1st July - 31st August 2003

A celebration of local contemporary jewellery and a design competition inspired by the Great Yorkshire Show

METRO
1 July 2003

A county show of design
EXHIBITION
Great Yorkshire Talent
If the thought of spending the afternoon admiring all things agricultural at the Great Yorkshire Show is a bit green welly for you, then the take on country matters from 13 of the region's jewellery designers could be more up your street. Taking categories from the show such as Housewives' Choice Cattle Competition and Wool On The Hoof, as their themes, the 12 jewellery designers and textile artist showing in Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery's Great Yorkshire Talent exhibition have each produced a competition piece.
With the category names as a guide, and the only limitations being the size of the piece (lOxlO cm) and a selling price of under £200, the designers have taken inspiration from sources as disparate as vintage agricultural equipment, bees and the Yorkshire landscape. The pieces range from literal interpretations to work that veers into more abstract realms. Exceptional designs include Fiona Mackay's beautiful choker, Flowers, which features an intricate ball of enamelled blooms, and Genevieve Broughton's honeycomb ring (above).
The most attention-grabbing pieces, though, are Halifax-based Sara TunstaIl's pair of silver sheep brooches (left). Tunstall, who grew up in Calderdale's sheep-farming area, usually makes pared-down, minimalist jeweIlery, but applied similar techniques to the creation of wittily cartoon-like beasts with stylised rectangular bodies.
Showing alongside the competition pieces are collections by each of the featured designers. To further reinforce the link between art and agriculture, the pieces will be displayed in the Art Pavilion of the Great Yorkshire Show between July 8 and 10.
Tina Jackson
Today until Aug 31, Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Victoria Road, Saltaire, daily 10am to 6pm, free. Tel: 01274 599790.

Yorkshie Post, 11 June 2003 review of 'Great Yorkshire Talent'

YORKSHIRE POST
11 June 2003

we love. . .
This idea by jeweller Kath Libbert for a summer exhibition at her gallery which focuses on local talent. She has linked up with the Great Yorkshire Show to launch a Best in Show competition for designers. "I liked the idea of creating connections between art and agriculture," says Kath. Twelve jewellers and a textile artist have all created work for an exhibition as well as one special competition piece based on one of the Great Yorkshire Show's judging categories - the entries include items such as Pig Pairs, Wool on the Hoof and the Housewives' Choice Cattle Competition.

We love these cartoon-like silver sheep brooches by Calderdale designer Sara Tunstall and this golden honeycomb ring by Genevieve Broughton (top) from Wakefield. The Great Yorkshire Talent exhibition will be at Kath Libbert's jewellery gallery at Salts Mill, Saltaire from July 1 to August 31. The competition entries will be on display in the Art Pavilion at the Great Yorkshire Show between July 8-10.

TELEGRAPH & ARGUS
12 July 2003

Putting on a sparkling show
by SALLY CLIFFORD
Silver sheep brooches and a duck egg shell neckpiece are just some of the eyecatching designs Yorkshire jewellers have created to celebrate the county's rural heritage.
Great Yorkshire Talent is the latest exhibition at Kath Libbert's Jewellery Gallery in Salts Mill, Saltaire.
It showcases the work of 13 Yorkshire jewellers and was launched on July 1 - ahead of that all-important event on the county's calendar, The Great Yorkshire Show.
And, to coincide with the show, the designers all had to produce a commission piece for the show-inspired competition which was eventually won by Sara Tunstall who came up with the practical silver sheep brooch.
Her pieces, along with the other designers' work, will now be on display until August 31.

YORKSHIRE LIFE
July 2003

Great Yorkshire Jewellery
As part of this year's Great Yorkshire Show, Kath Libbert Jewellery will be displaying a Yorkshire Show inspired range of jewellery in the Art Pavilion. All the pieces on display in the show, entitled Great Yorkshire Talent, have been created specially for the exhibition with the judging categories of the Great Yorkshire Show in mind. These include Pig Pairs, Wool on the Hoof, Housewives Choice, Cattle Competition and of course Best In Show.
Jewellery designer Sarah Tunstall has designed a ewe and lamb pair of silver brooches, and Wakefield designer Genevieve Broughton has created a golden honeycomb ring.
This interesting link between the worlds of art and agriculture will also be on display at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery until the end of August.
Kath Libbert Jewellery, Salt's Mill, Saltaire. Tel: 01274 599790.

