Texas Masters Series: Sandie Zilker

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to present Texas Masters Series: Sandie Zilker, a solo exhibition by the Houston metalsmith and educator.  On exhibition May 30 through September 6.  Opening reception Friday, May 30, 5:30pm – 8:00pm.

The opening will also feature the exhibit La Frontera in the Main Gallery. Artist Talk by Sandie Zilker, Friday, May 30, 5:45pm.  Curator’s Talk by Mike Holmes (La Frontera), Friday, May 30, 6:00pm.  Open studios by current resident artists to follow talks.

Pictured: Fence Finials Reconsidered-Chartreuse, 2014. Brooch. Sterling, brass, copper enamel, polymer clay, resin fence finals. Photo by Cara Murray.

About the exhibition:
Zilker is the fifth artist to be featured in HCCC’s Texas Masters Series. The Houston native joins the roster of former Texas Masters—Harlan Butt, Cindy Hickok, Rachelle Thiewes, and Piero Fenci—nominated by their peers and recognized for their roles as career artists in Texas who have made a significant impact on the field of craft. As the 2014 Texas Master, Zilker’s work is featured in this solo show, and she will serve as one of three jurors for the CraftTexas 2016 biennial exhibition at HCCC.

As evidenced by her jewelry, Zilker is no stranger to experimentation in color, contrast, texture, pattern, and form. Using the body as a frame of reference, she pulls from elements of illusion and surprise to elevate adornment to its fullest potential. Each of her pieces is packed with personality, increasing the wearer’s senses and creating a unique relationship between wearer and object.

The exhibition at HCCC serves as a retrospective of her jewelry work over the past four decades. The show includes an exploration by the artist of newer technologies, including video, as well as installation. She sums up her philosophy: “I’m kind of noisy, and so is my work. There is usually something loud about everything I do or make. Being boring or bored is my worst fear.”

Texas Masters Series: Sandie Zilker was curated by Elizabeth Kozlowski, Curator at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

About the artist:
This year marks Zilker’s 40th anniversary teaching at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School of Art, where she is head of the Jewelry and Enamel Department and the Three Dimensional Design Department. She also serves as the School’s Coordinator of Student Events and Exhibitions, organizing and overseeing the lecture series as well as faculty and student exhibitions on and off site.

Zilker holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Metalsmithing from the University of Houston and a Master of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Her work has been exhibited worldwide and is included in the collections of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; The Racine Art Museum, Wisconsin; Designmuseo, Finland; and Norden Feldske Kundiondustrimuseum, Norway. She has exhibited at HCCC in several juried shows, such as Fresh Metal, CraftHouston: Texas 2006 and Metal Moods. Her jewelry has been published in numerous books, including 500 Brooches, 500 Bracelets, 500 Plastic and Resin Objects, and Showcase 500 Art Necklaces.

She has twice served on the Board of The Society of North American Goldsmiths and co-chaired the organization’s 2010 Annual Conference in Houston. She recently served as the liaison for “Metalsmith Magazine” and now serves on the Exhibition Committee. She has been an Honorary Board Member of the Houston Metal Arts Guild and serves on the Advisory Committee at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

In addition to brief teaching positions at institutions such as Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, Zilker’s professional life has included other passions, such as co-owning a catering company, that she feels have enhanced her work and teaching. She continues to do both limited-series work and precious-material commissions at her studio in Houston.