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Dr. Friedrich Wille and Simone Grunberger-Wille of Austrian jewelers FREYWILLE and American Artist Joyce J. Scott will be honored with the 2014 LOOT Award for Contemporary Art Jewelry on October 6, 2014

New York, NY (September 8, 2014)

The Museum of Arts and Design is pleased to present LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, its annual exhibition and sale featuring a broad cross-section of designs from emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists, on view October 6-10, 2014. Now in its 14th edition, LOOT has become a platform for new trends and innovations in studio and art jewelry across the globe, as well as the ultimate pop-up shop for contemporary artist-made jewelry, where collectors and jewelry enthusiasts have the rare opportunity to meet and acquire pieces directly from some of the most skilled creators in the field.

LOOT: MAD About Jewelry is in keeping with the Museum of Arts and Design’s commitment to the exploration of materials and process, as well as its long-standing presentation of jewelry as an art form. MAD is the only American museum with a gallery dedicated to the display of both temporary jewelry exhibits and its own collection of contemporary and modern studio and art jewelry. Proceeds from LOOT: MAD About Jewelry benefit the Museum’s exhibition and education programs.

A press preview and walkthrough for the exhibition will be held October 6, 2014 at 2:00 pm.

“LOOT champions the creativity and skilled craftsmanship of jewelry designers from across the globe. Some participants are pioneering techniques within the field and redefining jewelry design with untraditional materials and forms, while others are refining centuries-old artisan traditions,” says Michele Cohen, MAD Trustee and LOOT Chair. “The event is a striking example of the enduring allure and exciting potential of jewelry as an art form.”

LOOT 2014 showcases a varied mix of international jewelry artists on the basis of their ingenuity, use of materials, and craftsmanship. Among the artists featured will be British jeweler Helen Noakes, widely recognized for her surprising and humorous designs in resin and silver that incorporate miniature figurines from penguins to circus performers; Turkish designer Gülnur Özdağlar, whose experimentations in transforming plastic bottles into unique shapes have led to remarkably delicate jewelry designs that transcend their origins as refuse; and Argentine jeweler Maria Carelli, who incorporates unconventional organic materials, as unexpected as fish scales, into her ethereal designs. An integral part of LOOT’s mission is to provide a platform and enhance visibility for the next generation of young jewelers. This year’s event will showcase the inventive work of three recent alumni from Pratt Institute’s acclaimed studio jewelry program, Shuoyuan Bai, Lisa Lee and Lauren Pineda.

LOOT: MAD About Jewelry has become a nexus for local, national and international jewelers. Countries represented in LOOT 2014 include Argentina, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands,Turkey and the United Kingdom. Artists from China, Colombia, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico and Portugal will be represented for the first time in LOOT’s history. A stunning array of materials will be showcased throughout the event, including standards within the field such as silver, pearls and semi-precious stones, as well as more unconventional materials like cork, knitted plastic bags, eggshells, textiles, wood, concrete, 3D printed nylon, and polymer.

ARTISTS

“This year’s participating artists perfectly capture the vitality and innovation of contemporary jewelry-making today,” says LOOT curator Bryna Pomp. “With 50 artists from 22 countries represented in the exhibition and sale, LOOT 2014 offers a platform where some of the most exciting emerging and veteran jewelers can display, discuss and sell their own designs.”

Highlights from LOOT 2014 include:

•  Designer Jeffrey Lloyd Dever’s works, shaped by the hills, orchards, streams and woodlands of his childhood in Maryland, are sculptural studies in homage to a natural wonderland. Each piece starts as a series of sketches that then mature into three-dimensional shapes built layer by layer from brightly colored polymer clay.
•  Colombian designer Virginia Escobar draws inspiration from the feelings and emotions that she experiences at specific moments of her life—following instinct and sensation, rather than reason or knowledge to create pieces that are derived from her intuition. Working with a variety of materials from silver to eggshells, Escobar crafts jewelry that communicates through the language of adornment.
•  Based in Tasmania’s Huon Valley, designer Linda van Niekerk’s distinctive style is characterized by clean lines and sculptural volumes paired with the use of unconventional materials. Niekerk’s work evokes a strong sense of place, often incorporating precious Tasmanian timbers and reflecting an African aesthetic.
•  Experimenting with the unorthodox materials such as concrete and stainless steel, Canadian jeweler Karen Konzuk’s designs are presented through a studied use of clean lines and an unwavering commitment to a minimalist aesthetic that reflect her keen interest in industrial design and architecture.
• Inspired by the everyday, German artist, painter and designer Dominique Labordery’s works feature a minimalist use of color and ornamentation. The resulting forms, crafted of metal and quartz, are deceptively simple, drawing the viewer into their subtle irregularities and unexpected contrasts of light and texture.
• Italian jeweler Anna Porcu’s knowledge of antique artifacts and eye for detail inspires her collection of jewelry that features rare antique cameos. Searching the world for museum-quality cameos in materials including shell, ivory, amber, agate and lava, Porcu re-crafts the cameos’ original settings, adding sterling silver and sometimes gold, and transforms each piece by placing it on a contemporary backdrop of leather. 