LEEDS GUIDE
18 June 2003

Agri-Culture Club
Wear your farmyard animals with pride!
Thirteen top Yorkshire designers (12 jewellers and a textile artist) come together for a show at Kath Libbert Jewellery at Salts Mill and then tour to the Art Pavilion at the Great Yorkshire Show. They have taken inspiration from the Yorkshire landscape, bees and their hives, characteristics of favourite animals and a collection of vintage agricultural equipment. The collection includes Sara Tunstall's charming silver sheep brooches (I'm sure any self-respecting shepherd wouldn't be seen without one), Chris Philipson gets back to the land with his silver plough brooches, while Leeds' Roger Barnes has created a 'Dream Horse' to carry you away with its magical beauty into a sweet netherworld. No doubt AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh would approve of Genevieve Broughton's honeycomb ring, but given his honey consumption and the fact that this is cut in pure gold perhaps we'd better not let on to him. So, in case the work of Sir Anthony Caro hadn't already persuaded you, art and agriculture are not mutually exclusive. In between the sheep dog trials and show jumping, pig farmers and toffee apple stalls, take a peek at a world of earthy, yet ethereal, beauty (or else squeeze it in with the Hockney at Salts).
1 July to 31 August, Kath Libbert Jewellery, Saltaire and 8-10 July, Great Yorkshire Show, near Harrogate.
RJ

Artscene, July/August 2003 review of 'Great Yorkshire Talent'

ARTSCENE
July/August 2003

LISTINGS
This month's cover is a completely baa-rmy idea by Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery at Salts Mill in Saltaire. Essentially it's a showcase of twelve of Yorkshire's best makers (and a textile artist) - the twist is that each has been invited to submit an extra piece themed on one of the Great Yorkshire Show's judging categories. The jewellery will be herded into a ring (no doubt) while the judges deliberate in a heady atmosphere of beer, cheese and baps. Our cover shows Sara Tunstall's 'Sheep Brooches'. The exhibition runs until August 31st, but you can see the special commissions in the Art Pavilion at the Great Yorkshire Show from July 8 to 10.

HALIFAX EVENING COURIER
30 June 2003

Jewel designer vies for top rosette
Sara's aiming to be best in show!
JEWELLERY designer Sara Tunstall is competing for the honour of "best in show" this week at the Great Yorkshire Show in miniature.
Sara, of John Street West, Sowerby Bridge, is one of 13 designers vying for a rosette at an un-usual competition, "Great Yorkshire Talent", which is inspired by the Harrogate show.
The exhibition is based at the Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, and the collection of quirky pieces will also be on display in the Art Pavillion at the Great Yorkshire Show between July 8 and 10.
Each designer has created a collection of new work and a special one-off piece based on the show's judging categories. These novel designs will be under scrutiny on Tuesday, the opening day, with a prize being awarded to the piece chosen as "best in show".
For Sara, it was a chance to use the techniques she uses in her mainstream designs to create a humorous piece - two delightful cartoon-like silver sheep brooches - a ewe and her lamb.
She said: "In the last year or so Kath's exhibitions have been mostly of European work and so we kind of liked the idea of refocussing on local designers.
"Quite a few of the jewellers in the exhibition we carry anyway," she said. "We asked them to create a new collection and one piece that took inspiration from the Great Yorkshire Show.
"We suggested categories and asked them to look on the show's website for ideas," said Sara who works at the gallery and organised the exhibition along with Kath herself.
"And because my work is quite simple and I don't do figurative work at all it was fun to do something different and unusual."
Gallery owner Kath Libbert said: "We wanted our next show to be firmly focused on the best of local talent. We then had the idea of forming a link with the Great Yorkshire Show, which is so well known for celebrating the county's agricultural achievements. "I liked the idea of creating connections between 'art' and 'agriculture' and we are now eagerly awaiting the judging."
As well as the sheep brooches, the former Ryburn Valley High School student has created a collection of solid silver chokers, earrings, cuffiinks, bangles and rings, set with smooth pebbles she picked up on the beach. Prices range from £88 to £160.
The gallery is open seven days a week and the exhibition runs until August 31. Pieces in the competition will be for sale after the exhibition closes and can also be commissioned. For more information call 01274 599790.

HUDDERSFIELD DAILY EXAMINER
10 July 2003

Just plastic fantastic
Lindley designer Julie Ann Seaman makes jewellery from old scrubbing brushes and knitting needles. JENNY PARKIN talked to her
JULlE Ann Seaman is on a mission - to make jewellery fun.
The 31-year-old designer, who lives in Lindley, trained in traditional jewellery making in Dundee. But she got bored with ordinary gold and silver, and began to work in plastic. She says: "It's only recently that people have been able to see the value and workmanship of plastic jewellery.
"I use Perspex acrylic, layering up colours such as orange, yellow, turquoise and red, and carving into it."
Julie, who comes from Leeds, has also taken great influence from her travels to India and Nepal in her work. And her imagination is often sparked by more humdrum things. Julie says: "I love to recycle old, coloured knitting needles in my work, and wood.
"I went to Wilkinson's and bought lots of scrubbing brushes, to use the bristles."
Julie moved to her home in Savile Road to be nearer to her studio at Dean Clough, Halifax.
Pieces from latest collection, Fur And Feather, are on show and for sale at Kath Libbert Jewellery, Salt's Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, until August 31. Julie is one of 13 jewellers to be featured in the Great Yorkshire Talent exhibition, which moved to the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate this week.
People who attended voted for their favourite pieces - and Julie's came joint second, hence the rosette she's wearing.
Participants were asked to take inspiration from the show when they designed their collections. Julie, who teaches part time at Leeds Art College, says: "Lots of people had cattle and horses in mind but I concentrated on pigeons, chickens and rabbits. "I've made earrings in the shape of carrots. "I wanted to have a bit of fun, it's good to bring humour into jewellery."

Great Yorkshire Talent

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