Enamel Guild/ North East was conceived through the leadership of Marilyn Druin with a handful of enamelists who saw the need for a large regional association to accommodate the growing interest in the field. The territory was described as all the states in the northeast from Maine to Pennsylvania but happily includes many members from elsewhere.
In January of 1992, the Enamel Guild/ North East was christened at a meeting at the Newark Museum. At this first meeting there were 41 charter members. Officers and a board were chosen. Subsequently a constitution, bylaws and our incorporation as a non-profit organization were established.
Marian Slepian, a founding member, received a bequest of an enamel workshop from William Paterson State College and in conjunction with a grant from the First Mountain Crafters Guild set up an enamels workshop at the Newark Museum. This gave the fledgling Guild a home for future meetings, workshops and annual seminars.
Each year since 1992, we have held our annual seminar in the spring. These are accompanied by workshops and have been graced by the presence of noted speakers and teachers. Some of our outstanding guests include: James Carter, John Cogswell, Linda Darty, James Doran, Jennie Gore, William Harper, Bill Helwig, Chris Hentz, John Killmaster, Robert M. Kulicke, Rebekah Laskin, Barbara Minor, Robert Lee Morris, Mel Someroski , Valeri Timofeev, Kenneth Trapp, Jean Tudor, Jan Yager.
The Guild sponsors members’ exhibits at various locations within the northeast area. A biennial group project was instituted in 1995. We create a mural of individual enameled pieces done by the members which is then it is donated to a deserving non-profit organization. They have been given to hospitals in Maine and New York City and mental health institutions in New Jersey and New York.
After Marilyn Druin’s death in 2001, a scholarship fund was established in her memory that is used for the furtherance of enamel education.
The Enamel Guild/North East has actively promoted the art of enamels and has achieved the status of having the largest membership (approximately 100) of any regional guild in the US and we keep in touch through newsletters, Our Guild takes exhibit space at the biennial conference of the International Enamelist Society and several of our members currently serve on that Board.
Workshop Leaders Through the Years:
Location: The Newark Museum {1993-2013}
1993
William Harper | Cloisonné
1994
Bill Helwig | Grisaille
Susan Sloan | Cold Connections
1995
Mel Someroski | Psychology of Seeing Color
Valeri Timofeev | Soldering Techniques
1996
Galina Selezneva | Russian Painting Enamel Techniques
Jan Yager | Hydraulic Press
1997
John Cogswell | Findings & Fasteners for Enamels
1998
Mary Chuduk | Experimental Enameling
1999
Jean Tudor | Cloisonné – Beyond the Usual
Yoshi Marubashi | Wax Carving
2000
Barbara Minor | Pattern Development
Christopher Hentz | Soldering/Fabrication- Steps-Rules-Tools
2001
Marne Ryan | Metal Texturing
Coral Lee Shaffer | Foil Techniques for Enameling
Milton Naham | Tricks of the Trade
2002
Jenny Gore | Foil Reticulation
James Duran | Trompe L’oeil
Becky Brannon | Fused Beads
2003 Symposium
Marilyn Druin | Retrospective
Harlan Butt | Tips, Tricks & Techniques in Enameling
Linda Darty | Limoges with Sifting & Painting Enamels
Speakers: Jamie Bennett, Harlan Butt, Linda Darty, Ulysses Dietz, Patricia Kiley Faber, Michael Good, Nancy Levine, Geraldine Vasquez, Janet Zapata
2004
James Malenda | Enameling on Tubular Forms
Anne Larsen Hollenbach | 3-D Forming
Wendy Yothers | Mending Broken Hearts – Repairs
2005
Solveig Haukaas | Experimental Copper with Foils
Fay Rooke | Pierced Plique-a-Jour
Sue Sachs | Cold Connections
2006
Helen Elliott | Changing the Face of Enamels
