ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Wes Glebe has been making jewelry in many and varied forms for most of his life. At about the age of 11 he found a chunk of bronze and spent days drilling, filing and grinding it. Somehow he had obtained a small sterling eagle from a military ornament and soldered it to the top of the ring, and that was how his first ring happened.

Fifth grade was the start of his exploration of leatherwork, which then merged into tool making since he didn't have money to buy tools. His 7th grade wood shop teacher was the son of a German jeweler and they spent many wonderful hours after school learning basic casting techniques.

Since then there's hardly been a day when he hasn't been making something. High school was a time of intense exploration and prolific production. During his first year at University he made a new piece of jewelry every day for his future wife. When he applied to the Peace Corps he was asked to join as a handicrafts adviser and spent two years making and designing things out of indigenous materials, including the house in which he lived, and a boat.

Wes' background in art has instilled in him the awareness that any object can become ornament or adornment. It doesn't have to be "precious" in order to be part of his personal language. His reason for using titanium is not for its high-fashion aspect but because it is an exciting material to be the carrier for the 24k gold he uses.

His current line has the imposition of some traditional joining processes, only using cold connections such as riveting and wrapping. This appeals to the designer and engineer in him because it forces him to come up with solutions to design dilemmas that are not the usual or obvious ones.

COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE

USA

EDUCATION

Studied Art Education at Pennsylvania State University

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

"Hand Jive" Taboo Studio, San Diego, CA, 2007

Annual Discoveries Show, Greene & Greene Gallery, Lambertville, NJ, 2007

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — Award of Distinction, 2007

12th Biennial Exhibition, Metalwork 2005, the Washington Guild of Goldsmiths, Juror's Special Recognition, 2005

Two Capitals, Contemporary Art Jewelry in Moscow, Russia with the Washington Guild of Goldsmiths, 2004

200 Rings, celebrating 1000 Rings by Lark Books (Traveling Exhibition) Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, CA, 2004

11thBiennial Exhibition, "Metalwork 2003", The Washington Guild of Goldsmiths, Juror's Special Mention, 2003

Men, Richey Gallery, Portland, ME, 2003

Martini, Richey Gallery, Portland, ME, 2003

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

"1000 Rings, Inspiring Adornments for the Hand" New York, Lark Books, 2004

"Making Metal Jewelry, Projects, Techniques Inspirations" by Joanna Gollburg, New York, Lark Books, 2003