Out of This World! Jewelry in the Space Age

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 Out of this World! Jewelry in the Space Age Exhibition will be opening at the Forbes Galleries in New York City, Spring 2013

 

New York, NY, December 6, 2012. The Forbes Galleries is delighted to announce the opening of a cutting edge exhibition this spring, where science and art will come together to showcase the history of beautiful, wearable outer space related jewelry. Out of this World! Jewelry in the Space Age will be on view from March 16^th through September 7^th 2012 and will feature over 150 pieces of jewelry, ranging from the Georgian to contemporary as well as including selected decorative arts objects and vintage space-related collectibles.

Out of this World! Jewelry in the Space Age will demonstrate the many ways  that jewelry and space are connected in our cultural heritage. Curated by Elyse Zorn Karlin, co-director of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and the Related Arts, LLC (ASJRA), it will explore jewelry made from stones that come from outer space, such as: moissanite, meteorite, moldavite, pallasite (along with samples of these materials), and jewelry incorporating materials initially developed for space exploration, such as polymer, titanium and dichroic glass. There will also be space-themed jewelry, such as the recurring Halley’s Comet jewelry, which reappears with each comet sighting, every 75-76 years, mid-century jewelry inspired by the launching of Sputnik by the Russians and the beginning of the space race, and jewels being made by contemporary firms and artists today with space themes.

Bonnie Kirschstein, Managing Director of The Forbes Galleries, says, “We are excited to have this exhibition in our jewelry gallery for jewelry lovers as well as those with a curiosity for science and outer space. The way the two have influenced each other throughout the years is interesting, and has inspired so much creative and thought-provoking design. It is in our nature to be curious about the world beyond our own, and because of that I think this exhibition in particular will have a universal draw.”

Other interesting exhibition highlights include jewelry that has been flown in space on missions. Says Elyse Zorn Karlin, “When I first started to make the connection between space and jewelry while looking at vintage 1960s jewelry I had no idea where this would take me. I discovered that space has captured the imagination of man as represented in jewelry from ancient times and is this is no less true today. It’s fascinating to see!”

For press inquires regarding Out of this World! Jewelry in the Space Age, contact Olga Gonzalez at olga.gonzalez@pietra.pr.com.

Annual Jewelry Conference in New York City

The Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts 7^th Annual Conference takes place Sunday, October 7, 2012 in New York City.

Speakers for Jewelry of the Americas include:

Jennifer Santos, Maryland Historical Society, Betsy Bonaparte and Her Jewelry: An American Tale;

Yvonne Markowitz, Curator of Jewelry, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Extraordinary Collaboration between Trabert & Hoeffer and Mauboussin, Paris; Janet Zapata noted jewelry historian, curator, and author, The Legacy of Herman Marcus & Marcus & Co.; Mona Brody, artist/jewelry artist, and Elyse Karlin ASJRA co-director, The Art and Jewelry of Frida Kahlo; Niki Kavakonis, Canadian jewelry, Art, Architecture, Science: From Uncut Diamond Crystals to Carbon Capture Crystals; Lois Sherr Dubin, noted author and historian, Opal Bears and Lapis Skies: The Work of Navaho/Hopi Jeweler Jessie Monongya; Laura Johnson, assistant curator, Historic New England, Making Present the Past: Jewelry of Historic New England; Jack Ogden, ancient jewelry specialist and CEO of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Preview of the Cheapside Hoard.

The conference is open to anyone who loves jewelry but seating is limited. We also have an additional study day October 8 limited to only 30 people. For details: 

www.jewelryconference.com

or ekarlin@usa.net

WILD NATURE AT WEXLER GALLERY

Philadelphia, PA, May 3-June 30

Wexler Gallery presents WILD Nature, a group show exploring themes relating to the natural world, the human condition, and the idea of the sublime. Featured artists will include Christy Langer, Julie Anne Mann, Andy Paiko, and AJSRA member and jewelry artist Jennifer Trask.

WILD Nature will investigate the awe-inspiring and sometimes terrifying qualities of nature, a topic widely explored by artists and writers during the Romantic period in Europe. Using a variety of mediums and techniques, featured artists will explore the exotic worlds of flora and fauna from an allegorical approach, often drawing from personal experiences, memories, and dreams. The show will also consider connections between the human subconscious and the wilderness of the physical world. 

Jennifer creates complex wall hung and wearable pieces tediously assembled from bones and animal remains, as well as precious metals and stones. Her most recent body of work, Unnatural Histories, investigates the precarious and complicated relationship between human beings and the natural world. Derived from the artist’s examination of the structures of plant and animal life, her imagery often references microscopic patterns of growth found in nature.  According to the artist, “the results are oddly metaphoric, unnatural histories that embody both a peculiar passion for, and contentious relationship with, nature itself.”

Jewelry Exhibition to Open in Ohio April 1, 2012

A new exhibition, The Finer Things: Jewelry & Accessories from the 1890s-1930s, will open at Stan Hwyet House and Gardens, Akron, OH on April 1. Stan Hwyet is the former home of F.A. Seiberling, the founder of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The 60 room house is the seventh largest home in the United States...ahead of the White House.

The thrust of this exhibition is to display the type of jewelry that Mr. and Mrs. Sieberling might have worn in the time that they lived at Stan Hwyet. This refers to both jewelry that is appropriate in style to the time period and also of the quality that people of their social status and wealth might have purchased.

There is no jewelry that actually belonged to the Seiberlings in the Stan Hwyet collection but there are clues in photographs and receipts that are in the collection. The curator is overlaying this useful information with jewelry history knowledge of these time periods as well as with their interests and lifestyle.

For example, there are images of Mrs. Seiberling wearing a big “art style” pendant. From receipts it is known she did purchase art studio jewelry from Horace Potter of Cleveland. The fact that the Seiberlings had Samuel Yellin, the most important cast metal artist of his time fabricate the gates, door knobs and other metalwork for Stan Hwyet, indicates they were afficionados of the Arts & Crafts movement at the turn-of-the century which included art jewelry.

In addition, it is believed that Mrs. Seiberling would have known of the work of artistan/jeweler Louis Comfort Tiffany because part of a desk set by Tiffany is in the Stan Hwyet collection. Mrs. Seiberling was an artist herself and she traveled to New York where LC. Tiffany’s studios were located. He  catered to a wealthy clientele.

Another example is a charming early 20^th century brooch that was given to someone as an award for participating in a musical event. Mrs. Seiberling might well have been given such a piece for her participation in the music world for which she was well-known.

Wherever possible photographs of the Seiberlings will be shown near pieces of jewelry similar to what they are wearing in the photographs. On view will be a pocket watch presented to Mr. Seiberling by his employees. The photograph of his grandson as a baby pulling a pocket watch (not the same one) from his grandfather’s pocket will be shown near it.

In addition, hats, gloves, handbags, and Mrs. Seiberling’s wedding gown will be on display. Jewelry is intimately related to jewelry and it will help to give a more complete picture of the time.

The jewelry periods which will be included in the exhibition are: Late Victorian (Mrs. Seiberling would have inherited some of these pieces from her family), Edwardian, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau (all simultaneous styles circa 1900-1915), and Art Deco.

The curator of the exhibition is Elyse Zorn Karlin, co-director of The Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts. The exhibition will run through October 30, 2012.