Conversations with Kelly Conner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Conner. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Alloy: A Metalsmithing Community began in 2014 as MeritMade Workshop. It was a way for owner Kelly Conner to add revenue to her jewelry business in the slower periods and share her love of metalsmithing with other humans. She developed several “make and take” workshops, teaching them in her studio and traveling to teach them in other artists’ spaces. Ultimately, she felt like Kansas City was missing a community-based studio where metalsmiths could feel safe to work and grow in their field amongst other metal nerds. In late 2019, Kelly invested in 6 jeweler’s benches & flex shafts, a shareable & safe soldering station, some old lockers from a small town school shop, and a small library. After thoughtful organizing of the small space available, and a bit of wallpaper, the studio was open for its first bench membership program. MeritMade workshop grew and changed with new teachers, more classes, and members, and expanded to a bigger studio. With all that change, in April 2022, it was time for a new name; Alloy: A Metalsmithing Community was the result, and we’re so excited to see what the future holds. Alloy offers a variety of ways for people to dip their toes into metalsmithing or dive into the deep end. We offer private one-on-one lessons, group workshops, private workshops, and DIY wedding band workshops for couples.

Our group workshops are released quarterly, first to our newsletter subscribers and then to the public. They are a mix of skill/technique-based workshops and our very fun “make and take” workshops in which you leave the workshop with a finished piece. All our “make and takes” can be booked on your schedule as private workshops for you and a group of your favorite humans. Not into groups? Our private lessons are 1 on 1 and can be tailored to your interests or a specific project you’d like our help bringing to fruition.

One of our favorite workshops to teach is our DIY wedding band workshop, where we help individuals or couples make their wedding bands. These start with a consultation, via either video chat or in person, to discuss each couple’s needs and wants. The participants book their workshops after making a few decisions and ordering materials. After about 4 hours in the studio together, they take home an heirloom quality wedding band with way more meaning than the one they could have purchased at a jewelry store.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening up Alloy has been so rewarding in many ways, but of course, it has had its fair share of challenges. It’s extremely challenging to spread my time between two very enmeshed but different businesses. Essentially, with two businesses comes twice the work, twice the newsletters, twice as much social engagement, etc. The hardest part is finding both the time and energy so neither business struggles. I want to be able to touch every aspect of both businesses, but there’s not enough time, and I have had to learn to let go of some control. Luckily, I’ve found some amazing women to help support me in both businesses, which allows a ton. This community is growing without me steering every move, which is sometimes challenging but also exciting!

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
Collectively our teachers have over 40+ years of experience in Metalsmithing. Kelly and Louise earned degrees in Metalsmithing from the University of Kansas, where they gained a broad understanding of many techniques. And have experience as bench jewelers in retail settings. The combination has given them the perfect balance of artistic design ability and practical fabrication, repair, and stone-setting skills related to jewelry.

Becoming a metalsmith takes work. There are so many skills to be learned and honed, and many smiths need to be more quick to share their knowledge with beginners. The tools are expensive and require a safe space to use. Depending on what kind of metalsmith you hope to become, it could take years of practice. Having direction from someone with that experience as a beginner can progress your learning exponentially.

Alloy’s beginning metalsmithing for jewelry class was developed to teach you the basics efficiently so that with a small investment, you can see whether or not you’d like to continue to become a metalsmith. If you want to continue, we have a safe space for you to grow.

What matters most to you?
Jewelry making can be an incredibly isolating experience in the activity because many jewelers hold their knowledge close to their chest. At Alloy, we believe in collaboration over competition. We also think that metalsmithing is for everyone, whether you’d like to grow your practice from a hobby to a source of income or experience something you never thought you’d have the opportunity to try. Our goal is to offer a safe and comfortable place for people to feel like they belong, can take a chance in metalsmithing, and do so amongst a community of other supportive metalsmiths. Kelly and Louise didn’t know metalsmithing would be their passion before the first time they held a torch. You don’t know what you’re missing until you try it!

Pricing:

• Private Lessons – $65-$85/hr
• Bench Membership – $95-$195/month
• Group workshops start at $75/per ticket
• DIY Wedding Bands range from $350-$2500

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alloymetalsmithing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alloy_metalsmithing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlloyMetalsmithing