Ellen Weiske

Ellen Weiske was born in Detroit, Michigan where she continued to live and attend college at Wayne State University. There, she received a BA (Bachelor of Arts, and then a MFA Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art, located in Bloomfield, Michigan. Ellen then went on to teach and work as a metalsmith for over 23 years. Ellen is a member of Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and resided as a member on the Board of Directors in 2005 and 2006.

Although her career as a student remained in Michigan, Ellen has taught at various colleges and universities all over the U.S. including Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC), Arrowmont(Gatlinburg, TN), and Haystack School of Crafts (Deer Isle, Maine). Ellen has also taught in Provence, France for four summers.

Work

Today Ellen works in her studio at Dow Studioon Deer Isle, Maine where she teaches and continues to expand on her extensive, multi-media body of work. Ellen's art work has been exhibited nationally as well as internationally, and can be viewed along with her techniques in her book "Weekend Crafter", published in 2001 by Lark Books. This book outlines 20 different projects which the reader can create at home with step-by-step instructions. Ellen has made this book easy enough so that anyone, even with no previous experience in metal-working, can create wire masterpieces which are both aesthetically beautiful and in some cases fully functional. If you would prefer to work with Ellen in person, the Dow Studio website would be a great place to look for workshops and opportunities.

Sources

Dow Studio [1] Cranbrook Academy of Art [2] Penland School of Crafts [3] Arrowmont [4] Weekend Crafter, Wirework [5]