The first wall text you encounter in the jewelry gallery at the V&A museum in London is this no-nonsense, factual statement of what you’ll see: ‘These displays begin in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Thereafter they are devoted mainly to the story of western jewelry since medieval times.’ On the lower level, the display begins […]
The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, London Read More »
Is it time to consider insuring, donating or dispersing your art jewelry collection – or any of your jewelry? A necessary part of such a process is obtaining an appraisal; before getting the appraisal, you need to find an appropriate appraiser. A personal property appraisal for jewelry includes a document that identifies each piece of
Jewelry: The Appraiser and the Appraisal Read More »
Reprinted with permission from Kelly H L’Ecuyer et al, Jewelry by Artists: In the Studio, 1940-2000 (Boston: MFA Publications, 2010).
The Daphne Farago Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Read More »
How does a piece of jewelry graduate from your personal wardrobe to an institutional collection? I have embarked on this journey several times in the past, but the rules have changed and the museum acquisition process is more formal now. Recently, I began the process again with three pieces of art jewelry, each acquired in
Collective Efforts: Donating Contemporary Jewelry to a Museum Read More »
Ethnographic Collection, Pforzheim Jewellery Museum, Photo Brigida Gonzalez Modern Collection, Pforzheim Jewellery Museum, Photo Brigida Gonzalez Modern Collection, Pforzheim Jewellery Museum, Photo Brigida Gonzalez I’m most taken by the potential of precious materials, most struck by how truly debased manufacturing jewelry is in its use of traditional jewelry materials. These objects from the last 500
The Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim Read More »
This review was first published in The Journal of Modern Craft, v.3, n.2, July 2010, pp.269-272. And so here it is, the enormous catalogue to the Helen Williams Drutt collection, acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) in Texas and co-published by that institution and Arnoldsche. Presided over by Cindi Strauss, curator of
Ornament as Art: Avant-garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection Read More »
Daniel Kruger, Necklace, 2010, enamel, copper, silver, photo: Uwe W Beier A dealer gallerist with 20 years’ experience is going to be closer to this subject than most other people. She comes into contact with a constant stream of new jewelry, is in constant touch with what the public likes (or doesn’t) and is constantly
Art Meets Jewellery: 20 Years – Gallery Slavik Vienna Read More »
There are a small number of fairs – the SOFA shows in the United States and COLLECT in London – that actively show contemporary jewelry. Until now, those were the only market venues for high-end jewelry galleries. Entrance, Design Miami Basel COLLECT began in London in 2004. It was started and is still run by
Show Time: Contemporary Jewelry and the Design Fair Read More »
What is it about the Westin Hotel in Seattle that I find so offensive? Is it the tasteless and blandness of the décor or the airlessness of the space that bugs me? During Flux, the 2011 Society of American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference, the place was crawling with metalsmiths of all stripes, but they were placed
AJF Trip 2011: Seattle Read More »
Opening night at SOFA NY The Park Avenue Armory is much as the name suggests: a building completed in 1881 for the Seventh Regiment of the National Guard. SOFA NY (April 14-17, 2011) is held in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, a huge space of about 200 by 300 feet with a barrel-vaulted roof spanned
Notes from SOFA NY 2011 Read More »
This essay was first delivered as a talk at SOFA Chicago in November 2010. Watching, Looking, Learning ‘And viewers like you.’ The title of this talk was stolen from the PBS sign-off to most of their programs. They thank various corporations, foundations and individuals and then they thank ‘viewers like you.’ They are expressing gratitude
And Viewers Like You Read More »
This essay was first delivered on a panel ‘Touch in Contemporary Art’ at the College Art Association, Los Angeles, in 2009, through travel funds provided by the Society of North American Goldsmiths. The paper was further developed into a lecture and presented at SOFA Chicago in November 2009 and subsequently presented at University of El
Curatorial Conundrums: Exhibiting Contemporary Art Jewelry in a Museum Read More »
