Student Spotlight: Chuck Tramontana

Chuck Tramontana is devoting serious studio time to silversmithing, gold granulation, and enameling, and feels he has only just begun. Chuck retired in 2007 after a long and successful career mostly devoted to fine silver, beginning, after his graduation from the Cleveland Institute of Art, as a designer with the Reed & Barton Silver Company. From there he moved on to become the Assistant Design Director of the Gorham Silver Company, where he was eventually promoted to Director of Design for the Gorham Company’s silver, china and crystal divisions. From 1983 until his retirement, Chuck was the Senior Vice President / Design Director and a principal of Nachtmann USA, which designs and manufactures German fine crystal for all of the major US brands – Waterford, Lenox, Tiffany, Steuben, Gorham, Reed & Barton and others. Now, he’s coming home to metals.

Heaven's Gate

Heaven’s Gate by Chuck Tramontana

Chuck graduated from the C.I.A. with a BFA in Industrial Design and a minor in silversmithing. In both fields, he studied under some of the most renowned masters – Viktor Schrekengost in Industrial Design, and Frederick Miller and John Paul Miller in metalsmithing. In 1964 and ’65 he earned first place awards in the National Student Silver Design Competition. Chuck writes, “Fred Miller and John Paul Miller were phenomenal teachers [as well as] life-long mentors and dear friends.” When he retired, he wanted to try to work in the gold granulation technique in which John Paul Miller was internationally recognized as a master artisan.

Lunar Ebb Tide

Lunar Ebb Tide by Chuck Tramontana

Chuck discovered Metalwerx when he met Director Lindsay Minihan at CraftBoston, and took a Gold Granulation workshop with Ronda Coryell in our Summer With the Masters program in 2007. He has returned to Metalwerx for classes in enameling, including another master workshop with Linda Darty, and is now looking forward to workshops with Cynthia Eid, and Joanne Conant, who will be teaching Granulation on Enamel in March — which is right up Chuck’s alley.

Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly with gold granulation by Chuck Tramontana

Chuck is currently a Trustee of the Attleboro Arts Museum, where he also curates exhibitions, and where the work shown here was recently on display in a Member’s Exhibition. Chuck writes, “I am light years from the level of excellence I desire to achieve but am so very grateful to have the very fine quality of teaching and support staff at Metalwerx for renewed studies.” We at Metalwerx applaud Chuck for the amibition of the goal he has set for himself, and always welcome him to our classroom!

Member's Exhibition