Studio Jewelry: From Mid-Century to the Present Century

Studio Jewelry: From Mid-Century to the Present Century

Exploring studio jewelry as it developed during the post-War years (1940s-1960s) across the United States. From the east coast to the west coast and in between, with a lack of formal metals education, jewelers were looking for ways to develop their voice and create a "wearable" art form. Relying mostly on their own entrepreneurial spirits they led the charge for change. Recognized by museum curators across the country, who organized groundbreaking jewelry exhibitions, they banded to create metal guilds and were collected by women who considered themselves patrons of the arts. Not unlike today, these jewelers lived in a challenging time both socially and politically and used jewelry, their medium of choice, to communicate with the world at large. These young jewelers, inspired by current trends in fine art and design have become part of the cannon of studio jewelry. We will also explore the work of the second generation of studio jewelers who carried on the legacy of their predecessors into modern times. During the five-week course, we will take a deep dive into the work of Alexander Calder, Sam Kramer, Margaret de Patta, Art Smith, Winfreid Mason, Ed Weiner, Earl Pardon, Claire Falkenstein, merry renk, Frank Rebajes, Harry Bertoia, Betty Cooke, Peter Macchiarini, and others.

This course will be delivered seminar-style online in our virtual classroom via Zoom. All participants will receive login details on how to access the course before it commences.

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What you will learn

• An understanding of studio jewelry and its development during the post-War years (1940s-1960s) across the United States

• The work of the second generation of studio jewelers who carried on the legacy of their predecessors into modern times

• The interrelationship of contemporary art and its influence on jewelry design 

About Bella Neymann

Bella Neyman is the co-founder of New York City Jewelry Week. She is also an independent curator and journalist specializing in contemporary jewelry. Most recently she was on the Curatorial Advisory Committee for "45 Stories in Jewelry: 1947 to Now" (on view through January 2021) at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.  Since graduating with a Master’s Degree in Decorative Arts and Design History from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum & Parsons, The New School for Design in 2008, she has worked for some of New York City’s leading design galleries. Bella’s articles have been published in The New York Times, American Craft, and the Magazine Antiques. She is also a frequent contributor to Metalsmith magazine. Bella is on the Board of Art Jewelry Forum. She resides with her family in Brooklyn.