the trip fit into all budgets. We estimate that the day rates will vary from $50 to $150 depending on our activities and the dinners from about $75 to $200 depending on the restaurant. We are expanding our website to handle this new approach to trip pricing and we will be able to accept trip payments by February 1st.
Since you can attend museums and many other sites of interest on your own, AJF is only planning trip events with special opportunities to meet European Artists, Collectors, Curators, and Gallerists who will guide us through houses, studios, and exhibitions. We are working on the following:
If you want to join us on this trip please do the following:
1. Let Susan Cummins know email (smcummins@comcast.net) that you are planning to come by January 31st. We may have to put a limit on the number of participants so get your response in early.
2. Between February 1st and 15th go to the travel section of the AJF web site to make a non-refundable deposit of $100. The travel section of our website is being improved and will be able to accept trip payment as of February 1st. This trip fee is a donation to AJF and will not apply to your future trip costs. You will choose the specific days and meals sometime in March when the schedule is more specific and pay for them at that time.
3. Make plane reservations and remember to check your date of arrival. Please be sure to arrive no later that May 12th,or before, as the first day of activities will be May 13th.
4. Make a hotel reservation. COLLECT takes place at the Saatchi Gallery located near Sloane Square. COLLECT is our center of attention and staying in a nearby hotel is a good idea. We are not arranging special rates at a specific hotel so you will have the opportunity to stay someplace within your price range and comfort zone. Here is a list of some hotels you may wish to check out:
5. Check to make sure your passport is current.
6. Buy a London map and start getting excited!!
Our first European trip as a group is going to be lots of fun!!
Best wishes for the new year,
The AJF Board
Our trip survey showed that a good number of you wanted to go to Europe but there was lots of variation as to which city and when. We've decided to plan a trip to London in May as a way to introduce you to the European world of jewelry at COLLECT. Most of the major jewelry gallery owners from Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland and many artists from far and wide do this fair. It will be a great introduction for you to the whole scene.
INTERESTED? WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU BY DEC. 15!
We are beginning to actively plan the trip and knowing how many people will be able to join the London trip from May 13 - 16 optimizes our planning and guarantees the best trip possible. Please send a quick email to Susan at smcummins@comcast.net to let us know if you are or are going to consider making the trip. If a telephone call is more convenient please call her at 415.435.4649. Either way, we need to hear from you by December 15th.
HERE IS A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE WORKS!
The British Craft's Council's Rosy Greenless is thrilled that we will be in town for COLLECT's opening activities and is helping us plan our trip. We are discussing some special events with artists and gallerists, which I can tell you about as they develop. For sure we will find time to engage the jewelers and dealers about the work they make and show. At the Victoria and Albert museum we will have a special privately guided tour of the newly installed collections of jewelry and ceramics with Glenn Adamson. You will remember him from the great talk he gave at the Houston symposium. We will arrange a visit to the Royal College of Art to visit the adventuresome work of Hans Stofer and his students. And we might just make a trip to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. Also don't forget the Tate Modern, the Design Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, and the Serpentine Gallery to name a few of the great museums in London.
As is our tradition we will dine at highly rated restaurants, and for our first night in London we are planning a very special opening event and dinner. Plans can also be made to see one or 2 of the great London stage productions. The AJF fee, as usual will include dinners, lunches, museum entry fees and any bus transportation as needed. Hotel accommodations, breakfasts and transportation to and from London are left up to you. Also any theater tickets or museum visits not specifically on the AJF itinerary are left to you.