Press Room

Cultural patron, collector and journalist Barbara Tober and the world's oldest watch manufacturer, Vacheron Constantin will be honored with the 2015 LOOT Award on September 28, 2015

New York, NY (July 20, 2015)

LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, the Museum of Arts and Design's annual six-day exhibition and sale featuring designs from emerging and acclaimed jewelry artists, returns this fall from September 28-October 3, 2015. For its 15th anniversary edition, LOOT presents a cross-section of the most exciting and cutting-edge designs, offering the public a rare opportunity to meet and acquire pieces directly from some of the most skilled creators in the field. LOOT champions the vision and craftsmanship of international studio and art jewelers—many of whom have never before shown work in the US—often serving as a launch pad for the next generation of designers. LOOT: MAD About Jewelry is a striking example of the enduring vitality and evolving possibilities of jewelry as an art form.

A press preview and walkthrough for the exhibition will be held Monday September 28, 2015 at 3:00 pm.

"Over the years, LOOT has become one of MAD's most popular and defining events. The exhibition and sale is a nexus for local, national and international jewelers, as well as an invaluable resource for jewelry aficionados," says Michele Cohen, MAD Trustee and LOOT Chair. "By continually spotlighting the act of making, LOOT serves as a connection point between viewers, wearers and artists through stimulating conversations about process and a stunning presentation of some of today's most unique contemporary art jewelry."

LOOT represents the culmination of curator Bryna Pomp's yearlong process of research and discovery. After traveling and meeting a broad cross section of artists worldwide, Pomp carefully selects a group whose work exemplifies original and inventive design, a range of materials and outstanding craftsmanship. With 55 artists from 21 countries, the resulting exhibition showcases a diverse array of new materials, techniques and innovations in studio and art jewelry from across the globe.

Among the artists featured will be Canadian jeweler Lauren Klassen, widely recognized for her surprising designs inspired by the most generic of mass-produced objects including keys, pins and padlocks, paradoxically crafted from precious materials such as sterling silver, 14 karat gold and diamonds; Jean Grisoni, whose career as a world-class contemporary jewelry designer began in 1989 with a commission for the Paris Mint; and Italian jeweler Olivia Monti Arduini, who creates each of her delicately crafted designs from porcelain. 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 work of two recent alumnae from Pratt Institute's acclaimed studio jewelry program, Fangding "Andie" Xu and Casey Sobel.

Since its launch, LOOT has become a premier pop-up shop for contemporary art jewelry. Each year, collectors and jewelry enthusiasts flock to MAD's galleries for the rare opportunity to learn about jewelers' processes, materials and concepts, and purchase works directly from their makers. With over 50 designers on-site throughout the exhibition and sale, LOOT offers one of New York's most unique shopping experiences. This year's prices will range from $100 to $15,000. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Museum's exhibition and education programs.

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.

ARTISTS
"This year's featured artists represent a remarkably diverse assortment of backgrounds, materials and nationalities. Together, they provide a sense of the field's wide-ranging possibilities and continued advancement," says LOOT Curator Bryna Pomp. "An impressive array of designs will be on display throughout the exhibition and sale, allowing visitors the opportunity to discover some of the most talented designers creating work today."

Highlights from LOOT 2015 include the following artists:

• New Zealand-based designer Debbie Adamson reimagines the use of rubber as a material for fine jewelry to create elaborately textured necklaces and brooches that draw inspiration from her natural surroundings. Through her unique technique, Adamson is able to transform synthetic materials into stunning reproductions of organic forms.
• Creating minimalist, wearable sculptures, London-based designer Ute Decker plays with the architectural language of volume, space and movement to evoke effortless serenity. Described as geometric poetry, Decker's pieces are handcrafted with the finest sustainable materials—100% recycled silver or gold sourced from the Sotrami artisanal mining cooperative in the highlands of Peru.
• Born in Český Krumlov, Czechoslovakia and now based in Vienna, Austria, Petr Dvorak communicates emotion through the language of design. By mixing traditional Czech jewelry materials including glass and garnet with new technology, Dvorak's pieces embody an unexpected relationship between materials' sources, function and form.
• Crafting jewelry from a sculptor's perspective, Japanese designer Yu Hiraishi creates dynamic arrangements of small metal units that draw inspiration from concepts of movement. Hiraishi's work is included in the Museum of Arts and Design's permanent collection.
• Raised in an artistic milieu and educated in the decorative arts, French designer Jacques Jarrige creates works that draw influence from sources including African sculpture and the works of Henry Moore, Jean Arp, George Nakashima and Alexander Calder. Widely acclaimed for his furniture designs, Jarrige premiered his first jewelry collection in 2014 at Valerie Goodman Gallery, New York.
• Known for delicately crafted silver works, Finnish jeweler Chao-Hsien Kuo creates pieces that often reflect a Finnish lifestyle and the country's natural surroundings. Her exceptional designs have been well recognized in Finland; in 2006, she was invited to design for Lapponia Jewelry as the brand's first female designer.
• Exposed to jewelry making as a boy on the southwest side of Chicago, Gustav Reyes developed a dedication to his craft by watching his father create jewelry in his spare time. Derived from a deep appreciation of woodworking, Reyes' wooden pieces are rife with symbolism and metaphor. Reyes, dedicated to preserving nature, exclusively uses repurposed and salvaged wood to create his curvilinear designs.
• Together, architect Martin Lesjak and fashion designer Anastasia Su co-founded 13&9 Design, a collaborative label that designs furniture, lighting, apparel and jewelry. Their Geometric Collection accessories incorporate an innovative use of materials and bold, geometric designs made from Corian. Lesjak and Su combine traditional craftsmanship—each piece is finished by hand—with modern CNC technology. In 2015, Lesjak was named Designer of the Year by Contract Magazine.

THE LOOT AWARD
Each year, the LOOT Award is presented to luminaries in the world of design, including artists, jewelers, timekeepers, collectors and patrons. Previous recipients include Iris Apfel, collector Barbara Berger, and artists Joyce Scott and Axel Russmeyer. This year's honorees include Barbara Tober and Vacheron Constantin.

After 15 years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Arts and Design, cultural patron, collector and journalist Barbara Tober now serves as chairman of the Museum's International Council. Prior to her career in the world of the arts and craftsmanship, she spent over four decades in the corporate advertising and magazine world, the majority of which was at Condé Nast Publications, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of BRIDE'S Magazine for 30 years.

Founded in 1755 in Geneva, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world, with 260 years of uninterrupted activity. Founders of the art of precious and technical watch making, the men and women of Vacheron Constantin continue to design, develop and produce exceptional timekeepers, remaining close to the three fundamentals of the brand: perfectly precise methods, harmonious and inspired aesthetics and an extremely high level of finishing touches.

LOOT 2015 OPENING BENEFIT
On Monday, September 28, 2015, the Museum of Arts and Design will host the LOOT 2015 Opening Benefit from 4:00 to 8:00pm. The evening's events include first access for patrons to meet the 2015 LOOT artists and acquire their designs, a cocktail reception, as well as a dinner honoring the 2015 LOOT Award recipients.

To purchase tickets to the LOOT 2015 Opening Benefit visit: http://thestore.madmuseum.org/collections/loot-2015

For questions regarding LOOT 2015 Opening Benefit, please call Rebekka Grossman at 212.299.7712 or email rebekka.grossman@madmuseum.org.

NOTE TO EDITORS
A full list of artists is included below. Bios and images of their work are posted on: http://madmuseum.org/loot.

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.