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.

■ The most active and intense time for our goldsmithing circles usually begins in September. The autumn fairs "Zloto Srebro Czas" - Gold Silver Time and the PREZENTACJE - PRESENTATION competition will open soon. These of us, who are active on foreign markets, create new collections for presentation at European fairs occurring in autumn, which is also time for many one man and group jewellery exhibitions.

■ The exhibition of works by Ewa Rudowska, Pawel Kaczynski and Arkadiusz Wolski has opened on September 1st 2005 at the Kunstindustrimuseet - The Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen, http://www.kunstindustrimuseet.dk. Exposition opened until the end of September 2005 has been enjoining high opinion of numerous viewers, many of who were having a chance of first contact with Polish jewellery design. Let us remind here, that works by Ewa Rudowska were awarded by golden medal at Gold Virtuosi 2 (An International Award for jewellery design by World Gold Council - Vicenza, Italy)

We would like to stress on fact, that just in this very museum there is one of largest world collection of tsubas - the hilts, and other metal elements of handles of Japanese swords. This collection has been completed since 1895 year by dr. Hugo Halberstadt, who has donated it to the museum in 1940 year. Collection consisting of ca 1700 objects serves as perfect source for studying classic Japanese handicraft in metal. Techniques like mokume gane or alloys like shakudo, recently popular in goldsmithing practice, could appear in goldsmith workshop due to investigation and research of objects like these of Copenhagen tsuba's collection.

■ The exhibition "Slaskie lato w Toskanii" - "Silesian Summer in Tuscany", named by organizers - Galeria Sztuki w Legnicy - The Legnica's Art Gallery - Art Silesia Presents: Arte contemporanea argento e pittura, after presentation in Florence between 18th and 24th July 2005, has been exhibited at the Bigali gallery in September 2005. This is result of contacts established in Florence between these galleries. Information on this exhibition is published in last issue of our bulletin (http://www.stfz.art.pl/legnica/2005florencja2-a.html)
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■ The exhibition "Wspolczesna bizuteria brytyjska" - Contemporary British Jewellery, resulting from contact and cooperation between GALERIA BIELAK - the BIELAK GALLERY and the flow gallery of London has been presented in Galeria Sztuki w Legnicy - The Legnica's Art Gallery from August 31st until September 25th 2005. The audience was given chance of comparing different schools, techniques, forms, motifs and getting accustomed with "female" aspects of jewellery creation in Great Britain.
more info >>>>
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■ From September 8th until October 4th 2005 the YES Gallery in Poznan has been hosting the exhibition "Dekonstrukcja-Rekonstrukcja" - Deconstruction-Reconstruction, originally organized by occasion of the Legnica Festiwal Srebra 2005 - Legnica's Festival of Silver 2005. This exhibition presenting pieces created by domestic and many foreign artists has been shown before in other places in Poland.
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■ The family team of Zofia and Witold Kozubski has been celebrating their 25th creativity anniversary presenting at the GALERIA BIELAK - the BIELAK GALLERY their exhibition named "Ptactwo i inne obiekty latające" - Birds and other flying objects from September 5th until October 2nd 2005. Authors are known of their use of aluminum and perfection in painting and coloring this material. The "Zegarki&Biżuteria" - Watches and Jewellery magazine in October 2005 edition published an article on Kozubski's creativity. This family team has been distinguished by Grand Prix award at 13 Miedzynarodowy Konkurs Sztuki Zlotniczej SMS - Short Message Silver - 13th International Competition of Goldsmith Art titled "SMS-Short Message Silver" in Legnica.
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■ The time for submission works for 2005-year edition of the "PREZENTACJE" - PRESENTATION competition expired on 12th September 2005. It is the fifth in row edition of this jewellery competition organized by the STFZ and by organizers of fairs Zloto Srebro Czas - Gold, Silver, Time. Results were announced, and works were exhibited at the Galeria Projektantow - Designer's Gallery during PREZENTACJE - PRESENTATION fairs.
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■ The STFZ Steering Committee and the STFZ Council have met on September 16th 2005. At this meeting we decided to edit the catalog/album on the occasion of the STFZ 15th anniversary. Three new members applications were accepted, and our participation in coming Inhorgenta fairs in Munich was thoroughly discussed. We invite to the Inhorgenta fairs 2006 C2 hall to the STFZ stand. The Legnica Art Gallery director, Zbigniew Kraska, present at this meeting, has been discussing with us preparation for the Legnica Festival of Silver 2006. We note with pleasure that the planned edition of the STFZ 15th anniversary catalog goes together with the jubilee Legnica exhibition, to which the STFZ is officially invited. It will be nice to celebrate our anniversary at Legnica - the place where our association was born fifteen years ago.

