ABOUT


Curriculum Vitae

 

BIO

Edna Madera is a first-generation American studio jeweler working in Kansas City, Missouri. She received her MFA from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology and her BFA from the School of Fine Art at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, both in Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing. 

Edna continued to hone her craft by maintaining a studio practice while also working as a bench jeweler and studio assistant, executing repairs, stone setting, and small batch production. Her technical experience opened opportunities in the jewelry industry.  Hired as a product development manager and jewelry designer, Edna learned the ins and outs of global sourcing, product development, and supply chain.  

In 2014, Edna opened her namesake studio, where her mission is to meld design and technique in fine jewelry.  She has been invited to share her knowledge through teaching at non-profit national arts institutions, including Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, Penland School of Craft in North Carolina, and the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Tennessee.  

 

CRAFTSMANSHIP

Like an accumulation of pencil marks illustrates a picture, a multitude of delicate 24-karat gold threads are applied over silver.  Each wisp of pure gold is razor cut and torch fused, one by one, in Edna's Kansas City studio.

 

MATERIALS

♻️ Plenty has already been extracted from the earth. Choosing sustainable materials whenever possible is a key mission at Edna Madera's studio.  Recycled gold and silver is sourced from American suppliers that refine and mill in-house. Diamonds are sourced by partners who champion conflict-free gems from safe origins.  Finishes are chosen to allow the beauty of high-karat gold, fine and sterling silvers to glow from within.  To keep production in-house, her boutique studio stays healthy and agile by using natural cleansing solutions, and nothing is plated or coated except for a light buffing of wax on silver pieces. 

 

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

2024

  • Presenter, Material Topics Symposium at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
  • Presenter Exhibition - Material Topics Symposium, Wellington B. Gray Gallery at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

2022

  • Workshop Instructor, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
  • Instructor Exhibition, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

2021

  • Gold Fusing Workshop, Penland School of Crafts, North Carolina  
  • American Craft Council - Baltimore Craft Week

2019

  • Master Artist Workshop: Gold Fusing, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA
  • Master Artist Lecture, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA

2018

  • Higher Education Channel (HEC-TV) Meet the Artist -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPE9UheqQt4&feature=youtu.be

  • American Craft Council "Baltimore Show Awards of Excellence" -
https://craftcouncil.org/post/2018-baltimore-show-awards-excellence

  • "New Brooches: 400+ Designs in Contemporary Jewellery"- Nicolas Estrada; Promopress.
  • "JAMS Jewelry and Metals Survey 2017" - Society for North American Goldsmiths.
  • Saint Louis Art Fair, St Louis, MO
  • Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO
  • American Craft Council Show, St Paul, MN
  • American Craft Council Show, Atlanta, GA
  • American Craft Council Show, Baltimore, MD

 


CONTACT

Edna Madera
1407 Kansas Ave. Kansas City, MO  64127
emt@ednamadera.com
816-743-1399