The 3rd Annual Metal Arts Gift Show

Find unique holiday gifts at this beloved event

Local silversmith, Maggie Bowman, is the epitome of someone who has a lot of irons in the fire, literally and figuratively. She owns MB Sterling Designs, where she creates dynamic jewelry from metal; serves on the board and participates in the Art Harvest Studio Tour of Yamhill County; teaches an afterschool silversmithing program; spearheads, organizes, and runs the Metal Arts Gift Show; is on the Creative Metal Arts Guild in Portland; and so much more.

Bowman first learned to solder when she was just 14 in FFA, but her passion for silversmithing wasn’t truly ignited (pardon the pun) until around 2005. While raising two teenagers and teaching middle school, she started taking metal art classes to be able to repair jewelry she was reselling.

Her love of making (not repairing) jewelry was evident, and her friend and fellow jewelry maker, Jim Hayes, encouraged her to open her own studio by telling her to “just start throwing tools under your bed. And when you can’t fit anymore, you’ve got enough tools to start your own studio,” said Bowman. “Within the year I had my own studio.”

MB Sterling Designs was born. Bowman’s jewelry draws inspiration from a variety of sources, blending stylish structures with a whisper of whimsy. Her mastery of metal and its many mediums–from embossing to Mokume-gane–is forged in everything she creates. You can find her work at the Art Harvest Studio Tours, which is celebrating its 30th year this year.

Bowman’s involvement with the Art Harvest Studio Tour, however, began before she was even an artist. “When I was a fifth-grade teacher [in Carlton], we got scholarship money from the studio tour to take our kids on the tours,” said Bowman. The scholarships still exist today and help teachers and students experience local art first-hand by providing money for transportation and substitute teachers.

Bowman believes her experience with the Art Harvest Studio Tour has come full circle, from “starting by bringing children on the tour … to being on the board of directors and then actually working with art.” It doesn’t end there, however, as Bowman will also be participating in the Tour’s new mentoring program, in which she will spend 30 hours over the school year training a student in her studio.

As an artist and a teacher, Bowman realized that “I need to leave good jewelers on the planet, not just good jewelry.” She is doing just that. On top of the mentorship, Bowman will also be volunteer teaching at McMinnville High School. Several years ago, Bowman convinced Mr. Ford, the fabrication teacher, that the school needed a free afterschool silversmithing program for students to learn jewelry making. The program is free and there is currently a waiting list for the 6 spots.

Bowman provides her high school students with a booth at the Metal Arts Gift Show on December 14. This will be the show’s third year, and it began as Bowman’s “knee-jerk reaction to COVID. It took about 15 months to plan the first one, but I ended up with about 30 metalsmiths of all different kinds who were willing to do a 1-day show at the Heritage Center.” This year’s show takes place in December and guests will feature a diverse range of metal work, including jewelry, armor, bronze sculpture, furniture, art, knives, and more.

The event includes food trucks, live music, and blacksmith demonstrations with the Anvil Academy and the Heritage Center. Entrance costs $5 or 5 cans of food per person. More than 800 people have attended each event, gathering more than 600 pounds of food for Yamhill Community Action Partnership (YCAP). Bowman wants the show to “demonstrate to the public all the different kinds of metal arts,” while also giving back to our community.

Bowman’s dedication to sharing art in whatever way possible, whether it is through teaching, studio tours, or art shows, is infectious and admirable. “I want people to know how many wonderful artists there are in this community,” Bowman said. “And if you’re going to decorate your home or buy a gift for someone, do it by supporting a local artist.” 

Attend the Metal Arts Gift Show
Saturday, December 14, 10am-7pm
Yamhill Valley Heritage Center, 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville

Kate H. Knapp (she/her) works as a writer, recipe tester, and editor in McMinnville. She loves nothing more than sharing the beauty of food with her little one and has been cooking since she herself was stove-high and whisk-strong.

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