Education
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BA (Hons) Jewellery, Plymouth College of Art, September 2017 - August 2020
Graduated with a First Class degree, from a three year creative course within 3D Design Crafts, exploring design and material practice across jewellery, large scale metals, glass, ceramics, wood and 3D aided design.
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Membership
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Associate member of MAKE Southwest, since September 2022
Selected as an associate member in the discipline of Jewellery.
Exhibitions
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Degrees, Group Exhibition
Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith, Nr Falmouth, 4th March - 29th March 2023
A Terra Mater Art group exhibition that considers the effects of climate change, the title of the show refers to the critical rise in temperature of 2 degrees which we need to avoid to prevent climate disaster. Some of the jewellery pieces I have created are a more literal interpretation of the problems, others are a visual response. All the pieces focus on water, or the impact of it.
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Strata, Group Exhibition
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, 17th January - 18th March 2023
A Terra Mater Art group exhibition of paintings, collage, ceramics and art jewellery appreciating the layers of the land we live on. For this exhibition I created a collection of statement necklaces and brooches from recycled materials: rubber, copper & silver.
Each piece was inspired by layers and rock formations found around the Cornish coast.​
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https://www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/exhibition/strata
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Strata, Group Exhibition
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Penzance, 2nd - 13th November 2022
A Terra Mater Art group exhibition of paintings, collage, ceramics and art jewellery appreciating the layers of the land we live on. For this exhibition I created a collection of statement necklaces and brooches from recycled materials: rubber, copper & silver.
Each piece was inspired by layers and rock formations found around the Cornish coast.​
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https://www.tremenheere.co.uk/exhibition/terra-mater-art-presents-strata/
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Degrees, Group Exhibition
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, 14th February - 26th March 2022
A Terra Mater Art group exhibition that considers the effects of climate change, the title of the show refers to the critical rise in temperature of 2 degrees which we need to avoid to prevent climate disaster. Some of the jewellery pieces I have created are a more literal interpretation of the problems, others are a visual response. All the pieces focus on water, or the impact of it.
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https://www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/exhibition/degrees-terra-mater-art
Changing Spaces, Graduate Showcase
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, Victoria Baths, Manchester, 8th - 10th October 2021
Changing Spaces was a Graduate Showcase offered as a response to the loss of Final Degree Shows for creative students graduating in 2020 and 2021. It was the first opportunity I had to showcase finished jewellery pieces to the public. I exhibited my Fragment collection, developed from my final project: Fragmented Beauty.
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Ignite, Graduate Showcase
Ignite Futures - Online - September 2020
In the absence of a final degree show, the Ignite Futures platform was designed to showcase creative graduate talent from Plymouth Universities. The online portfolio contains images of work that represent my practice, including designs for a final collection, made at home when workshop facilities were closed during lockdown.
www.ignitefutures.co.uk/profile/donna-burns/
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Curious?, Group Exhibition
Project Space 1, Plymouth College of Art, 14th - 17th January 2020
An exhibition of material experimentation created in response to a visit to the Elizabethan House in Plymouth, which was organised in collaboration with The Box. My work was a selection of cast shapes in glass and metal that capture the fluid lines of netting and reference lattice windows, exploring the possibilities of making wearable components that refer to the gaze.
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Art @ Edgcumbe, Group Exhibition
Mount Edgcumbe, Cornwall, 10th May - 10th October 2019
Site specific artwork designed and built to communicate a sense of Mount Edgcumbe's unique history and landscape. My work focused on the many framed views and vistas found in the estate and gardens, the final design translated the lines of the folly on the hill. Following this exhibition my sculpture 'Folly' was placed on display outside of PCA's Craft studios.
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ABC Collection, Group Fair
Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey, Devon, 6th - 9th June 2019
An in class brief to design products to be sold to the public at the Craft Festival. My design for simple joyful pom pom jewellery pieces was chosen, these were then made by the jewellery cohort and displayed as part of a cohesive glass, ceramic and jewellery showcase. The pom pom collection was available at the Victoria Sewart Gallery for the summer months, where several pieces were successfully sold.
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Displaced, Group Exhibition
Melville Building, Royal William Yard, Plymouth UK, 16th - 18th January 2019
Playing with visual layers that represent time, history, knowledge and the notion that removing layers uncovers truth, I created wall objects with layers of copper, cast glass and light. Exhibited externally and open to the public, my three pieces entitled 'Emergence' were spotted by the 45 Southside Gallery in Plymouth and are on display there to this day.
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Work Experience
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Teacher
10th Jan 2022 - ongoing, Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery Gallery
Teaching jewellery making skills to adults at a beginners level. Taking students through the fundamentals of jewellery making: saw piercing, filing, sanding, soldering, texturing and forming, cleaning and polishing, stamping, doming and bezel setting. Students build on their knowledge each week, at the end of the 10 week course they have made three stacking rings all using different techniques.
Gallery Assistant
20th Mar 2019 - ongoing, Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery Gallery
Work experience acquired through PCA that culminated in a gallery assistant position with progressively more tasks and responsibility such as: dealing with customers, replenishing stock, arranging display, updating the website, Instagram posts, emails, packing and posting pieces, opening and closing the gallery.
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Sales Consultant
14th Nov 2016 – 27th Jan 2017, Blue Wing Gallery, Plymouth
Providing face to face sales advice and customer service. Dealing with cash and card transactions at point of sale. Cleaning both jewellery and the interior to maintain the appearance of the gallery.
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Full work experience CV available on request.