Metalsmiths David Huang and Gabriel Craig know that they’re 2012 ArtPrize entry probably won’t win the public vote, but that isn’t their main goal. Their collaborative performance piece “Raising Awareness” aims to educate audiences on the lost art of metalsmithing. “A lot of people understand drawing, painting, woodworking, and ceramics to a certain degree, but most people really don’t have a handle about what metalworking is about,” Huang said. “It’s just a craft that’s somehow more rare. It’s not in the general collective conscious – we’re trying to get that there.”

“Raising Awareness” started with Craig wanting to tweak his normal performance piece, “The Pro Bono Jeweler,” to fit what he wants to see more of in ArtPrize – community engagement. This is his second year entering a piece, and he said it should help educate the Grand Rapids art community on something it doesn’t usually see: behind the scenes of metalworking.

For Craig, Huang was a natural fit to help collaborate on this piece. He’s a Grand Valley State University alumnus, still lives in West Michigan, and is known as one of the most proficient metalsmiths in the industry. Craig said it would be foolish not reach out to him with his idea.
The piece will be manned by Craig, Huang and volunteer groups from several colleges and universities, including a beginning metals class from GVSU taught by Beverly Seley, during every day of ArtPrize. “I’m really curious about what it’s going to be like to do this marathon performance,” Craig said. “It’s not really meant to be endurance work, but I think it kind of will be. There really is a toll that hammering day in and day out takes on your body.”

Along with the GVSU students, Craig contacted art departments at Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and several other out-of-state schools. The GVSU participants will be performing all day today and possibly on later dates as well, depending on interest levels and availability. Seley said her students are eager to practice their new skills and she’s even had interest from alumni, and fellow faculty and staff. She said most of her students are beginners, and they will just be learning how to raise metal. “…which ought to connect with the public,” she said. “The students aren’t going to be much beyond knowing then the public, itself. They’ll be glad to show off.”

Raising metal in front of an audience should help students further understand the processes that they are doing, Huang said. Craig wants audiences to ask the students questions and get involved with the piece, maybe even try demonstrations if they’re very interested. “As a work that aims to really engage people, I hope they’ll come see us,” Craig said. “You can come and watch ‘Raising Awareness,’ but I think people will get the most out of it if they actually stop and talk to us, and have a conversation with us, and really become a partner in this piece by engaging themselves.”

The performance will be in the parking lot next to the B.O.B., which Huang said should help make the piece more successful. The high traffic venue will give more people a chance to be introduced to it, he said. “I have the sense we’ll probably kind of fit into the circus-like atmosphere that starts taking place out there in the parking lot,” he said. “You know, bringing a hammer, playing with fire – it fits in.” Seley said she knows that some people will wander by without stopping, but hopes that others will stay to watch the labor-intensive act and learn about a much different art technique.
“It’s a teaching moment rather than an art moment,” Seley said. “Rather than about a product or a piece, or something to ‘ooh and ah,’ it’s a teaching moment.”
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