■ Polish preparation for the first edition of the ALATYR 2005 international competition for artistic works in amber has ended on the end of September 2005. This event is organized by the Amber Museum of Kaliningrad. Exhibition will be open from October 20th until December 5th 2005. More then 50 artists coming from Russia, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Japan and other countries have submitted their pieces. We note considerable number of artists from Poland submitting their pieces to this competition.

■ Results of VIth International Competition "Obraz i Forma" - Picture and Form for young jewellery designers have been announced on September 30th 2005 in Sankt Petersburg. From 200 pieces submitted the jury qualified 50 works, including pieces by 7 authors from Poland. We are pleased to inform that the third award in the category Ready Jewellery went to Polish artist Jakub Sliwowski.

■ The sixth edition of fairs Zloto Srebro Czas - Gold Silver Time has been going on in Warsaw between 7th until 9th October 2005. Recent designs were presented at the Designer's Gallery, and, following the established procedure, many jewellery galleries owners and other customers came to see what is new. We hope that they are not disappointed, considering this October fairs as successful event.

■ The PREZENTACJE - PRESENTATION competition for jewellery became an event of established reputation in our goldsmithing circles. Results of this competition are announced during second day of fairs Zloto Srebro Czas - Gold Silver Time. So on October 8th 2005 results of current edition of competition were announced in public. The subject was: Kontrasty - Contrasts, and the works qualified, accompanied by catalog have made an interesting exhibition, which will be shown in many other places, including presentation at the Designer's Gallery at Inhorgenta 2006.
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■ The Debuts Gallery has opened for the very first time during Zloto Srebro Czas - Gold Silver Time fairs in 2005 year. This idea of helping newbie with their first public presentation has been conceived by the STFZ as result of exchange of posts at the STFZ Internet discussion forum (http://www.forum.stfz.art.pl) and was positively approved by organizers of fairs as well as by the STFZ. This is how six authors: Mariusz Deka, Jacek Domanski, Danuta Grabowska-Gitlin, Adam Sudzik, Magdalena Truss, and Michal Wyszomirski have been given a chance of presenting their pieces. They used their chance well, so, according to preliminary decision by fair organizers we look forward to next edition of the Debuts Gallery, which is supposed to become part of next fairs.
We are happy to note that one of debutants - Mariusz Deka, was distinguished with distinction at the PREZENTACJE - PRESENTATION competition. This was successful debut, no doubt!
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■ The stand of the Legnica Art Gallery takes noticeable place of honor at the Designer's Gallery. In 2005 year we could watch there results of the recent Legnica competition titled "Dekonstrukcja-Rekonstrukcja" - Deconstruction-Reconstruction. We could also read regulation of next, 2006 Legnica competition titled "Skandal" - Scandal.

Between many exhibitions presented by the occasion of these fairs our attention was drawn by show of works by graduates of the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych im. Wladyslawa Strzeminskiego - Academy of Fine Arts by name of Wladyslaw Strzeminski of Lodz. It is a pity that this exhibition could not be presented in Warsaw for longer time.

Other interesting exhibitions presenting historic pieces were:
- presentation of Secesja - Art Nouveau, from the collection of the Museum Secesji - Museum of Art Nouveau in Plock;
- collection of silver plated pieces by the name of Aniela and Tadeusz Wysiadecki from the Muzeum Woli - The Wola district Museum in Warsaw

