November/December 2012

Open Weekend! Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December 10am to 3pm

We are thrilled to invite everyone to come and have a look at our wonderful new workspace, "The Studio", on the first weekend of December! If you want to bring some work along and try it out, please do so. We will be there between 10am and 3pm both days and are dying to meet up with you all once more. Come and have a play, a chat, and a sharing of ideas for the future use of this fantastic space. We are so glad to finally have everything set up and all in one place. There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes, and still some work on the outside of the building, but we are in and up and running!

39C Tanner Street, still a bit of a building site on the outside, but well on the way. 

Facing this way the Mama D cafe is on your right.

See you all there, bring your answered surveys with you, or fill in one when you visit.

Who Are We? Something about your Committee Members

Arthur Harrison - Chairperson

Arthur Harrison’s Viking and blacksmithing heritage, and New Zealand’s  Maori  culture, magnificent landscape, flora and fauna all provide inspiration for his jewellery.  While he has done wood and bone carving for many years it wasn’t until about 2002 that he started silversmithing at a beginners’ class with the Canterbury Silversmiths’ Guild, and has taken part in advanced classes and workshops ever since. He enjoys all aspects of working with precious metal and semi precious stones and will use all manner of natural materials either as models, or to incorporate into his designs. He has served on the Guild committee for a number of years, with several terms as Chair, and has exhibited in Christchurch and Te Anau.  He has run many Workshops, and since retirement he has enjoyed helping tutor classes, maintaining Guild gear, and keeping things ticking along after Canterbury’s earthquakes. His most recent major project, the preparation and fitting out of the new Studio, has kept him busy for many hours a day over the last few weeks!  Arthur is hoping that all members will take advantage of our fabulous new facility at The Tannery, and that it will encourage former members to rejoin our Silversmithing Family.

He has been married to Tui for 47 years, and they have two sons and a daughter and four grandchildren.  Most of his working life was spent in the farming industry, eventually managing various properties for Lands and Survey/Landcorp in Te Anau.  Since 1996 he has been involved in Landscaping around Christchurch. He has been a hunter, tramper and fisherman most of his life, and has spent a lot of time exploring Fiordland and other wilderness areas. Gardening is another of his pleasures, and he uses reading and photography to fill in any vacant moments in his spare time!

Noeline Walker - Classes Organizer

I did my Levels one and two classes in 1989 and joined the Guild in 1990. Avidly joined in the various activities and workshops before joining the committee – I am not usually a committee person but I do enjoy that role with the Silversmiths Guild. I

have held various roles on the committee – Membership Secretary, Treasurer and Exhibition Coordinator and was a member of the Connexion co-operative from 1997 to 2000.

I have always had a creative bent, almost a 'jack of all trades and master of none' until I discovered jewellery. It becomes quite addictive! I think my designs are fairly simple - I like working with texture adding a touch of gold using the Keum Boo technique. Currently I am adding slate recovered from the Christchurch Cathedral when the roof was replaced in 2006.

Diederic Ruarus - Treasurer

I offered to take on being treasurer of the Guild because I had the time and had ended being the treasurer of the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand.  I didn't think it would be too difficult and time consuming.  However, at times it certainly took longer than anticipated.  The challenge too of finding ways to meet the costs of the Guild, especially now were the Guild has moved to new premises.  Involving more members in the use of the workspace  and how to finance that is an interesting question.

I'm looking forward to finding acceptable (and viable) ways of doing that.

Solvejg Ruarus - Tutor
Diederic and I settled in NZ 23 years ago.We were both teachers at the Rudolf Steiner School in Opawa.I have always been exploring art and crafts During the last years of my teaching I went to evening-classes at the SSG and enjoyed it very muchlearning so much from a number of tutors.Since my retirement I  also took up sculpting,mainly in Mt Sommers stone and soapstone.And I went to dayclasses jewelry-making at Hagley.My inspiration mostly comes from nature,organic forms and different materials.I became a committee member last yearand a tutor for level 1.I enjoy immensly to see what new students bring in designs and find it a great challenge to help them along,exploring possibilities.I hope that I will meet many members at the  Studio in the coming year,working together in our fabulous workspace,
Solvejg Ruarus

John Weeber, Karen Atherton, Crystal Mathieson, and Jo Crompton will feature next time.

Send me a few words about yourself and your interest in silversmithing, with a photo and I will do a members' introduction too. Don't be shy!!! I have a couple already so you won't be first:)

Minutes SSG Meeting November 5, 2012, 7:05 p.m

Present: Arthur Harrison, Diederic Ruarus, Solvejg Ruarus, Crystal Mathiesen, Karen Atherton, Jo Crompton, Noeline Walker. 

Apologies: John Weeber

Minutes of October meeting accepted as being read.  Arthur proposed, Noeline seconded, passed.

