Master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain trained, studied and worked in Germany, Canada and the United States to learn the skills he uses. His work is concerned with Process and Beauty as well as function. He thinks of decision making in metal as drawing, working with the same sensibilities of mark and commitment as when working with pen and ink. Many pieces use a 'printmaking' approach to working metal, that is that the work is done in separate steps in groups and layers building towards the finished piece. Process and the tensions between nature and structure are part of his concerns. His work and writing on the results of his technical research have been published internationally. In 1994 Brain Press was established which documents, publishes and markets the results of his research activities. He has worked on the Cage Series of work extensively since 2001. Images of some Cage work is here Slide Show. He traveled to Thailand to visit Dr. Hanuman Aspler, his colleague, in the spring of 2008. This journey contributed to a major exhibition and catalog (River Trip) and rekindled his interest in chasing. Over 700 images from the journey are here. He also published two major books in 2008, Foldforming with Brynmorgen Press, and The Jeweler's Bench Book with MJSA Press. A distinguished Fellow of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain he has lectured and taught in England, Germany, the United States, Canada and Australia. He is a consultant on the jewelry field, and has written expert witness reports regarding health and safety in US legal cases. A 2010 online interview with Jay Whaley is here an hour long interview

Gallery Links for Lewton-Brain's Artwork and Goldsmithing / Wall pieces from 2009 / Wall pieces from 2008/ Jay Whaley 2010 hour long interview / CraftCast Interview 09 / Hawk Interview 07 / Slide Show of Cage Series Work / "River Trip" Project Cage Series Work / PDF of Lewton-Brain's CV 2009

Resume Charles Lewton-Brain Go to top (2009)
Selected Education
1986 MFA, SUNY, New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA. 1984: FGA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain. 1980: ZDF, Certificate in German Language Skills: Goethe Institut/Volkshochschule, 1979-80: Studies at the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung, Pforzheim, BRD. 1978: BFA, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design

Selected Professional Experience Go to top
1986-09 Jewelry/Metals Program head (92-98, 99-06) and metalsmithing instructor at all levels, for conceptual, technical education, drawing, design. Alberta College of Art and Design.
1980-09 Studio artist and free-lance consultant for industry and small scale jewellery production.
1986-09 Author of jewelry books, monographs, videos and over a hundred articles in magazines.
1996-2009 Co-founder of the Ganoksin Project, worlds largest information web site for jewelers.
1986 Instructor, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, summer session
1986 Adjunct instructor, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City
1981-84 Instructor, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
1982 Manager, Frobisher Jewellery Centre, a Government of the North West
Territories project, Baffin Island, Canada
1980 Goldsmith, Karl Angermaier GMBH, Pforzheim, BRD
1979 Goldsmith, Richard Bossert GMBH, Pforzheim, BRD
1978 Instructor, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, summer session.

Workshops and Lectures Given
1979-09 Two hundred+ on various subjects given in Canada, USA, Australia, England, Portugal

Selected Grants and Awards Go to top
2005 Award of Honour,.Alberta Crafts Council, provincial.
2003 Honorable Mention, Metal Arts Guild National Exhibition.
2001 Alberta College of Art and Design Student Association Teachers Cup.
1999 “ACAD Board of Governors Award of Excellence”, “in recognition of significant contributions to the arts in the province of Alberta”,
1997 Alberta College of Art and Design Student Association Inaugural Teachers Cup.
1995 Stamford Perrott Innovative Project Grant for computer software development 1993
Honourable Mention, ‘Relics for the Future’, Dartmouth Nova Scotia
1990 Selection for publication by the Rolex Awards for Enterprise 1990
1989 Production Award, Metal Arts Guild Exhibition, Toronto
1986 Society of North American Goldsmiths Research Grant for research
1985 Award of Merit, Grand Prix de Quebec, Montreal, PQ
1985, 84 Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarships, Dept of Culture, Nova Scotia
1984 Award of Merit, Crafts 18, Pennsylvania
1983 Design Award, Metal Arts Guild of Toronto Exhibition
1977 DoFasco Purchase award, Metal Arts Guild Exhibition, Toronto