■ The fourth edition of Sandomierskie Warsztaty Zlotnicze - Sandomierz Goldsmith Workshops has opened on October 10th 2005 and closed on October 23rd 2005. This Workshop is organized by Muzeum Okregowe w Sandomierzu - Sandomierz District Museum and by the STFZ member Cezary Lutowicz. Cezary, nicknamed Czarek, is fascinated by unique local gem - stripped flintstone, by the art of goldsmithing and by the beauty of the Sandomierz region. The photo relation showing workshops is here >>>> and Czarek's pages are here www.krzemien-sandomierz.pl, providing us with many interesting information on stripped flintstone, it's history, and on permanent exposition of works created with use of stripped flintstone at the Sandomierz district museum.
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■ Second edition of "Wspolczesna Polska Sztuka Zlotnicza" - Contemporary Polish Art of Goldsmithing exhibition organized by the Legnica Galeria Sztuki - Art Gallery of Legnica has been presented in Wuppertal within frames of festival Ost-West Kontakte on October 16th 2005. The exhibition was accompanied by sell of silver jewellery by Polish designers. Next presentations of this exhibition are planned for Essen, Prague, Bratislava (Pressburg), Vienna, Vilnius, Sankt Petersburg and Rome. This traveling exhibition promotes Polish art of goldsmithing, Polish jewellery artists, and organizers of this presentation - The Art Gallery of Legnica.
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■The Galeria MILANO - MILANO gallery of Warsaw has announced on the end of October 2005 the title of its traditional annual competition always opening on December. This year the subject or title sounds: "Kreatywnego działania wynik" translating as Result of creative activity. The host - MILANO gallery owner, Elzbieta Kochanek - van Dijk has invited artists to create projects of safe, wearable jewellery of exquisite forms, to be offered to active females, gifted with imagination and what we call the artistic soul. Another words - jewellery for creative city ladies.

■ The exhibition of Bogumil Bytomski's creativity, titled: Biżuteria wirtualnie - jewellery in virtual reality, has opened on October 31st 2005 at the GALERIA BIELAK - BIELAK GALLERY in Krakow. The author did not present his projects in 3 D version, but has created entirely virtual forms, not executable in classic materials in three-dimensional reality. Pieces are not wearable, and they exist in the virtual reality only. More >>>>
virtual catalog >>>>

From the past

■ The 30th anniversary of the UFO group

The thirtieth anniversary of first artistic jewellery exhibition by the UFO group has silently passed on last September 2005. There is an opinion that the UFO group has imposed certain influence on further development of Polish artistic goldsmithing. By this round occasion let's give here some information on our Polish UFO.

The end of sixties and beginning of seventies of XXth century in our goldsmithing world was characterized by many exhibitions organized or co organized by the Zwiazek Polskich Artystow Plastykow - Association of Polish Artists. These exhibitions have been mostly presenting pieces created by use of so-called technique of hot forming. Hot forming has been determining the esthetic of created forms to great extend, becoming non written code of workshop practice in Polish artistic silver jewellery of that time. The proud name Polska Szkola Srebra - Polish School of Silver has been invented for description of so created pieces.

These sensitive, unique, created by accident forms of silver, adorned with amber, corals or agates fixed by the by epoxy glue soon lost their fresh look of innovation, and proud name Polish School of Silver has been substituted by not so proud sounding term Outflows - half smelted silver with amber. Certain exclusivity of first pieces soon was gone due to mass offer of hot formed silver jewellery, widely presented in Polish jewellery galleries and shops. Artists working via artist's cooperatives were also contributing to Polish School of Silver, which esthetic soon became trivial and banal.

The first exhibition of artistic jewellery has opened in non-existing today art gallery in Warsaw by Nowogrodzka street nr. 25. Elzbieta and Marek Bejm, Stanislaw Kedzierski and Jerzy Szkrabko - our colleagues artists have been also exhibiting their pieces at this exhibition.

Next exhibition has opened at the same gallery just after few months, in December 1975, presenting works by the same group of artists. The third exhibition, opened on March 23rd 1976 was result of polarization of artistic views and opinion between this group of artists. So at this exhibion there were presented pieces by four before mentioned authors, who from the beginning have been acting as initiative group - Jacek Byczewski, Jacek Rochacki, Joachim Sokolski nicknamed Zanek, and Marcin Zaremski. They decided to register as creative group within organizational frames of the Association of Polish Artists, being members of this organization. And the group has named itself The UFO Group, presumably after concept of Zanek.

Thirty years long activity of UFO became subject of many elaborations, including larger text published in catalog of the VIII Ogolnopolski Przeglad Form Zlotniczych Srebro '94 - 15 lat legnickich pokazow srebra artystycznego - VIIIth National Revue of Goldsmith Forms Silver '94 - 15 years of the Legnica presentations of artistic silver, and M.A. dissertation by Anna Szymajda " Artistic creativity of Warsaw' UFO group (Jacek Byczewski, Jacek Rochacki, Joachim Sokolski, Marcin Zaremski) on background of Polish jewellery 1970-1980", M.A. dissertation nr. 21399, at the dept. of history of art of the University of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, Warsaw, 2002 year.

