Lori Talcott

Lori Talcott is a metalsmith making both contemporary work and Norwegian folk jewelry. Her studies began at Washington State University and Lund University in Sweden where she earned a BA in art history and Scandinavian studies. After finishing a BFA in metal design from the University of Washington, she pursued her interest in European folk jewelry to Norway where she worked as an apprentice to a master silversmith. Her work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and the Tacoma Art Museum, and has been featured in Metalsmith, Ornament, Korean Craft, and various other European publications. She exhibits, lectures and teaches nationally and in Europe, most recently presenting research at a conference in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 1997, Lori was awarded an Artist Trust Fellowship in Craft, and in 2004 an Arts Fellowship from the American-Scandinavian Foundation to spend a year on sabbatical in Norway.

Lori also received a 1995 GAP and 1997 Fellowship from Artist Trust.

As part of her Fellowship’s Meet the Artist requirements, Lori visited Naches Valley High School in Eastern Washington and gave presentations to three of Randy Wise’s art classes. Lori’s presentation started with an overview of her education, an apprenticeship she did in Norway, setting up a studio, and what it means to make a living as an artist. Lori reports, “I then gave a brief historical, cross-cultural and contemporary overview of all the crazy and amazing things people have worn and wear today, emphasizing meaning and symbolism.” Woven into this were personal travel photos and anecdotes, describing how these impressions and experiences have manifested in her work over the years. “The students were incredibly attentive, asked great questions, and made funny and smart comments,” Lori said. Randy Wise stated, “I think it was extremely valuable for my students to hear your perspective and insights. Their world is very small and of course it is part of my job to expand it… [Y]our presentation helped immensely in that process. Thanks.”