Selected One-Person Shows Go to top
2004 "Charles Lewton-Brain", Fleury Gallery, Houston, Texas.
2000 “Charles Lewton-Brain”, Riccardo Accurso Gallery, Sheperdstown, WV.
“Gemscapes”, Firehouse Art Center Gallery, Norman, Oklahoma
“Charles Lewton-Brain”, El Camino College, Torrance CA
1999 “Charles Lewton-Brain”, Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC
“Charles Lewton-Brain: Work”, North Seattle Community College Gallery, Seattle
“Charles Lewton-Brain”, Wesleyan Potters Crafts Cooperative Gallery, Hartford, CT
1998 ‘Charles Lewton-Brain’, New Brunswick School of Crafts Gallery, Fredericton, NB
1998 'Gemscapes: Charles Lewton-Brain', Minds Eye Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
1994 ‘Charles Lewton-Brain’, one man show R. Grey Gallery, Boise, Idaho
1992 'Ten Forward', Muttart Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1989 'Recent Work', Letki Design Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1988 'Recent Work: Sets', Fireworks Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia
1987 'Charles Lewton-Brain; Metalwork', University of North Dakota Art Gallery,
1986 'Charles Lewton-Brain; Recent Work: Metal', Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, NS
1983 Mount St. Vincent Art Gallery, Halifax, 'Nova Scotia Crafts I: Charles Lewton-Brain'
1982 'Recent Work', Centre des Arts Visuels, Montreal
1981 'Sculpture in Jewellery', Fireworks Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Selected Juried Exhibitions and Group Shows Go to top
2006 "The Hurricane Show", State Museum of Pennsylvania,
The Martini Show, Altered Space Gallery, Venice , CA, and New Orleans, invitational
"Parameters of Preciousness", McAnich Arts Center, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
2005 "Melting Point", Art Central, June, Metalphoric Group, June.
"Body Ornament West", Alberta Crafts Council Gallery,, Edmonton, AB, January-April. "Natural Abstractions", INFLUX Galler, , Calgary, January
Metalsmith Magazine, "Exhibition in Print", publication, juried, Published summer 2005.
2004 "December Exhibition", La Freniere and Pai Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, December.
"Oeuvres récentes de 40 artistes-joalliers, Galerie Noel Guyomarc'h, Montreal, Québec
"Shades", juried show, Object/Design Gallery, Vancouver, August 12-Oct 30
"The Shiny Show", INFLUX Gallery, juried, commercial, Calgary, Nov -Dec
"Body Ornament West",Triangle Gallery, public, Calgary, AB, Sept-Oct.
"You Wear What You Eat", Juried, Kirkland Art Center, public, Kirkland, WA, USA.
2003 “New Art Jewellery”, Christopher Gallery Calgary, Sept 03, With Dee Fontans.
“Wind Chill”, Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton, AB, January 2004
“Big”, invitational, Uncommon Objects Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto,
December Exhibition, Galerie, Noel Guyomarch, Montreal, PQ
"Adorn and Protect", Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
"Celebrate Tomorrow Today" invitational, Nova Scotia Talent Trust, Halifax, NS.
2002 ‘Turn up the Volume', Metal Arts Guild national juried exhibition, Toronto, traveling.
‘Art/Craft: The Great Debate’, Juried, Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton, AB
Holiday Exhibition, invitational, Lafreniere & Pai Gallery, Ottawa, ON
2001 ‘Once Upon a Time: Artists Examine Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends’, Invitational Wustum Museum, Racine Wisconsin.
“The Year of the Bear” Willock and Sax Gallery, Waterton Lakes, AB, invitational.
2000 “Filtered Senses”, Brookfield Craft Center Gallery, Connecticut. (Curated this show)
“Current Views’ (invitational), Pratt Fine Art Center Gallery, Seattle, WA
“Attitude and Action”, curated by Gail Brown, Birmingham, England
“Exhibition in Motion”, performance, SNAG Conference, Boston, MA
1999 “Silver”, Invitational Exhibition, Canadian Crafts Museum, Vancouver.
“Celebration of Alberta’s Jewellery Artists”, Mesa Silver Gallery, Calgary
“Measure by Measure: Jewelers Explore the Four Dimensions” Brookfield, CT
“Fire and Iron”, CANIRON Exhibition, Calgary and Edmonton, AB.
"Identity/Identite", Metal Arts Guild national travelling exhibition
“The End is Near: Artists Look at the Twentieth Century”, Wustum Museum, Racine.
1992 Inaugural Exhibition, “Treasury of Canadian Crafts”, Canadian Crafts Museum
1991 “Formes et Contrastes”, invitational, Grand Prix des Métier d'Art, Quebec.
1989 'Sets, New Canadian Jewellery', Roz Macallan Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
1988 'Objects of Magic', Grand Prix des Metiers d'Art, Montreal
1986 'A Garden Party', Clodagh, Ross and Williams Gallery, New York City
1985 'Charles Lewton-Brain: Pamela Ritchie', Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax
1984 'Jewellery International', American Craft Museum, New York City
1983 'Jewellery in Transition', Prime Gallery, Toronto
1982 'Precious Metal Objects', Centre des Arts Visuels, Montreal

