The beauty of New York State’s Hudson Valley region has for hundreds of years inspired many artists who have chosen to work and live there. Living within the immediate vicinity of the New Paltz area are a number of important studio jewelry artists whose work is the focus of an exhibition which opened to the public at The Forbes Galleries, New York City on Saturday, April 9, 2011.
But while they share the same environs, the work of these jewelers has a wide range in materials, techniques and subject matter. They range from a necklace made of poultry bones (amazingly elegant) by jewelry artist Sergey Jivetin, a delicate and beautiful brooch by rising jewelry star Jennifer Trask comprised of sewing needles, bone, rubies and resin depicting the flower “Queen Anne’s Lace”, and jewelry and objects by noted jeweler Pat Flynn which begin as forged iron into which gold and diamonds are fused.
Jamie Bennett, the preeminent enameler of the art jewelry world, is represented with pieces that are small paintings as jewel—with many having a second painting known only to the wearer on the reverse. Arthur Hash makes intellectual jewelry that brings a smile using high tech processes such as water jet and laser. Myra Mimlitsch-Gray’s work is represented not only by her beautiful chain mail rings and long chain necklaces, but also by her elegant table pieces in silver. Tom Herman’s exquisite jewelry begins with a gorgeous and unusual piece of gemstone material around which he creates a beautiful chased gold frame to create a small masterpiece.
This exciting collection of 115 pieces of jewelry is open to the public free of charge!
The Forbes Galleries, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, are tucked within the lobby of Forbes Magazine's headquarters in New York City. The Galleries are open free to the public 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays.
In addition to work by the seven artists mentioned above there are pieces from the collection of the Samuel Dorsky Museum, State University of New York/New Paltz on display and selected works by students and graduates of the prestigious metals’ program at SUNY/New Paltz, many of whom have already started receiving recognition for their work.
“We are delighted to able to show the works of these well-know jewelry artists in one place, “ said The Forbes Galleries Director, Bonnie Kirschstein. “It gives us a chance to share their work with many New York residents.”
The guest curator for the exhibition, which is sponsored by the Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts (ASJRA), is Elyse Zorn Karlin. After several visits to the artists’ studios she was struck by the beauty, diversity, and originality of their work, and the sense of comaraderie and artistic exchange they shared working in close geographical proximity.
A curator’s tour of the exhibition is scheduled for June 18 at 2 p.m. for anyone interested in signing up or one can be booked for groups of 10 or more by contacting Elyse Karlin at ekarlin@usa.net. There is no charge for a tour.
The Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, LLC (ASJRA) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of jewelry studies by individuals and in schools, museums, and institutions of higher learning. ASJRA takes a broad approach to the subject, seeking to understand and place jewelry within a variety of contexts including the decorative arts and fashion. It focuses on all jewelry periods from the ancient past to antique to period jewels and the work of present day studio artists.
AJSRA publishes Adornment Magazine, a weekly newsletter, runs an annual fall event, numerous additional special events, and offers a number of other benefits. Membership is open to anyone who is interested in studying the history of jewelry. Yvonne Markowitz, the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is the co-director of AJSRA with Elyse Zorn Karlin. Further information can be found at www.asjra.net. The exhibition will run through June 25, 2011.
For further information contact Elyse Zorn Karlin at (914) 286-7685 or at ekarlin@usa.net