THE LOOT AWARD FOR CONTEMPORARY ART JEWELRY
Each year, the LOOT Award for Contemporary Art Jewelry is presented to luminaries in the field of jewelry, including artists, collectors, and designers. This annual prize is in keeping with the long-standing commitment of the Museum of Arts and Design to presenting jewelry as an art form. This year's honorees are Dr. Friedrich Wille and his wife, Simone Grunberger-Wille, the couple behind Austrian jewelry company FREYWILLE, and American artist and jeweler Joyce J. Scott. 

Acting as CEO and Creative Director, respectively, Dr. Friedrich Wille and Simone Grunberger-Wille have played an instrumental role in developing and leading the sixty three-year-old company into its enduring global success. Best-known for its artful gold and enamel bangles, all of which are handcrafted at its headquarters in Vienna, FREYWILLE has long demonstrated its appreciation for craftsmanship and fine art through several limited-edition collections based on selected artists' signature works including Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, and Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Later this year, in conjunction with the opening of its second New York location at 122 Prince Street in Soho, FREYWILLE will release a new homage collection inspired by Claude Monet. 

Challenging perceived dichotomies between art and craft, sophistication and naïveté, and politics and adornment, Scott has succeeded in incorporating these elements within a vast and varied body of work including installation, printmaking, apparel, sculpture, and jewelry, the last of which has garnered her the widest audience and recognition. Born in Baltimore in 1948, Joyce J. Scott attended the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she received a Master’s degree in Crafts. Over the last four decades, Scott has honed her techniques and skills and traveled extensively to collaborate with artisans and designers across the globe. On view September 30, 2014-March 15, 2015 at the Museum of Arts and Design, Maryland to Murano: Neckpieces and Sculptures by Joyce J. Scott examines Scott's prolific career, defined by her ever-evolving techniques, continued exploration of provocative narratives, and commitment to her craft. 

LOOT 2014 OPENING BENEFIT
On Monday, October 6, 2014, the Museum of Arts and Design will host the LOOT 2014 Opening Benefit. The evening’s events include first access for patrons to meet the LOOT 2014 artists and acquire their designs, a cocktail hour and reception, as well as a dinner honoring 2014 LOOT Award for Contemporary Art Jewelry recipients Dr. Friedrich Wille and Simone Grunberger-Wille, and Joyce J. Scott.  

To purchase tickets to the LOOT 2014 Opening Benefit visit: http://thestore.madmuseum.org/collections/loot-2014

For questions regarding LOOT 2014, please call Rebekka Grossman at 212.299.7712 or email rebekka.grossman@madmuseum.org.   

NOTE TO EDITORS

A full list of artists, bios, and images of their work are posted on http://madmuseum.org/loot.

CREDIT
LOOT 2014 is made possible through the generous support of Barbara Tober, Chairman Emerita and Chairman of the International Council at the Museum of Arts and Design; Silver Institute| Silver Promotion Service; and Carnegie. Opening event sponsored by the Consulate General of Argentina in New York. Travel generously supported by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields, presenting artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill to their work. Since the Museum's founding in 1956 by philanthropist and visionary Aileen Osborn Webb, MAD has celebrated all facets of making and the creative processes by which materials are transformed, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Today, the Museum's curatorial program builds upon a rich history of exhibitions that emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach to art and design, and reveals the workmanship behind the objects and environments that shape our everyday lives. MAD provides an international platform for practitioners who are influencing the direction of cultural production and driving 21st-century innovation, fostering a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design. 

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