Glasgow School of Art - Jewellery Department Christmas Sale

If you fancy a peruse of the Glasgow School of Art 'Jewellery and Silversmithing Christmas Sale' - why not make the same mistake as me and head straight for the Mackintosh building?

Take the lift to floor 2 and enjoy the environs. Honestly, I'd recommend it, inhale the atmosphere of this magnificent Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, still the nucleus of the Art School. That is, unless you really do have your heart set on buying some jewellery 'hand made' by tomorrow's designers at yesterday's prices.



If you do want to shop, you'll simply have to now exit the 'nice' Mackintosh building and cross the road to the - just as grand sounding but rather less inviting - Newbery Tower. Once again, go in, best not inhale this time, and take the lift to floor 2.

Don't worry, this building will soon be history.

This is the first thing you'll see when the lift doors open...


And this is hopefully the second thing you'll see when you look left...


You're now in the jeweller's workshop which is authentically grubby and industrious, there are even Bunsen burners!


Just about everything I picked out from the display cabinet had already sold out but you can have most items made to order, everything is less than £25, so I ordered 3 pieces. Each designer will call me when the items are ready...I remain sanguine.

Did manage to come away with something though, third year silversmith and jewellery student Bianca Gardiner featured her 'pill pins' on her blog Artisan a few weeks ago and I've been curious to see them since.

Although my photo makes it look like a horse tranquilizer, they're actually a resin cast of a teeny tiny hay fever tablet in a silver setting.

Thanks to final year silversmith Allyson Gee too, for the tip off yesterday that the sale had just started, it runs during 'school hours' until the end of next week.


8 comments:

  1. The sale was gorgeous and unfortunatly your right about everything selling out so quickly! I hope you enjoy your pins! I agree about the Newbury tower as well! All the fine artists get to work in such a beautiful inspirational building and we're stuck with that hunk of tack!

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  2. LOVE IT.THOSE PHOTOS.
    GREAT ONE.









    XX
    CHICMUSE

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  3. dont diss the tower people! i kinda like it...if you squint a little!

    glad you could make it to the sale. shall keep you posted about any other events happening ;)

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  4. It's not about the building, it's about the work that comes outta it. Obviously the studios aren't affecting the quality of the jewellery these guys are producing. I am happy to say I bought two pieces, one made by Samera Afzal and Amanda Mcquat. (both brooches). Congrats to everyone!

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  5. Pissed off studentNov 27, 2009, 11:26:00 AM

    I find it highly surprising that the title of this blog entry should be "Glasgow School of Art - Jewellery Department Christmas Sale" when you spend about 3 quarters of this article slating the buildings. As my collegue above points out, the buildings have nothing to do with the work that is produced.

    ps. they aren't bunsen burners, we don't work in a chemistry lab, they are torches which are integral to the work we do.

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  6. Towergate:
    Looks like I touched a sore point there, sorry. Definitely not making any correlation between the building and the quality of the work, which was exceptional. Just wish I could have photographed the three pieces I've ordered but unfortunately the display cabinet couldn't be opened. Intend to feature them when they're ready for collection - which means a trip back to The Tower.....thinking I'll be lucky if I leave with my head! x

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  7. Gutted i missed this. will there be another sale day anytime soon?

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