There are many potential pathways for making it as an artist, and ultimately you define your own idea of success. Hear from artists and creatives in the jewelry and metalsmithing field and beyond at Make It in Art, a Studio Art symposium. This event consists of a panel discussion, a keynote speaker, and a student exhibition at UNT CoLab and is co-hosted by the Department of Studio Art in the College of Visual Arts and Design and the CVAD Career Coaches.
Make It Art Symposium – Register on Handshake
Cora Stafford Foyer, Art Building
Friday, March 21, 2025
10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Make It in Art Student Exhibition Reception – Register on Handshake
UNT CoLab, 207 N Elm St.
Friday, March 21, 2025
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Symposium Timeline
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Opening Remarks
10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Panel: Atinuke Adeleke, Karla Garcia & Shannon Saxman
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Networking and Lunch provided
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Keynote, Dongyi Wu
1:30 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. – Closing Remarks
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Reception at UNT CoLab for student exhibition, juried by Dongyi Wu; UNT CoLab is located at 207 N Elm St.
Keynote Speaker Bio
Dongyi Wu is a Chinese-born contemporary jewelry artist. She received her M.F.A in Metal and Jewelry Design from Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Jewelry Art Design from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology in China. Dongyi has participated in numerous residencies at institutions, such as the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, AR, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, the Baltimore Jewelry Center in Baltimore, MD, and the Contemporary Craft in Pittsburg, PA. Dongyi won numerous awards and exhibited worldwide, including at New York Jewelry Week, at Schmuck 2018 as part of Munich Jewelry Week, with SNAG (the Society of North American Goldsmiths), the Preziosa Young as part of Florence Jewellery Week, and JOYA 2020 at the Crafts Museum in Barcelona, Spain.
Panelist Bios
Karla García is a Texas-based artist originally from Mexico, who creates ceramic sculptural installations inspired by her Mexican roots. García exhibits nationally, and received the Nasher Artist Grant, the Top Prize at Artspace 111, and the US Consulate in Mexico award for her binational exhibition, “La Línea Imaginaria.” Her recent work includes Shifting Ground at 12.26 Gallery, Chateau Show iii, and is currently a Sandhills Institute Fellow for an upcoming project in Rushville, Nebraska.
Atinuke Osibogun-Adeleke is an interdisciplinary artist and founder of Zuri Perle, a brand celebrated for its distinctive home and body adornments inspired by her Nigerian heritage and global experiences. Her work has been featured in the African American Museum in Dallas and Daisha Board Gallery in Dallas, and she was recognized as a Saatchi Art New Futures recipient in 2023. Her designs have appeared on New York runways, Kansas City Fashion Week, CNN Africa, and Italiano L’Orafo.
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Shannon Saxman’s love of jewelry began as a small child. She handles Corporate Account Production at Bock Jewelry Company in Dallas, Texas, and now serves as an Inventory Production Coordinator for their retail stores. She will soon complete her Graduate Gemologist Diploma and has been active on the board for the Dallas Chapter of the Women’s Jewelry Association for 6 years, as well as the board for the North Texas GIA Alumni Collective for 2 years.
