Craft to Code: 75th Anniversary Symposium
Craft Meets Code
Celebrating 75 years of Jewelry and Metalsmithing!
The San Francisco Metal Arts Guild is turning 75! Help us celebrate this milestone by exploring the evolution of the craft through our symposium and educational events this year.
Mark your calendars for the following events! On Saturday October 17, 2026, join us for a full-day 75th anniversary symposium, Craft Meets Code and explore the evolving world of metal arts and jewelry design.
Dynamic presenters will guide us through the past, present, and future of the field—highlighting tradition, innovation, and the growing influence of digital tools and design.
- Making the Past Present: Victoria Lansford on Metalsmithing with History
- What Is That Made Of? A talk about Contemporary Jewelry by Jennifer Altmann
- Technology, Materiality, and the Human Experience by Doug Bucci
The day will culminate with a panel discussion between all of the presenters moderated by Curtis Arima and a closing reception to encourage further discussion, networking, and connection between artists, educators, and members of the community.
The symposium will be held at the Brower Center in Berkeley CA.
- $45 MAG Members/ $55 non-members
This event was made possible by generous donations from:
Barbara M. Berk and The Maxwell-Hanrahan Foundation
Presenters
Jennifer Altmann
Journalist Jennifer Altmann visits contemporary jewelry artists all over the world. In her presentation, she will tell the stories of eight jewelers on four continents. All of these artists use humble materials — from horsehair to pencil shavings, from cardboard packaging to coffee lids — to tell a story. Accompanied by images from her studio visits, Jennifer will discuss why these artists choose unconventional and castoff materials, and how they use them to convey meaning.
Doug Bucci
Doug Bucci's work explores the intersection of craft, technology, and the human condition. Combining traditional metalsmithing with digital tools and emerging technologies, he investigates how data, memory, identity, and lived experience can be translated into material form. Through jewelry, objects, and installations, Bucci examines how technology shapes our understanding of ourselves and our relationships with the body, transforming invisible systems and personal narratives into tangible experiences. This presentation considers how contemporary makers can embrace technological innovation while remaining deeply rooted in the values of craft, material knowledge, and human connection.
Victoria Lansford
Over her three decade career, Victoria Lansford has dedicated herself to jewelry and metalwork that makes the past present. Her innovative use of historically rich metalsmithing techniques such as filigree, granulation, and Eastern repoussé rests on a groundwork of rigorous research, practical experimentation, and developing connections with both trained experts and unconventional teachers. In her talk, Victoria takes the audience behind the scenes of her practice to explore the how and why of her engagement with history, as well as how she uses research to inform her contemporary artwork. She’ll share her experience of what succeeds and surprises, as well as how her work combines ancient metalsmithing with 21st-century technology to open new doors for contemporary makers.
Curtis Arima as moderator
Curtis Hidemasa Nickerson Arima is a craft artist, educator, and academic leader whose work transforms inherited and found materials to explore sustainability, cultural heritage, and personal narrative. He is Professor and Interim Dean of Fine Arts at California College of the Arts and serves on the Board of Directors for the Community for Ethical Jewelry.
His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Metal Museum, Fuller Craft Museum, and New York Jewelry Week, and is held in the permanent collections of the Metal Museum and the Kamm Teapot Foundation. He holds a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Lodging
Looking for a place to stay nearby? There are many AirBnBs locally- simply put in the address of the Brower Center: 2150 Allston Way, Suite 100 • Berkeley, California 94704–1376 (Map here)
Doubletree by Hilton Berkeley Marina
JBKCA_DS@Hilton.com, 510-548-7920
Click here for the Brower Center’s discounted rate.
Hotel Shattuck Plaza
sales@hotelshattuckplaza.com, 510-845-7300
Click here for the Brower Center's discounted rate.
Upcoming Workshops by our Symposium Presenters
Great Granulation with Victoria Lansford
Sunday, October 18
Delve into Victoria’s pioneering method for mastering the art of granulation in sterling silver. Gain confidence fusing sterling charms or small pendants in round and beaded wire then progress to the physics defying process of granulation on beads with seamless tubing. Participation in this rare, in-person workshop with Victoria also includes access to bonus video demos on working with 18k gold, making large batches of granules, and her method for combing fusing and micro-TIG welding. This workshop also offers extended, asynchronous support online for 60 days after the course. This workshop is being held in partnership with Silvera Jewelry School.
MAG Members receive $50 off the registration. Check your membership benefits for the code.