Do you love gold? The "Gilding Arts" exhibit opens in Pontiac, Illinois, opens on Friday, June 29, 2011. The Society of Gilders, in cooperation with the City of Pontiac, will open an exhibition space inside the Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum on 217 Mill St, in the center of downtown Pontiac.
The Society of Gilders is an international organization of artisans who work with gold and metal leaf. The Society's members' works include using gold on picture frames, architectural items, sculpture, signs, furniture, fine art and other media like jewelry, mirrors, decorative objects, and more. The Society teaches interested artists and craftspeople to work with gold or other metal leaf. For centuries, it has been a carefully guarded technique. The Society, through its members, brings the techniques to all. Artisans work with everything from 23 karat gold, silver, copper, aluminum and various other mixtures of metals to produce glittering objects.
The exhibition space offers an introduction to gilding, a glimpse of the famed "Swift Collection," a brief tour through how gold and metal leaf is made, a primer on how to gild, and showcases everyday items that are brought to brilliant life with gold and metal leaf. The "Swift Collection" is comprised of tools and work stations that were used during the late 1800s in the hand production of gold leaf. In addition to the historical artifacts found in the new exhibit, there are gold leaf works for sale.
It is the goal of the Society of Gilders to open a larger, more complete Museum of the Gilding Arts in Pontiac, with expanded exhibits, as well as classrooms and other learning opportunities.
The new exhibit space will be hold its grand opening during the Pre-War Festival that is taking place in the downtown area Friday night, June 29th, and all day Saturday, June 30th. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, June 29 at 10 AM. The public and press are invited to attend.
For more information about the Society of Gilders, visit www.societyofgilders.org