Correspondence:  Katrina Brehault gave us a list of old members from 2005 to 2009 that we can contact to give news about our new studio.  Noeline will look them over and add to her growing list of contacts. 

We need to write a press release announcing our new premises and send it to the Big Idea and the Silversmiths news group.  Karen will write a draft press release for approval.  Solvejg will talk to A. Casssells about using their press contacts. 

Crystal knows Ian Shackley, a gem seller and can ask him to come sell to us.  Solvejg will ask the gem seller who comes to Hagley to do the same at our studio.

Treasurer’s Report:  Arthur moved to accept Diederic’s monthly report, Crystal seconded.  Accepted.  We have a profit of $6,000.  We still have $6,300 of the Creative NZ money left but there are also outstanding invoices that haven’t been accounted for.  Arthur proposed another meeting later to determine how to spend the extra cash.

Diederic proposed raising the subscription from $65 to $75 but we need more discussion. 

Survey:  Noeline’s draft membership survey will attempt to gather information about how the members would like to use the new studio.  She will add a section stating our “user pays” policy.  

Diederic handed out a document that explained our need to pay $50 per day to use the studio.  He proposed charging a cash rate of $5 for half a day’s studio use and $10 for a whole day’s use.  Crystal seconded.  We agreed to sell clip cards with ten days (20 half days) studio time for $80.  We will try this for 6 months.  Crystal and Jo will make mock-up cards for approval.

Jo  will send the updated survey to members by by November 30.

Security:  Diederic talked to FBI Security who suggested a touchpad and sensor with noise deterrent.  They also suggested that the door be barred from the inside rather than the outside, and that we should get a safe that can be bolted to the floor.  Arthur will chase up window bars and fittings.

Jo questioned the noise deterrent as possibly annoying to the people living nearby.  Diederic will talk to the Tannery complex people about maybe incorporating our security plans into theirs and possibly alerting their night guard if there is a breakin.

Karen suggested that we might not want to put Silversmiths Guild on the door but maybe use our logo and SSG to avoid advertising what we have inside. 

Bins:  Discussion about what to do with rubbish from the loo – whether to remove it and take it home to the red bin or hire a company.  Diederic will price removal services.  We were told that if we do make a contract with a company we should make it a short one because we might be able to share with whatever service the Tannery uses.  Grant McIvor will find out how the regular rubbish removal system will work out and get back to Diederic.

Classes:  Noeline said we have one booking already for next term.  She is completing the brochure for the summer.  We decided on four terms of ten, ten, ten and eight weeks each.  Diederic proposed raising the fees to $250 from $240.  Crystal seconded.  Passed.    We will offer morning classes one day a week, probably Thursday, and ask for a show of interest, especially targeting Steiner School mums.   We will offer class gift vouchers for Christmas presents.   Jo will rearrange the brochure design to include a photo of the new studio. We will include the bus info (bus line #23).

Arthur will give a safety talk to students at the first classes.

Exhibition:  Jo and Noeline reported that The Columbo is not suitable for an exhibition.  Solvejg will contact the Cassells/Cummings gallery planned for the Tannery to explore exhibition options.  We will continue to discuss the Buddhist Temple as an option for Christmas 2013.  Noeline thinks it might be possible to apply for a grant to cover the cost of an opening night party. 

The Studio:  Arthur suggested calling the new premises “The Studio”.   Karen seconded.  Unanimously agreed.   We need new studio rules.  Solvejg has drafted a discussion document and all tutors will meet to add things like how to work the heat pump to it.  We agreed to allow no children in the studio because it is an inherently dangerous place.  We need an OSH plan and a board stating the chemical and physical hazards on site.  The studio is still a construction site.  We, as members of the Guild, are not affected but we need to advise students of safety rules and post appropriate signage.  We need a sign-in record book and a sign-in board and posted roster.

Keys:  Karen asked about who should have keys to the studio and there was general agreement that all committee members should hold keys.  

Display cases:  We need to decide what to do about plinths for the display cases.   Solvejg suggested that we should still consider a higher quality plinth design while Noeline argued that the cost should not approach the cost of the display cases themselves as the current desk maker’s quote does. Arthur will ask for another quote from the desk makers. 

Opening Party:   We will have a party for members and guests to come see and celebrate the opening of the new studio.  Dates decided are November 24/25 (Note: as of typing of these minutes the dates have changed to December 1 and 2).   We will have display cases up on a trestle table, snacks and drinks and invite members to come and work on projects while the studio is open from 10 to 3.  The invitation will go out in the next newsletter.  A hard copy will be sent as well. 

Mailing grant from NZ Post:  We had a grant for free postage in the past.  We need to check on asking for that again.

Meeting closed 9 p.m.