Silversmith Kaori Vaughn Gives Jewelry Students Hands-On Learning Experience
February 23rd, 2022
Kaori Vaughn begins a demonstration for students in Jewelry class
Jewelry is one of the many art electives students are able to explore at La Pietra. This term, art teacher Mrs. Cynthia Tesoro was proud to welcome guest artist Kaori Vaughn to give students a closer look at how a professional silversmith works.
Originally from Japan, Vaughn has studied silversmithing for over fifteen years and works in both Western metal techniques and traditional Japanese tradescrafts, such as Mokume-Gane and Zogan, with Japanese master craftsmen. Most recently, she has taught students of all ages at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
"I loved just using my hands, that’s why I started. I’m kind of a crafty person. As soon as I started I loved it," Vaughn said in an interview with the Honolulu Museum of Art. "But before I started to teach, it was different. After I started teaching, I really wanted to help students and work with them."
Vaughn is passionate about fostering a creative environment where students can develop their artistic techniques and express their own unique ideas. And it's clear by the way she worked with Mrs. Tesoro's jewelry students to help them envision, design, and execute their pieces during the two days they spent together.
"A lot of the students from the beginning don’t have any idea of what they want to make and they start to use their hands," Vaughn told the Honolulu Museum of Art about her own students, "and by the end of the semester, they always have something they can wear. "
Jewelry students start crafting pieces of their project after drawing an initial design
A big mahalo to Kaori Vaughn for visiting our jewelry classes and for giving students this invaluable, hands-on learning opportunity!
La Pietra's Art Department has also welcomed a number of other exciting guest artists to its classrooms, including kapa artist Dalani Tanahy, photographer Ric Noyle and multimedia artist Tina Cintron.
If you're interested in expressing your own creativity, art workshops are back at the Honolulu Museum of Art! You can now join its art instructors in the galleries and its new outdoor studio located in the Kīna‘u Courtyard. Spring workshops for students of all ages begin Saturday, March 5, and registration is currently open.
