Did you know that AMCAW is managed and run by a large team of volunteers? All metal clay artists, they share their professional skills and energy to help AMCAW create and bring you more programs, tutorials, and fun. We thought you’d enjoy meeting some of these fabulous volunteers – and perhaps become a volunteer yourself!
Terri Hickey started working in metal clay in 2009, and she says it was kind of a fluke. Her background is in fashion design and retail marketing, and she wanted to take a drawing class that was being offered. It was full, so she signed up for the first thing she thought sounded interesting. Terri came home after the second class and said to her husband “this is so cool!!” and he responded with “oh no, I know that look!” And as any creative person does when they discover something new and shiny, she dove in headfirst!
After she bounced around for a while, trying different clays and different techniques, Terri took her first enameling workshop. After that, everything just clicked into place! Currently she’s working on a series of cloisonne pieces with some less-than-traditional frames made from metal clay.
Most of the time she considers herself more of an enamellist then a metal clay artist. She has worked with enamellists that were traditionally trained and she really felt out of touch with what was going on in the metal clay world. For various reasons, she prefers the enamel pieces that she created using metal clay as opposed to the traditional style. So, she concentrated strictly on metal clay to create her pieces.
Volunteering for AMCAW seemed like a fantastic opportunity to get back into the metal clay world. An AMCAW member since 2020, Terri began volunteering right away. She joined the Board of Directors two years ago and is currently serves as Secretary of the organization. As a volunteer, Terri appreciates the amazing people she has had the opportunity to meet! She is constantly amazed at the depth of creativity in AMCAW.
Another interesting thing about Terri is her name. Her name is actually Terrance! Not Terri, Theresa, or Therese. No matter what her mom told her, spelling it with an A did not make it feminine. People ask her all the time if she was named after someone. Nope, it was just the 60’s. She hasn’t confirmed this officially, but she believes she may be the only female Terrance in the U.S.
Terri’s favorite and most influential classes may not be the same thing. Terry Kovalcik and Donna Penoyer are two of her all-time favorite teachers, but the most influential workshop was the first enameling workshop she took with Pam East. That changed the course of her jewelry journey.
Of course, Terri is excited to be going to Sinter 2024! It will really be wonderful to finally meet some of the people she has been working with in person. And AMCAW has so many wonderful ideas in the works it is just really rewarding to watch the organization grow!
Terri Hickey is the owner of This Side of Classic. She enjoys creating metal clay and enamel pieces that are just a touch of contemporary, with a hint of modern. Terri teaches locally at a nearby Art Center, travels to teach workshops, or teaches in her home studio. Terri and her husband Bill, have three grown children and one adorable granddaughter. She lives outside of Cleveland, Ohio in the U.S.
Find Terri online at www.thissideofclassic.com.
