The STFZ web site www.stfz.art.pl has been created and exists as result of free volunteer activity of our members. That is why we are sorry for not being able to translate to English all texts in links enclosed, publishing in English just brief information on each of described topic. But please, take a look at the pictures, we believe that with the English texts published they make sensible message on what we do in here. Let us repeat, that we look forward to hear from you on your activities, in order to publish them in our bulletin. Please, forward information on our newsletter to everybody interested in your neighborhood.

■ Early Spring - March and April is the time of intensive work at workshops of Polish jewellery artists. Many commisions and orders appeared as result of meetings at at the Designer's Gallery at Inhorgenta fairs in Munchen. Participation in Designer's Gallery at Amberif fairs in Gdansk prompts our artists to work on new collections. These who are invited to present their works at Poznan, London and Berlin exhibitions are busy by the benches. The time for submitting works for the Legnica competition "Deconstruction - Reconstruction" expires on the 1st April.

■ AOE in Portugal
Cristina Filipe has sent the program of the meeting/conference in Lisboa on July 7/8/9/10 2005. This conference named Em Toda a Parte, Em Lugar Nenhum - Everywhere, Nowhere is named by it's organizers the X Symposium Ars Ornata Europeana. Let us remind here, that the term Ars Ornata Europeana has been used as name of not single, individual event, but the international contact net of goldsmithing circles, organisations, schools, galleries, etc.
The program of the Lisboa meeting is here
www.stfz.art.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2 (pl)
www.pin.pt/HTML/intro_simposio.html

■ Numerous meetings of Polish goldsmiths serve as good occasion for intensive exchange of personal views. Some of them, referring to present Legnica competition and expressing very different views on matter of the art of goldsmithing are presented at our internet forum www.stfz.art.pl/forum - unfortunately in Polish only.

■ From March 8th untill 9th April 2005 Kuba Zeligowski has been presenting his works at the exhibion titled "Stara Nowa Przestrzen" - "Old New Space". This event took place at the gallery "Pod Przepiorczym Koszem" which translates as "Under the Quail Basket" in Legnica, PL.
www.polskabizuteria.pl/?pg=ar/ar_290&lg=pl&st=01 (pl)

■ The next, current edition of jewellery and amber fairs "Amberif 2005" took place in Gdansk between 13th - 16th March 2005. As ussual this event was acompanying by numerous events attended by Polish artists goldsmiths. Info on fairs at www.amberif.pl

Jewellery designes from all over Poland, who met at the Designer's gallery at Amberif fairs, have been discussing the present situation in Polish jewellery galleries, on copyrights protecting our designs, on our future plans, with regard to our membership in the EU.

Many discussions refered to new VAT regulations, concernig use of precious metals in jewellery in Poland. This creates beaucratic problems for many small, single hand workshops and studios, forcing them to run complicated bookkeeping and tax procedures.

It has been a pleasure to meet many long time foreign friends, and to make acquitance with even more people, coming from almost all EU countries. The galleries owners used well their chance for making direct contacts to Polish jewellery artists. Many of our works were known due to European wholesellers, but the occasion of making face to face contact is always of good influence for better exchange of opinon and impression.

■ The third edition of scientific seminar on history and theoretic aspects of goldsmithing took place on 17th and 18th March 2005. The seminar was hosted for the second time by organizers of the Amberiff fairs. Twenty speakers, including leading Polish historians of art specialising in goldsmithing have been lecturing on different subjects of history and other aspects of old and modern jewellery and goldsmithing. The program of seminar is here
www.stfz.art.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=57 (pl)
and amberif.mtgsa.pl/x.php/3,en,1173/Academic-Session.html

We extend our special thanks to Curator Katarzyna Kluczwajd - the President of the Torun branch of the SHS organization (Association of Historians of Art) for organizing this third in row session. Two last editions, hosted free of charge by the Amberif fairs, were from the beginning under special friendly, tender, loving - so to speak - care by Ewa Rachon, the Commissioner of the Amberif fairs. It is thanks to Ewa Rachon that the seminar was provided with proper board room and facilities to conduct the session. Materials of first two seminars have been edited under scientific supervision by Katarzyna Kluczwajd. Recent session will result by editing similar publication. It is impossible to underestimate importance of this intitiative, supported by Distric Muzeum of the town of Torun and other institutions and organizations, including the STFZ.

