My most recent body of work chronicles my interest in graffiti and historical jewelry. I find graffiti's colors, patterns, and symbols, as well as the sense of rebellion and history it conveys, to be fascinating. I am also captivated by layered and chipped paint, rust, and other forms of architectural decay often found alongside graffiti. My experiments with spray paint on metal are direct results of these interests. For this current series I also turned to antiquated styles of jewelry from the Renaissance and Victorian eras, among others, for design inspiration. I wanted to create thought-provoking jewelry by combining the refined with the urban. This body of work is a conclusion to all of these experiments
as applied to traditional forms of jewelry like the necklace, the earring, and the brooch.

Amy Tavern

Education:
2002 BFA Metal Design, Post Baccalaureate, University of Washington, Seattle
1996 BA Arts Administration, State University of New York College at Fredonia 

Exhibitions: 
2009 Sparkle Plenty, Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA | Celebration of American Crafts, Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT |Plush Jewels, Fancy, Seattle, WA | The Barns: 2009, Penland Resident Artist Show, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC | Delicate Beauty, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC | The Stimulus Project, Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA | Earrings Galore, Heidi Lowe Gallery, Rehoboth Beach, MDGroup Exhibition, Taboo Studio, San Diego, CA | Penland Group Exhibtion, Sparta Teapot Museum, Sparta, NC
2008 Night of the Stud, Heidi Lowe Gallery, Rehoboth Beach, DE | 30 Small Works, Gallery UP, Rock Hill, SC | 21st. Century Jewelry, Bainbridge Arts Council, Bainbridge Isl, WA
2007 Handmade for the Holidays, Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, OR
2005 Wearable Expressions, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA | Refined IV, Stephen F. Austin University Gallery, Nacogdoches, TX
2004 Exaggerations/Understatements, Free-Thinking Residency Show (solo), Vain, Seattle, WA | Receive and Transmit (solo), Fancy, Seattle, WA
2003 bigLittle, Craft and Cultural Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA 

Awards:
2009 Emerging Artist, American Craft Exposition | American Craft Council Searchlight Artist
2002 Rabinovitch Scholarship Award, University of Washington
2001 Women’s Jewelry Association Scholarship Award
2000 Bob and Peggy Culbertson Scholarship Award, Penland School of Crafts 

Artist residencies:
2009 Resident Artist, Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC
2004 Free-Thinking Residency, Vain, Seattle, WA 

Teaching & lecturing:
2008 Professional Practices Presenter, Long Beach City College, Long Beach, CA Beginning Jewelry, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC | Visiting Artist, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC | Professional Development Seminar Presenter, SNAG Conference, Savannah, GA
2007 Business of Craft Panel Discussion, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC | Visiting Artist, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2005 Instructor, Beginning Jewelry, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA
2003 Visiting Artist, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 

Assistantships & apprenticeships:
2007 Studio Assistant for Raissa Bump, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
2006 Studio Assistant for Joanna Gollberg, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
2005 Studio Assistant for Joanna Gollberg, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
2002-2006 Studio Assistant for Lori Talcott, Seattle, WA
2002 Teaching Assistant for Mary Lee Hu, University of Washington, Seattle, WA | Apprentice for Lori Talcott, Seattle, WA
2001 Teaching Assistant for Mary Lee Hu, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 

Professional affiliations:
2009 American Craft Council
2002-present Society of North American Goldsmiths 

2009 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs
2007 Modern Jewelry from Modular Parts, Lark Books, ed. Marthe Le Van, 3 projects
2003 Making Metal Jewelry by Joanna Gollberg, Lark Books, image on page 100 

Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA
Quirk Represents, Richmond, VA
Heidi Lowe Gallery, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Penland Gallery, Penland, NC