Selected Further Professional Experience Go to top
2004-2006 President, Canadian Crafts Federation (National Arts Service Organization)
1996-07 Established collaborative educational web site called Ganoksin.com -the largest free educational site for jewelers in the world with more than 7 million uniquie visitors a year visiting the site. A 6,500 person mailing list "Orchid" is archived and searchable.
1994 Founded Brain Press to publish software, books and videos. Authored 5 books since.
1980-07 Invention and development of Fold-forming; an internationally recognized system of working sheet metal completely new to the field characterized by rapidity and complexity of cross section. Hundreds of discrete named forms have been identified and researched.Go to top

Bibliography
1980-09 Magazine articles and books published regularly nationally, internationally and on the World Wide Web. Over 800 pages of writing published at the Ganoksin Project.

A snapshot of writing activies: Articles published in 2006.
2006 "Foreword","Impressions: Moving The Surface" book, Brain Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-9698510-7-3
"Bench Tricks For Goldsmithing" CDROM, powerpoint, and bench tricks book pdf. Brain Press, ISBN 0-698610-8-1, 2006
"Bit by Bit" At the Bench, MJSA Journal (AJM), September 2006, pp 69-70, ISSN 0838-2484 Vol 1, No 4, pp 69-70
"The Hole Story" At the Bench, MJSA Journal (AJM), August 2006, pp 77-78, ISSN 0838-2484 Vol 1, No 3, pp 10
"Taking Shape", At the Bench, MJSA Journal (AJM), July 2006, Vol 1, # 2, pp 69-70
#13, "Tech Sheet: Working with Hinges", Insert and Tech sheet, MJSA Journal, (AJM ) magazine, 2006
"Lasting Impressions", At the Bench, AJM, May 2006, pp 65, Vol 51, #5
#10, "Tech Sheet: Polishing Tools and Tips", Insert and Tech sheet, MJSA Journal, (AJM ) magazine, 2006
"Cheap Tricks: Tips for finding and making chasing tools", AJM (American Jewelry Manufacturer magazine, March, 2006, pp 66-67 Vol 51, No. 3
"Burnish Your Image", At the Bench, AJM (American Jewelry Manufacturer magazine, January, 2006, pp 58-59 Vol 51, No. 1
In the last phases of writing book on Fold-Forming with Brynmorgen Press. Writing book on the jewellers bench, a Ganoksin/MJSA co-publication.Go to top

A snapshot of articles which mention me or my work in 2006.
2006 Alberta Craft Magazine, "In the News: ACC Fine Craft Awards", Winter 2006, p 10
American Jewelry Manufacturer Magazine, "Best Technology and Booth Awards", April, 06, pp 1021
Avenue Magazine, "Contents" (full page of my work), May 2006, p 8
Chatman, Kyle, " A review of the Use of Concrete in Fine Art", Paper, University of California, Berkeley, April 2006
Dahlberg, Eric, C., "Sparks Exhibition Review", MAGazine, Spring/Summer 2006, pp14, ISSN 0838-2484 Vol 21, No 1
Elaine Thompson, Sharon, "Point Break", Avoinding diamond breakage during the setting process. Canadian Jeweller, February/March 2006, pp 40-42Vol 127, No 1
Gollberg, Joanna, The Art and Craft of Making Jewelry", Lark Books/Sterling, NY, NY, ISBN 13:978.1-57990-570-5, pages 51, 59, 76, 116
Hackett, Regina, "Artists Candy Breaks the Mold", Seattle Pi.com, May 11, 2006
Jewllery Business, "Up Front: The Year of Craft in Canada", October 2006, pp 14
Janzen, Kathleen, "Making The Book: Dreaming in colour", ¨MAGazine, Spring/summer 2006, pp11, ISSN 0838-2484 Vol 21, No 1
Magazine, "Message from the President", Spring/Summer 2006, pp3, ISSN 0838-2484 Vol 21, No 1
Revere, Alan, "500 Earrings", Lark Books, publication pending.
Salahub, Jennifer, "Small Satisfactions" Introductory essay, "Impressions: Moving The Surface" book, Brain Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-9698510-7-3, p 9, 68, 70
Swerve Magazine, "Hot Rocks, Less Bucks", 02/17/06, pg 26
Wojtkielo, Tina, “Shifting Years” ”, American Jewelry Manufacturer Magazine, April, 06, pp 10
Yonick, Deborah, "The Economics of Ergonomics", Jewllery Business, February 2006