To complete the chronicle, here is the full list of the UFO group exhibitions:

• 1. September 1975, Warsaw, DESA gallery at Nowogrodzka 25 street
• 2. December 1975, Warsaw, DESA gallery at Nowogrodzka 25 street
• 3. March 23rd, 1976, Warsaw, DESA gallery at Nowogrodzka 25 street
• 4. February 1977, opening of the first Polish private art gallery PN of Piotr Nowicki at Nowy Swiat 26 street in Warsaw
• 5. June 15th 1980, exhibition of UFO group within frames of II Ogolnopolski Przeglad Form Zlotniczych - II National Revue of Goldsmith Forms in Legnica.
• 6. November 5th 1985, Warsaw, the same DESA gallery at Nowogrodzka 25 street, an exhibition by the occasion of tenth UFO anniversary
• 7. March 24th 1989, last UFO exhibition at the DESA gallery at Nowogrodzka 25 street.
• 8. December 6th 1997, the Art Gallery in Legnica, UFO exhibition being part of the IXth Legnica silver revue SREBRO 96

■ An interesting collection of renaissance and baroque rings

Knowing history of Poland we should not be surprised by minimal, close to zero number of artifacts of old goldsmithing surviving until our times. Our jewels and small jewellery pieces were destroyed during numerous wars that caused inevitable, different destructions. Goldsmith objects were of special target due to their material value. Our situation is described well by an interesting lecturing by PhD. Ewa Letkiewicz "Polskie klejnoty koronacyjne. Rekonstrukcja wirtualna" - " Polish Crown Jewels - virtual reconstruction", delivered at VIth Scientific Seminar of the cycle Rzemioslo artystyczne i wzornictwo w Polsce, TRESCI, TEKSTY, PRZESLANIA. BIZUTERIA W POLSCE - Artistic crafts and design in Poland, CONTENTS, TEXTS, MESSAGES. JEWELLERY IN POLAND. This seminar was organized by Torun branch of Association of Historians of Art and by International Amber, Jewellery and Gemstones Fairs AMBERIF on 17th and 18th March 2005. This virtual reconstruction explains our situation, as even Polish Crown Jewells didn't survived (with very few exceptions), and let's mind, that they were of very special consideration and respect for Poles as symbol of the State of Poland. The modest exposition at the Cathedral Museum at the Wawel Hill in Krakow presenting burial crowns of Polish Kings could serve as metaphor of history of former Kingdom of Poland. These crowns were excavated from Royal Tombs during scientific investigations. Their look creates atmosphere of Passed Kingdom, the climate like in J.R.R. Tolkien fairy tales.

Since even our Crown Jewells didn't survive, it is not a surprise that objects of minor historic value like pieces of renaissance or baroque jewellery are represented in our collections merely by few pieces. Collections like the Treasure of Skrwilno, consisting of several pieces of old jewellery, exposed at the District Museum in Torun are seldom in today's Poland. So it is helpful to investigate objects of… church silversmithing objects when studying historic jewellery in Poland, because some of these church pieces - like metal dresses for icons or monstrances were adorned with elements or complete pieces of old jewellery, donated to the church or monastery. We know the monstrance constructed from very many old fingerings, pendants and other pieces of jewellery soldered together.

Considering above the more we are happy to note the collection of old jewellery, consisting of twenty-six renaissance and baroque rings. This collection has been presented during lecturing at the University of Warsaw in the academic year 2003/2004 and is currently the subject of M.A. dissertation by Karolina Wojteczek, under prof. Anna Sieradzka at the University of Warsaw.

Beside fingerings, this collection also consists of few elements of other old jewels, most probably coming from broken pieces of pendants, necklaces or special jewels to be sewn on ladies dresses at renaissance time. One of these objects - the jewel in form of letter A made of gold and set with diamonds with two surviving links which could serve for fixing the chain or for sewing at the dress, could, perhaps, be attributed or somehow connected to the person of the Quinn Anna (1523-1596) of the Jagiellonian dynasty. We hope that mentioned collection became a subject for scientific historic investigation, which, maybe, will tell more on the history of this letter A jewel.