Things & Wisdom

Fieldtrip Jewelry Design was founded by Ashley Burke, a museum professional with 20 years of experience and an accredited fine art appraiser.

Burke's metalwork is inspired by the hidden stories and collective wisdom found in objects, from deep within the vaults of museums to the attics and closets of our family homes. Objects scream their stories and whisper their secrets, communicating something deeper about ourselves. The intimacy of these stories can be wrapped up in small packages such as jewelry, offering both personal and public expressions of communication.

The name "Fieldtrip" is a nod to Burke's museum background and to the idea of breaking from routine. A Fieldtrip Day is an adventure filled with mystery, self-discovery, and usually an abundance of objects. 

Professional Experience

Aug 2013 – Current       Principal/Lead Consultant, Burke & Co. Fine Art Consultants, St. Petersburg, FL

Aug 2016- Feb 2019      Registrar, Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, FL

Apr 2015- July 2016      Collections Manager, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, FL

Jan 2013- July 2013       Exhibit Developer/Content Integration at Hands On! Inc., St. Petersburg, FL

Oct 2011- Jan 2013       Curator of Collections at the South Florida Museum, Bradenton, FL

Jun 2007- Sept 2011      Associate Registrar at Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL 

Exhibitions

December 2012              Inspired Juried Jewelry exhibition at Duncan McClellan Gallery

• Two works chosen – Trichechus mantus Vertebra (silver, copper and gold plate) and Death Assemblage (silver, copper, orthoceras fossil, diamond)       

November 2016    Storytelling in Metal, juried exhibition at the Morean Art Center

• One work chosen – Plate Tectonics and the Mosasaur (silver and gold foil)

Education

2018-2019         Certificate in Appraisal Studies (CASP program), Appraisers Institute of America; Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliant, passed March 2019, renewed 2021

2004- 2006      Master of Arts in Museum Studies, George Washington University, Washington, DC

1997- 2001         Bachelor of Arts in Art History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Professional Organizations 

Society of North American Goldsmiths, member 2022

Florida Society of Goldsmiths, member 2022