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Charles Lewton-Brain:
Professional History Detail

Professional Artist since 1981. Exhibited and published widely with national and international recognition for his contributions as an artist, educator and cultural sector worker. Visiting Artist at numerous colleges in Canada, the United States and Australia, and speaker at conferences in Canada and the United States, England, Australia, Portugal. In 1984 was granted Distinguished Membership status from the Society of North American Goldsmiths and Juried Membership Status in the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council, Halifax. In 1999 the Alberta College of Art and Design awarded him the "Board of Governors Award of Excellence", "in recognition of significant contributions to the arts in the province of Alberta". In 1997 and 2001 he won the Student Association's "Teachers Cup"‚ for outstanding teaching and inspirational work for students.

Important contributions to historical development: Maintained a strong practice and exhibition record since 1981. Published images of work and opinions widely. Writing subjects ranged from critical to technical, from PR methods and photography for artists to studio safety and research papers on historical and technical subjects. Personal artistic research into process and compositional systems is reported to the field internationally in the form of books, videos and articles. Thousands of metalsmiths internationally have adopted methods he developed and use them in their work. His inventions and working techniques are taught around the world in jewelry programs.

He invented fold-forming, a large system of working sheet metals that is completely new to the world. It uses simple hand tools to produce complex three dimensional and relief forms and structures rapidly. There are hundreds of shapes possible, and the results are widely used for sculpture, installation, decorative blacksmithing and jewellery making. Numerous colleges and schools worldwide now offer courses using these techniques. The British Museum research lab (Metals Head, Paul Craddock) and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise have confirmed this is a new, original approach to working metals (1990).

As an educator he has influenced many students, and directly taught his ideas about position, philosophy, learning and technique to several thousand people through workshops and lectures. Many students credit his teaching for their success in the United States and Canada. He taught at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design from 1982-84, 86 and in Calgary since 1986 at the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he has been jewellery/metals program head for over ten years. He has given over two hundred workshops and lectures internationally.
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Lewton-Brain translated the 560 page book "Theorie und Praxis des Goldschmieds" by Erhard Brepohl (from German into English). A 13 year "service to the field" project (two complete editions were translated). This book is the most important, comprehensive book in the metals field (2001). He has written four books for jewelers, the last one, on safety for metal workers has become a standard resource in the field. Some eight published monographs have sold tens of thousands of copies internationally.

Past President of the Canadian Crafts Federation/Fédération Canadienne des Métiers d'Art, Canada‚s national organization for the craft sector. He was a founding member of the group in 1999. He spent six years as a member of the Board of the Canadian Conference on the Arts (CCA) as the national representative for Craft with reporting and representational responsibilities to the eleven provincial craft councils and to the Canadian Crafts Federation. His reports (every six months) from 1996-2002 were influential in national Craft development and as references for provincial and federal bodies. He served as an Alberta Craft Council Board member1991-95. He has participated in many provincial cultural intitiatives, conferences and workshops provincially and nationally.

Lewton-Brain created a major competitive commission for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the 'Black Rod' made of sterling silver, gold and ebony, 42" long. Only the British Parliament and Ottawa have this symbolic object. Alberta is the first other commonwealth Legislative Assembly to have one. The British Parliament, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Royal Canadian Legion were all sponsors of the project (1996-97). Other public commissions include the Mace for the Technical University of Nova Scotia in Halifax and a chalice made for the Pope's visit to Halifax in 1984.

His contributions to significant contemporary practice include: Wearable art, exposed in the form of public performances, lectures and published images. Risky work, challenging audience and wearer. Contemporary jewellery shown to the public in numerous venues and disseminated through magazine and catalog images, as well as the internet.

He has focused since 1997 on 'Cage' series works, related pieces bound by format, ranging from performance oriented body art to jewellery. The recent concentration has been on jewellery. The jewellery is made by welding stainless steel wire with an orthodontic fusion welder, then electroformed, literally grown in a copper-acid bath, finally heavy gold electroplating.