■ Publication titled: "Bursztyn - poglady, opinie. Seminaria naukowe Amberif 1994-2004" - "Amber - views and opinion. Scientific seminars Amberif 1994 - 2004" under editorial supervision of professor Barbara Kosmowska Ceranowicz and Wieslaw Gierlowski has been issued by: Miedzynarodowe Targi Gdanskie SA - International Gdansk' Fairs Ltd., Muzeum of Earth (Polish Academy of Science) and Miedzynarodowe Stowarzyszenie Bursztynnikow in Gdansk - International Amber Association in Gdansk.

Publication presents results of meetings of scientists - theorethicians, and people who work with amber and other fossilized resin on the practical workshop level. There are published full texts or summaries of fifty papers and lecurings delivered at seminars organized untill now by the occasion of the Amberif fairs.

■ The exhibition of the "Grupa 6" - "the Group of 6" opened during time of recent Amberif fairs at the Kinski Gallery in Sopot by Gdansk. The group consisting of: Bogumil Bytomski, Pawel Kaczynski, Krzysztof Roszkiewicz, Marcin Tyminski i Arkadiusz Wolski. This time artists decided to answer five academic questions by their works, so the exhibition is named "Wobec" translating as "In the face of".
More info >>>>>

■ Works qualified for present edition of the "Electronos" competition were presented during fairs. For 123 sent works only 16 qualified for presentation. Organizers take under consideration change of regulations in coming years. The idea of presenting ideas on 2-D cardboards, conceived by Giedymin Jablonski in order to prevent eventual problems connecet with jewellery shipment from abroad ,can be changed after our acces to EU. We look forward to see changes in Electronos regulations, allowing the audience to see original pieces sent to the competition. The STFZ has been suggesting such change for certain time.
The pictures of objects are viewable here >>>> (pl)
amberif.mtgsa.pl/x.php/3,en,1180/The-Verdict-ELEKTRONOS-2005.html

■ It is our pleasure to inform, that Jacek Byczewski, the STFZ Council chairman is winner of two awards at the "Mercurius Gedanensis 2005" competition by occasion of current Amberif fairs. Jacek Byczewski was distinguished by President of the International Gdansk` Fairs Ltd. with Golden Medal "Amberif 2005" in category: Technical Innovaties, and with other distinction in category "Jewellery for Gents". The STFZ member Grzegorz Blazko was distinguished in category "Design". List of prize winners and pictures of awarded works viewable at www.polskabizuteria.pl/?pg=ar/ar_031a&lg=en&st=01

■ The department of Sculpture of Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk has organized weekend`s workshop on one of a kind jewellery for twenty participants from April 2nd untill June 25th 2005. Introduction into basic of visual art like: sculpture, drawing, designing of jewellery plus knowledge on history of art in perspective of design and modern jewellery create program of this workshop. The workshop will end by the exhibition presenting works by participants.

■ In the understendable mourning atmosphere after passing away of JP II, on April 4th 2005, the next presentation of travelling exhibition "Prezentacje 2004" opened at the Bielak Gallery in Krakow. There were no joyfull crowds, no speaches, no wine served, no festive vernisage. We have simply placed works at the showcases...
More info >>>>

■ On 5th and 6th April 2005 the jury for current Legnica competition "Deconstruction - Reconstruction" has been working in Legnica. The jury consisting of: Vratislav Karel Novak - the chairman of jury, Otto Kunzli, Bernhard Schobinger, Andrzej Szadkowski, Slawomir Fijalkowski, Joachim Sokolski viewed 262 works sent by 144 artists. 70 works by 41 authors were qualified for the exhibition.
The protocol of jury is here >>>>
and pictures of works presented including prize winning pieces >>>>

■ The YES Gallery of Poznan, PL, on 15th April 2005 opened the jewellery exhibition titled "Mezczyzna" - "Man". This event launches seria of presentations works by Polish jewellery artists at the Yes Gallery. This gallery since 1998 stresses on promotion of the art of goldsmithing. Thus the Yes company, being one of largest Polish jewellery manufacturing companies under Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz, and the Gallery Yes manager Bozena Gzelli has been alredy presenting a number of one man and group exhibitions of works by Polish anf foreign jewellery artists as well.
More info >>>>
The Yes Gallery site - www.galeria.yes.com.pl

■ In April 2005 there's been issued the 81st number of the INFO - the STFZ internal bulletin , adressed toward the STFZ members, to Galleries Reccomended by the STFZ, to our supporting members and members of honor. This issue was accompanied by actual STFZ Adress Book.

