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The International Guild of Miniature Artisans’ Guild School at Maine Maritime Academy; Free Exhibitions Open to the Public June 14 – 18

Posted on: June 4, 2015

CASTINE, Maine – The International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) will be hosting the 34th annual Guild School at Maine Maritime Academy from June 13-19 with free exhibitions for the public Sunday through Wednesday, June 14 – 17 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and on Thursday, June 18 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.).

The Guild School will feature 47 classes over seven days for miniature artisans of all skill levels to practice their craft and learn new techniques in a variety of media. The classes will cover everything from wheel-thrown miniature pottery and needlework to gold-silver tooling and electrical/lighting techniques. An estimated 250 miniaturists from all over the world are expected to attend the school.

Registration for the School is currently closed, however, anyone interested in miniatures are encouraged to attend the free public exhibitions to view the work of students and talk with other artisans.

Miniatures are scaled-down replicas of normal sized items which are made from a variety of media such as wood, leather, pewter, and other fine metals. The creation of miniatures as a hobby took off in the United States around the 1970’s. However, the art form can be dated as far back as the middle ages.

For more information on the Guild School, IGMA, and the history of miniatures, please visit the IGMA website at www.igma.org.

Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college on the coast of Maine offering 18 degree programs in engineering, management, science, and transportation. The college serves approximately 950 undergraduate and graduate students in career-oriented programs of study. Maine Maritime Academy was ranked the #1 Best Public College on Money magazine’s Best Colleges list published in August of 2014. The college’s persistence, retention and graduation rates are well above national averages, and the job placement rate is in excess of 90 percent within 90 days of graduation. For more information, visit mainemaritime.edu.