Get to know QM…
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Queer Metalsmiths (QM) is a community space where we honor, center and uplift 2SLGBTQIA+ jewelers, metalsmiths + makers. Our mission is to be a safe space for queer artists to connect and support each other through visibility within the metalsmithing and craft fields.
We challenge the foundations of capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy by building with love, rejecting hierarchical structures, and offering accessibility to queer and trans artists regardless of their ability, level of education, age or experience, socioeconomic background or geographic location.
Founded in 2020 as a response to the need for safe, visible spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC artists, QM has since evolved into a growing organization showcasing over 300 artists across five continents. Moving beyond the rigidity of traditional gallery spaces and practices, QM has cultivated an international community of over 7,000 followers by prioritizing inclusivity and visibility.
Through our programming and events, we balance low-barrier digital platforms with high-impact, in-person showcases at major industry events like the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference and New York City Jewelry Week (NYCJW).
As we are watching horrific attacks on queer and trans folx, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, disabled folx, and women/femmes. We know that it is the essential time for us to gather in community and work collectively to bring about radical change.
Beyond simply surviving, our commitment is that queer creatives get to thrive! We cannot do that alone. We are building a community who wants to contribute to the work we are doing locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
As we grow, we envision using our platform to advocate for systemic change and social justice through creative liberation; becoming a beacon for queer and trans artists globally, offering them the tools, connections, and visibility they need to transform a world that has historically overlooked them.
Meet the QM founders:
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Tracey Carswell (they/them)
Co-Founder of Queer Metalsmiths
Tracey Carswell is a queer non-binary curator, educator, and artist committed to fostering meaningful connections through community-building. They invest in the growth and success of women, femme, queer, trans and gender non-conforming leaders in the jewelry and craft industries.
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Rebecca Lee (they/she)
Co-Founder of Queer Metalsmiths
Rebecca Lee is a photographer and jeweler interested in sacred adornment and its capacity to provide protection and healing for all intersections of marginalized people. Currently, lee works primarily with sheet metal, hand piercing intuitive undulating shapes that mimic how water impacts our coastlines incorporating minerals and found objects near or in bodies of water. They also utilize wax carving to create talismans featuring sigils and marks with specific and intentional magical purposes.
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Sol Diaz (they/she)
Co-Founder of Queer Metalsmiths
Sol Diaz is a Latinx Trans/Non-binary New York based Metalsmith and Jeweler. They are the founder of @soeliastudio.
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SULO BEE (they/them/ze)
Co-Founder of Queer Metalsmiths
Sulo Bee is a creature maker and worldbuilder exploring themes of identity and queerness through alternate realms and temporal narratives. Their practice combines traditional metalsmithing techniques with experimental approaches like electroforming and alternative color application on metal. Bee holds an MFA in Studio Art from SUNY New Paltz and a BFA from Texas State University. They were selected for the 2022 Emerging Artist Cohort with American Craft Council and the GEMZ Talent Programme with Current Obsession. They are a co-founder of Queer Metalsmiths where they seek to uplift queer voices in metalsmithing and craft. Sulo has been awarded the Marzee Graduate Prize in 2022 which lead to a residency and exhibition. Their work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Museum of Art and Design, Contemporary Craft, Galerie Marzee, and R&Company. Their work has been featured in Objects USA: 2024 and Talente: Masters of the Future 2025 in Munich, Germany.