He has served as a jury member on a number of juries, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Metal Arts Guild (national), ACAD awards committee member 1990-2001. Member of Diplome D'Honneur committee of the CCA and juror for the national Diplome d'Honneur and for the Rogers Communications Award (English) (Media Competition). Juror for the Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership, and juror for the Saul Bell Awards in 2003. Canadian curator and national coordinator for "Handwerk 96", international exhibition at the Munich Handwerksmeße, Germany for nine years (1989-98). Curated 'Body Ornament West" in Calgary and Edmonton in 2004 and has curated a number of exhibitions of contemporary jewelry in North America. Technical editor and advisor for books by other authors. Editorial advisor and columnist for AJM magazine.

Lewton-Brain's web published articles have touched thousands of artists and craftspeople. In concert with Dr. Hanuman Aspler, he developed the Ganoksin Project (1996-05), now the largest educational resource web site in the world for jewelers and metalsmiths. http://ganoksin.com/ Over 600 pages of his writing are published there. The Ganoksin Project has up to 2,500,000 hits a month, people linger for an average of 20 pages, some 6000-9000 unique individuals visit a day. The 5500 member mailing list 'Orchid' generates some 50 edited messages a day, all archived and searchable. The impact worldwide is huge, and the site provides access to critical, business, PR and technical information to tens of thousands who would not otherwise have it. The Ganoksin Project has created and facillitated partnerships for information sharing with over 12 international jewelry magazines and a number of trade, industry and art jewelry oganizations. A history of the Ganoksin Project is here.

He maintains a list of some 400 metals, jewelry and art links which are widely circulated via email and have been published at several web sites, (SNAG, Metal Web News, Australian Jeweller). He regularly compiles and submits lists of exhibition opportunities to Canada's national metals group (MAGlist) and to the Orchid list.

Influence of his research into compositional systems can be traced in the work of many people nationally and internationally.

Galleries representing Charles Lewton-Brain's artwork and goldsmithing.

Alberta Crafts Council Gallery, 10186-106 St. Edmonton, AB
T5J 1H4 , Canada, Tel: 780-488-6611, Fax: 1-780-488-8855, Email.
Gallerie Noel Guyomarch, 137 Laurier W., Montréal, Québec, H2T 2N6, Canada, 514-840-9362 Email
Harbinger Gallery, 22 Dupont St. E., Waterloo, ON N2J 2G9,Canada, Phone: (519) 747-4644
Email
INFLUX Gallery, 2nd level, Art Central, 100 - 7th Avenue S.W. , Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0W4, Canada, Tel: 403.266.7527, Email
La Freniere and Pai Gallery,   13 Murray St., Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 9M5  Tel:  613.241.2767, Email
David Rice Gallery, 100 Osborne Street South, Winnipeg, Canada R3L 1Y5   Tel: (204) 453-6105    Fax (204) 453-1024., Email
R. Grey Gallery, Boise, 818 W. Idaho Street, Boise, Idaho 83702, USA, Email
Willock and Sax Gallery, 110 Bison Courtyard, 211 Bear Street, Banff, AB, T1L 1C2, 1-866-859-2220 Work Email
A slide showof Images of Cage Series Work

Collections housing Lewton-Brain's Work Go to top

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Legislative Assembly of Alberta (made Black Rod)
Royal Canadian Legion, Calgary Branch
Wustum Museum, Racine, Wisconsin
Department of External Affairs, Ottawa, Canada
Technical University of Nova Scotia (made University Mace)
Nova Scotia Art Bank
Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council Permanent Collection.
DoFasco Steel Corporation of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario
Ken Thompson Collection, Toronto, Ontario
Wolf Collection (Barbara Rockefeller Associates), New York, New York
Knapp Collection, New York, New York
Sobel Collection, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
Frosh Collection, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Lewton-Brain's Teachers and Students
His important teachers included Bob Ebendorf, Jamie Bennet, Klaus Ullrich, Walter Zeiss, Christian Gaudernak, Kurt Matzdorf, John Cogswell, Harold O'Connor, Haaken Bakken, Bill Ottermiller, George Van Duinwyck, and Orland Larson.

His successful students are many, who include Jeff De Boer, Brigitte Clavette, Louise Perrone, Steve Fong, Kari Woo, Devon Clark, Shona Rae. He has taught over 2000 individuals personally through workshops. Some have national Canadian or international fame, and those who have adopted techniques he pioneered from workshops include Harold O'Connor, Cynthia Eid among others.

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