Treasures from the Vault: Contemporary Jewelry from the Permanent Collection

September 9, 2004 - January 2, 2005

The exhibition showcases more than 60 important works of art jewelry in precious and non-precious materials. Treasures chronicles the remarkable shift of emphasis heralded by a new generation of artists when they rebelled against the traditional view of jewelry as an opulent symbol of wealth and social status. These highly accomplished works convey their value through the ideas the artists expressed with extraordinary technical mastery.

The exhibition covers the period from 1947 to the present, a revolutionary time when the pioneering artists represented created works of great originality in form and concept coupled with the use of innovative techniques and materials such as aluminum, plastic, paper, leather, wood and metallic fiber, and found objects such as nylon microfilament and industrial detritus. These provocative works, with concepts ranging from geometric abstraction to social commentary, combine the formal aspects of sculpture with sensitivity to the human body.

Treasures from the Vault features the stunning jewelry of such American pioneers as Arthur Smith, Margaret De Patta, Ed Wiener and Olaf Skoogfors, as well as work by key contemporary figures including Arline Fisch, William Harper, Robert Ebendorf, Bruce Metcalf, Thomas Gentille. The exhibition also shows designs by renowned European artists, including Otto Kuenzli, Tone Vigeland, Stefano Marchetti and Anna Maria Zanella, as well as Emko Suo, Kee-jho Yuen and Kiwon Wang from Asia.