Students from the University of Kansas’ visual arts program are using their talents to create personalized jewelry for older community members, particularly those dealing with memory loss. This initiative, called the Memory Tag Project, involves digital jewelry design students working under the guidance of Professor Sunyoung Cheong. Over the next three weeks, students will design, mold, and cast custom sterling silver pendants that reflect personal details of the individuals they’re made for.
The pendants feature custom elements such as names, important dates, places, hobbies, and significant life events. Each piece costs a flat fee of $95, and all proceeds go toward supporting the Lawrence Art Center’s metal studio and the KU metalsmithing and jewelry student club.
Students Cortlyn Ruckman and Margaret McConnell are designing a pendant for a retired U.S. Navy officer. Their design will feature a bald eagle, along with the veteran’s name and emergency contact information, all within a pendant smaller than one inch in diameter.
McConnell shared that the project was a bit stressful, especially since it involved creating a piece for someone she didn’t know. The added pressure of ensuring the client would be happy with the final product made the task more challenging.
While the class called for commissions in February, many of the students have chosen to create pendants for their own grandparents or partners’ grandparents. Even though most of the students’ grandparents don’t have memory issues, the pendants are being made as thoughtful gifts.
Anna Laubenstein, another student, is making a pendant for her partner’s grandfather and is also considering one for her own grandfather. She noted that the stress she felt in designing the pendant was not about meeting a client’s expectations, as McConnell experienced, but more about making sure she was happy with her own work. Laubenstein believes her grandparents will love whatever she makes but still strives to create a design she’s proud of.
Two clients of the Memory Tag Project, Charles and Sandra Garrett, are in their late 80s and have long supported KU’s visual arts program. In 2010, they donated a milling machine to the department, which has helped bridge the gap between digital designs and physical creations in the metalsmithing and jewelry department.
The same milling machine is being used for the Memory Tag Project, allowing students to create wax models of their pendants. These models serve as the first step in the jewelry-making process. Afterward, students create plaster molds and cast the jewelry before the final cleaning and finishing stages.
The project will conclude on April 4, when community members will receive their completed pendants. Some of the students will also present their work at the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 25.
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