MIT jewellery students to exhibit at esteemed city gallery

MIT jewellery students to exhibit work at esteemed city gallery

The Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) Jewellery programme has partnered with the Royal Jewellery Studio in Kingsland to create an exhibition titled WEAR for students to showcase their pieces and offer them for sale to the public.

This is the first year MIT’s Jewellery programme has paired with a gallery to create an exhibition and hope to make it an annual event.

The Royal Jewellery Studio is a well-known exhibition space dedicated to showcasing contemporary jewellery.

The studio has dedicated three long cabinets, two of which will display 10 pieces from each of the Level 5 students.

The third cabinet will showcase the work of Melissa Anderson who is a Level 6 Diploma student and has been working on a year long self initiated project.

Jewellery Programme Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, Mary Curtis, says “This exhibition will be great for students to gain confidence in their abilities and engage with the industry.”

“When I approached the Royal Jewellery Studio to do the exhibition they were really supportive and interested in showcasing the students’ work as the contemporary jewellery industry are always looking for new makers and people with fresh ideas,” she says.

“This course offers a range of practise in both contemporary and traditional jewellery making and design so it is a well rounded experience for the students that allow them to pursue the avenue they feel best suit their passion and ideas.”

Melissa Anderson completed the Level 5 course last year and will be the first to graduate from the new Diploma course at MIT.

“I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be involved in designing and making jewellery. My grandfather used to buy my grandma all these beautiful, antique rings and I thought to myself, wow, that’s amazing, I want to make that.”

“I was really inspired by the antiquity of Victorian and Edwardian jewellery and I combined that with a theme of darkness to create my collection,” she says.

Melissa hopes to start her own business and develop a brand that reflects her style and love for designing jewellery.

The students’ jewellery exhibition opening will be held on November 18 at 6pm and open to the public. The exhibition will run from November 19 to December 1.

ENDS

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