Ah summer, the season that never seems to last long enough. As it draws to a close I enjoy these last long days of sunshine with a bike ride around the lakes and reflect on my favorite moments from the year so far. As I peddle and gaze across the lake I can't help thinking back to my time in Boston for the annual SNAG conference, it's hard to believe that it was over three months ago! I know I'm not the only one that had a memorable experience, so I decided to talk to some fellow conference goers to see what they thought.

 

I interviewed seven SNAG members that range from first timers to veteran conference goers to see how their experiences stacked up. Each week I will introduce you to the featured interviewee and share their thoughts and experiences from Boston.

 

First up is the talented Beverly Tadeu.

 

Beverly is a metalsmith and a beloved member of the craft show circuit. She exhibits and sells her work at some of the finest craft shows across the country.

 "My work has a fragile, ethereal quality that belies its inherent strength and durability. The open structure of this work allows people to glimpse inside to usually unseen spaces, to the play of shadows and layers revealed. I endeavor to capture, in each of my sculptural pieces, certain elusive and contradicting qualities, asymmetry with symmetry, rawness with opulence, and fragility with strength."

Beverly is a first time SNAG conference attendee. She was invited to be a part of the program committee for the SNAGneXt conference in Ashville 2016, and thought it would be a good idea to attend the Boston conference to gain insight. Although SNAGneXt will differ from the tradition conference format (more on that in a future post), Beverly got to experience the diversity of SNAG in person. A bit skeptical of the necessity of attending the conference (as she networks with fellow artists at craft shows throughout the year) she was impressed with her experience and indicated she will attend future conferences whenever possible. 

When asked about her favorite conference moments, and what she took away from the experience, this is what she had to say:

"I was awed by the breadth and depth of information imparted by the speakers. I felt changed by the experience, broadened and enlivened.

I have been a craft show artist for seven years now, and I have grown from the artists and customers I met along the way. However, that is just one arena of craft. What I found at the conference were artists and people related to the arts engaged in activities very different from the craft show world. Listening to the speakers, I marveled at the technical expertise of the artists and the conceptual nature of their work. It was incredible to see what young, new artists were doing, along with the range of experiences had by artists in the field for many years. I enjoyed hearing about the technological changes happening in the craft world and those that might come in the future.

It was also wonderful to meet and network with so many talented artists and professionals during the days we were there. I have already been invited to speak to a group in California, and I will house a vibrant nomad as she tours the US connecting craft and community, all thanks to being part of four intriguing and festive conference days.

I think what I loved most was it was all there, all together...750+ artists and professionals with whom we could commune, speakers to nourish our minds and expand our thoughts, and artwork at adorned spaces, out on the town in galleries, and at the trunk show to be seen and purchased."

A big thank you to Beverly for taking the time to reflect on her experience! Next week I will introduce you to the vibrant nomad that Beverly mentioned, the adventurous Casey Sheppard. In the mean time, feel free to share your own thoughts about Boston, or past conferences below.

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Replies to This Discussion

Looking forward to your next post in the series. So glad that we could see her jewelry in the post.
Just wondering. Could you add a photo of Beverly Tadeu and the other interviews to the post?

It would be nice to "meet" Beverly on line.

Harriete 

Thanks for the reminder Harriete! Done =]

Fabulous addition.

Beverly is the master of booth display.

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