Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/64518
The 2012 Co-Chairs and the Arizona Designer Craftsmen Welcome You to SNAG's 41st Annual Conference the heat is on! Becky McDonah Welcome to Phoenix! A place of eternal sunshine and blistering heat, take some time to appreciate the wickedly spicy food and the hottest climate of any major city in the United States. Here you will find the long-time home of an independent, industrious, and imaginative population. For thousands of years, people have inhabited the Phoenix Basin. Like its legendary namesake, Phoenix has risen from the ashes of the past and become the country's fifth largest city of over four million people living under 200 cloudless days per year. Located in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert landscape, Arizona is first in United States copper production and second in gemstone production, particularly turquoise, peridot and amethyst. From the historical traces left by ancient cultures to the work of contemporary artists, Arizona delivers jewelry and metalwork white-hot. Tedd McDonah Whether the techniques used by the SNAG 2012 presenters and panelists and displayed in the exhibitions are ancient or contemporary, they share in common the factor of heat. Not all metalsmiths use heat, but the majority do. Fire, more specifically heat, is a major component of the working process. Heat can act as a catalyst; it is a necessary factor in the formation of minerals and critical elements. We will hear and see the methods our presenters, jurors and curators have chosen to explore the ways humans harness the ability to contain or control heat and the capacity to apply it selectively. The conference theme will also consider heat as a result of friction, or the anxiety and excitement of competition. Lynette Andreasen SNAG 2012 in north Scottsdale is located right next to the Kierland Commons which provides a wealth of fabulous restaurants and sidewalk shops within easy walking distance. Some of the exciting exhibition venues include the Heard Museum North showcasing American Indian Gold Jewelry from its world famous collection; the exhibition crawl will run chartered buses from the hotel through historic Old Town Scottsdale all the way to the architecturally stunning Mesa Arts Center. Other events sure to prove memorable include the popular Exhibition in Motion and the 2nd Annual Trunk Show Sale taking place at the Westin. The student mixer will also be located on site at the Brittlebush Bar & Grill and the Final Night Party will have a Western theme so giddy up and we hope you brought your boots, bolos and belt buckles! A very warm-hearted thank you goes out to everyone who helped plan this conference over the past three years; your dedication and vision were instrumental! Special thanks go to our sponsor Rio Grande; our host, the Arizona Designer Craftsmen; and our renowned speakers. Thanks also to the SNAG staff, SNAG Board and Meetings a la Carte for all their guidance and help to get us over all the bumps along the trail. So gear up for the poolside pin swap, and we hope you brought your swimming suits and sunscreen if you intend to take advantage of the Westin's lazy river! Enjoy the warm weather, hot exhibitions, fiery presentations, sizzling conversations, and get ready for an inferno of fun! Becky McDonah, Tedd McDonah and Lynette Andreasen 2012 SNAG Conference Co-Chairs 1