Join Umbrella and award-winning artist Alison McDonald in The Studio to create a pair of earrings from sterling silver!

In this workshop, participants will saw their very own earrings from a sterling silver plate and use a variety of silversmithing tools to personalise their jewellery. In the process, attendees will learn the fundamental processes of silversmithing, including the use of soldering equipment to anneal (heat & soften) the silver, a dapping block to dome, and the use of micro motors to drill and pierce individual designs. As a result, participants will take home a completed and one-of-a-kind pair of earrings.

The workshop will be suitable for beginners, and attendees will be guided through every step of the process. Class sizes are small and enable one-on-one teaching. Our previous Silversmithing & Ring-making Workshops with Alison McDonald have sold out very quickly – so, book early to ensure your spot!

$195 Umbrella members | $215 Non-members

Alison McDonald’s exhibition Belonging: Memory and Loss is on display at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts from 7 July to 13 August 2023. 

Please note that there will be a 30-minute lunch break, and that a refrigerator and microwave are available for use at Umbrella. Tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided throughout the day. Participants should wear closed-in shoes in The Studio. Please note that participants will be working with micro motors for extended periods of time, and that jewellery-making requires looking at small objects closely. A Workshops Access Requirements Form will need to be completed prior to the workshop day. 

Limited to 6 spaces (ages 18+) | Bookings close on the Friday prior to each Workshop Day at 4pm. | If you are not already an Umbrella Member and want the workshop discount, sign up here.  The workshops will take place in Umbrella’s downstairs studio at 408 Flinders St (next to Mary Who? Bookshop and opposite Woolworths). | Visitors must comply with Umbrella’s entry conditions and directives. | All bookings subject to workshop and public programs booking policy.

Alison McDonald’s 20-year practice is based in Townsville, North Queensland, and her art sits at the junction of consumer culture and environmental concern and ranges in size from microscopic jewellery to epic sculpture or installation. Her work is shown in national and international exhibitions, and she recently toured a solo exhibition ‘Wanton, Wild & Unimagined’ to 13 galleries around Australia. McDonald completed her BVA (Hons) from JCU, then a Master of Art in Public Space at RMIT. She has been artist in residence at Aberystwyth, Wales, with an Arts Qld Career Development Grant and twice to RedGate, Beijing. She taught Sculpture at James Cook University and TAFE North Qld.