The joyful and creative atmosphere at DOVE
At DOVE Academy of Jewelry Arts, we train new goldsmiths and jewelry artists every day.
Naohiro Yamada, the president of the school, has been working as a contemporary jewelry artist for over 30 years. However, making a living as an artist can be quite difficult.
While travelling to give lectures on traditional metal engraving techniques in the United States, Mr. Yamada noticed that the jewelry scene outside of Japan had quite a different atmosphere than back home.
He visited stores and workshops in various parts of the United States and experienced the reality outside of Japan, where he met many like-minded people who work creatively in the world’s jewelry scene.
They were not just goldsmiths or jewelry producers, they were also creative artists with high aspirations.
He noticed that there were many women working in the studios, chit chatting and sharing heartfelt laughters while doing their work. Every day, the women worked hard to create high-quality jewelry, but always with a shiny look in their eyes and a smile on their face. Mr. Yamada enjoyed this warm and welcoming atmosphere, which felt quite different from what he had experienced in workshops before.
He was convinced that his new-found experience could serve as inspiration for us in Japan.
Today Mr. Yamada currently runs both the Blue Dove Jewelry Studio and the DOVE Academy of Jewelry Arts. Running the school side by side with a real jewelry business gives opportunity to the students to gain real life experience at the same time.
Here, his goal is to support people who are new to the industry, by showing the way to become successful as a goldsmith and jewelry artist. Both the school’s and the studio’s atmosphere resembles that of the studios visited abroad – with a welcoming feeling, filled with creative energy and shared joyful laughter between both students and studio staff.
Regardless of whether you have experience or not, if you have aspirations, please come and visit us.
Blue Dove Jessica Nylund
Would you like to grow together with DOVE?
Courses at DOVE Academy of Jewelry Arts: https://www.dovetokyo.com/course/
Trial Course: https://www.dovetokyo.com/course/try/
Blue Dove Newspaper article: https://kichijoji.keizai.biz/headline/3081/