■ The program of the current Legnica Festival of Silver is closed, the Legnica's Art Gallery provides detailed info at their site, inviting all interested in goldsmithing art.
More at: www.galeria.legnica.pl

■ Joachim Sokolski, designer and goldsmith active for good 30 years, prominent member of the UFO creative group, after 30 years cames back by his one man exhibition to Belgrad. Belgrad is the place where years ago opened the first large Sokolski's solo exhibition. This present exhibition, "Przedtem - Potem" - "Before - After", organized with kind assistance of the Polish Embassy in Belgrad opens on May 12th 2005 at the Muzeum of Applied Arts there. The catalog of the exhibition has been designed by the artist.

The "Przedtem - Potem" - "Before - After" exhibition will be presented later at the Art Gallery in Legnica, at the Bielak Gallery in Krakow and in other places.

Together with the Sokolski`s exhibition the last year` Legnica exhibition "Wspolczesna Polska Sztuka Zlotnicza" - "Contemporary Polish Goldsmithing Art" consisting of 120 works by 37 Polish jewellerty artists is simultanously presented in the neighbouring room at the Belgrad Muzeum. This revue has been presented before in Germany (Gifhorn, Getynga, Uelzen, Lipsk) and in Sweden (Vasteras, Uppsala) in 2003 i 2004 year.
More info >>>>

■ On May 16th 2005 at the Bielak Gallery opens the exhibition "zloto srebro stal" - "Gold Silver Steel" presenting works by Jacek Byczewski. This expositions ends in half of June 2005.

From the past

■ On June 16th 1996 the fourth exhibition of the Camelot cycle - the CAMELOT 1114 has opened in the Camelot gallery in Krakow. Jury consisting of: Andrzej Bielak (STFZ president), Wanda Dunikowska (Flash Art magazine), prof. dr. Wladysław Pluta (Deputy Rector, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow), Wojciech Starzecki (the Ofir gallery), prof. Andrzej Szadkowski (Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkoła Sztuk Plastycznych im. Wladysława Strzeminskiego w Łodzi - the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz), dr. Christianne Weber Stober (historian of art, Secretary General of Gesselschaft fur Goldschmiedekunst), Jaroslaw Westermark - (jewellry artist, first prize winner at CAMELOT 1111 and CAMELOT 1113 ). From 133 works submitted, 40 works by 30 authors were qalified for exhibition. The first prize winner was the family team of Joanna and Tadeusz Jaworscy, other awards went to: Rafal Wisniewski, Ilona Lohr, and Bernhard Fruh. Special prizes distinguished works by: Tomasz Zaremski, Jan Suchodolski, Piotr Przasnyski, Rafal Wisniewski - already awarded at this Camelot edition, Anette Kutz and Jacek Szczepanski.

The foreword to the catalog by Dr. Christianne Weber Stober gives short description of work presented, and of changes - as she sees them - in Polish artistic goldsmithing after 1989. The role of the CAMELOT exhibition is pointed as important in process of these changes.
catalogue >>>>

■ As mentioned in previous edition of our bulletin, the STFZ as heir and continuer of previous organizational forms of existance of Polish artistic goldsmithing will continue to publish and remind informations on important events at our field after 1945. Therefore we want to present here the exhibition "Polska Biżuteria Artystyczna z lat 1945 - 1950 ze zbiorów Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie" - "Polish Artistic Jewellery from collection of National Muzeum in Warsaw". This exhibition opened in so called Dzwonnica - the Bell Tower, these days being part of the Muzeum of Goldsmithing Art in Kazimierz Dolny, PL, on July 4th 1999.

This exhibition has been presenting collection of silver jewellery by Polish jewellery artists, some of them active also in other fields of applied arts. Works presented were made between 1945 - 1950. These works were purchased by Biuro Estetyki i Nadzoru Produkcji (the Office for Supervising Estetics of Manufacturing) under prof. Wanda Telakowska. This office transformed later into Instytut Wzornictwa Przemyslowego - the Institute of Industrial Design. After passing away of prof. Telakowska, this collection of simple silver jewellery was delivered/transferred to National Muzeum in Warsaw. After many decades this collection was "rediscovered" by historian of art, Agnieszka Kasprzak Miler in muzeum`s store rooms.

Modest catalog in black and white presents a number of mostly forgotten today artists, althought nobody question their contribution to further develompent of our discipline. They somehow have created the background for known, prominent names like: Jadwiga and Jerzy Zaremski, Henryk Grunwald, Mamert Celminski, Ludmila i Ryszard Rohn, Stefan Płuzanski and plenty of others, who`s achievements are today subjects for scientific elaborations by historians of art.
catalogue >>>>

The opening occured on twentieeth anniversary of opening the first exhibition in the Kazimierz muzeum twenty years before.