Jewellery Field Trip: Professional practice out of the studio

Jewellers at all stages of their career are invited to join us for a day of professional practice development, focussing on knowledge sharing in the areas of archiving, collection management and curatorial thinking.

Beginning at Auckland Museum, Manager Collections, Documentary Heritage, Finn McCahon Jones will lead discussion along with Cathy ter Bogt, Principal Conservator, on best practice in the areas of care and archives including how to store and look after different materials. We will also venture into the collections store with Applied Arts Collection Manager Anna Beazley.

Next a visit with Christine Hedlund, Director of Masterworks, to see her collection of contemporary jewellery and discuss her experience in both acquisitions and gallery management.

The day will conclude at Objectspace with visiting curator Armando Perla. Recently completing a curatorial residency in Te Whanganui a Tara, Armando will share their adornment collection which has travelled from Abya Yala (North, Central and South America) and includes pieces from practitioners from across the continent.

The day is limited to 25 people with transport and lunch included.

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Once the formal itinerary wraps we're hosting a jewellers potluck and pinswap at Objectspace on the evening of 13 Feb – you will receive details when you buy your tickets. If you can't make the full day but would like to join us for the evening email [email protected].

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Finn McCahon-Jones is Manager Collections, Documentary Heritage at Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. He has held the roles of Curator/Director at Te Toi Uku Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Associate Curator Applied Art & Design and Exhibition Curator at Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. In 2020 he was the Auckland Library Heritage Trust scholar. McCahon-Jones trained in the visual arts, attending Auckland University of Technology, majoring in sculpture. He practices under the name Finn Ferrier.

Christine Hedlund is Director of Masterworks, a commercial gallery dedicated to contemporary craft and mahi toi from Aotearoa New Zealand. This year the gallery celebrates 40 years of excellence and innovation across ceramics, glass, textiles and jewellery. Hedlund is also a dedicated collector of adornment works by both Aotearoa and international makers.

Armando Perla (They/Them) is a non-binary queer mestizo (Nahua and Euro-Salvadoran) international curator and museum consultant. Perla is co-Curator of the 2026 – 2027 edition of the Biennial of Indigenous Contemporary Art (BACA) in Canada while completing their PhD at the University of Montreal. Previously, they were also Vice-President of the board of the Canadian Museums Association (2021–24) and Chief Curator for the Toronto History Museums at the City of Toronto.

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Focussed on professional development for the craft discipline, this event is made possible with support from the Blumhardt Foundation.

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