All of Their Efforts: Erin S. Daily of Brooklyn Metal Works
It's been well over a year since this interview was recorded, and it's finally seeing the light of day. Life happens - projects come up, and this wonderful conversation and a handful of others were recorded in 2023/2024 and never released. This backlog of recordings is Season 8 of the podcast: Light Of Day.
In the 81st episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown is at the Penland School of Craft during their Winter Residency program. It’s January 2024, and Sarah has been invited to Penland as the Andrew Glasgow Resident, which afforded her the time and space to record interviews with artists from all over the country. One such artist being Sarah’s friend and peer within the jewelry/metals field, Erin S. Daily.
On a snowy afternoon, the two jewelers took some time to catch up. Although Sarah was very familiar with Erin’s current business, Brooklyn Metal Works, she knew little about her background. The two discuss Erin’s education and how she found her way to metals/jewelry, Erin’s passion for seeking and building community, her time at the The Arcosanti Project, what brought Erin to NYC, how she met her Brooklyn Metal Works co-founder, and the realities of starting a business in one of the most expensive and competitive cities in the world.
Erin S. Daily is the Co-Founder of Brooklyn Metal Works, a jewelry and metalsmithing studio, educational lab, and exhibition space. Trained as an artist Erin is engaged in creative practices across disciplines. This includes building a community of international artists and makers through exhibitions, artist talks, and discussion groups, as well as creating a studio and workshop that gives artists space to build their practices.
Dedicated to responsible sourcing education in the jewelry industry, Erin advocates for initiatives working towards social and environmentally sound practices. This concern is visible in her studio practice and drives their professional interests. In 2013 Erin was part of the first group of US jewelers to join the Fairmined Initiative through the Ethical Metalsmiths Sourcing Consortium to purchase Fairmined Gold and is a current Fairmined Gold licensee. Erin currently works with the Jewelry Glossary Project to educate audiences on terminology as it relates to responsible jewelry practices.
Erin is active in many aspects of the jewelry and metalsmithing field including work as an Advisory Committee member for NYC Jewelry Week. In 2019 Erin was part of the Selection Committee for 45 Stories in Jewelry: 1947 to Now at the Museum of Arts and Design and wrote for the exhibition catalog.
Erin has taught extensively at schools across the Northeast; currently at Brooklyn Metal Works and recently at Parsons School of Design. Erin’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, continues to be shown throughout the country, and can be found locally at Specific Gravity. Erin received their BFA in Metal from the University of Kansas, and her MFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz.
In 2019 Erin and Brian co-founded Specific Gravity, a jewelry and object retail location to support the community of artists at Brooklyn Metal Works. This shop serves as a platform for emerging and established artists and as an opportunity for local audiences to engage with a diversity of jewelry expressions.
https://www.instagram.com/brooklynmetalworks/?hl=en
https://specificgravitynyc.com/
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