Tom Ellis | Painting and Separation Enamels
Isabella Corwin | Design and Color for Enamelists
2007
Linda Darty | Etching on Silver – Working with Enamels Colors
Mi-Sook Hur | Water-based Acrylic and Techniques
Angelo Palmiere | Purchasing Colored Gem Stones
2008
Jamie Bennett | Fine Painting Techniques with Enamel
Mary Chuduk | Hollow Copper Beads and Small Forms
2009
Sarah Perkins | The Art of Line
Diane Reilly | Scratching the Surface
2010
Gretchen Goss | Photographic Transfers on Enamels
Barbara Seidenath | Low Tech Etching & Stone Settings
2011
Steve Artz | Torch & Texture
Rebekah Laskin | Imagery & Invention in Enamals
Katherine Wood | Grisaille
2012
Jan Harrell | Image Transfer with Decals
Amy Roper Lyons | Cloisonné and Settings for Enamelists
Helen Driggs | Textures and Patinas
2013
Dennis Nahabetian | Electroforming
Marcus Synnot | Torch-fired Pliqué-a-jour
Chris Darway | Cold Connections and Studio Tips
Location: Westchester Center for the Arts {2014-2022}
2014
Barbara Minor | Embossed Silver Foil
Nisa Blackmon | Tab Construction and Folding Techniques
Anne Havel | Torch-fired Enamels
Helen Driggs | Rivets and Cold Joins
2015
Helen Elliott | Liquid Enamels
Melissa Cameron | Enameling on Steel
Chris Darway | Shadow Boxing
2016
Chris Darway | 22K Gold on Copper and Sterling
Terry Kovalcik | Creating Fine Silver Clay Elements for Enameling
Amy Roper Lyons | Plique-à-jour – Enameling without a net
Fall Worskshops
Location: Studio 135, NYC
Amy Roper Lyons | Plique-à-jour – Enameling without a net
Averrill Schepps | Eutectic Experiments: Enameling in the Twilight Zone
2017
Jessica Calderwood | Creative Mark-Making in Enamel
Sharon Massey | Champlevé for Steel
Kathryn Osgood | Enamels: Exploring Texture & Color | Botanical Forms in Metals
Summer Workshops
Linda Darty | Painting and Drawing Techniques with Enamel
Linda Darty | Cloisonné: The Brilliance of Transparent Enamel
Kathleen Browne | Pattern on Pattern: Decals and Collage
2018
| Take a dip – working with liquid enamels
Marissa Saneholtz | Setting Enamels | Fancy Findings: Pin Backs and More!
Katherine Wood | Experimenting with texture & inclusions
Amy Roper Lyons | Plique-à-jour – Enameling without a net
Summer Workshops
Linda Darty | Cloisonné: The Brilliance of Transparent Enamel
Anne Havel | Enameling in 3D
Fall Workshop
Location: Worcester, MA during Under Fire Exhibition
Jan Harrell | Under Fire – Decals & more
2019
Jan Harrel | Beyond The Basics
Rebekah Laskin | Drawing and Painting with Enamels
Jamie Bennett | Painting Enamel Techniques for Copper, Silver and Gold
Summer Workshops
Mi-Sook Hur | Inspired by Nature
Linda Darty | Cloisonné: The Brilliance of Transparent Enamel
Fall Workshop
Amy Roper Lyons | Saw-pierced Plique-à-jour
2020 CANCELLED Due to COVID 19
Ruth Ball | Engraving for Champlevé Enamel | Contemporary Cloisonné & using precious metal foils.
Martha Banyas | Powerful New Addition to Your Enamel Toolbox – Underglaze!
2021 CANCELLED Due to COVID 19
2022 30th Anniversary Virtual Conference
Ruth Ball | Contemporary Cloisonné
Kat Cole | Enamel on Steel
Fall Virtual Workshops
Amanda Denison | Experimental Enamel: Introducing Rust
Jan Harrell | All That Glitters – Using Patterned/Embossed/Burnt Gold Foil in Enamel
Location: The Newark Museum of Art
2023
Amy Roper Lyons | Explorations in Basse Taille Enameling
Sarah Perkins | Enameling on Three Dimensional Forms
Harlan Butt | Cloisonné Enameling: Creating Repetitive Shaped Wires
2024
Mi Huk Sur | Mastering Painting: A Creative Journey on Vitreous Enameled Copper
Kristina Glick | The Alchemy of Copper Oxides: Two Colors – Infinite Colors | Electroforming for Enamelists
Wyatt Nestor-Pasicznyck – Conference Speaker
September Workshops:
Wyatt Nestor-Pasicznyck | Champlevé