Press Room

LOOT: MAD ABOUT JEWELRY
April 8 – April 13, 2019

Opening Benefit: April 8
Featuring the announcement of the LOOT Acquisition Prize
and the presentation of LOOT Awards honoring Adria de Haume and Josie Natori

New York, NY (February 21, 2019)

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) presents the nineteenth edition of LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, its annual exhibition and sale of one-of-a-kind contemporary jewelry. Open to the public April 9 through April 13, following the Opening Benefit on April 8, LOOT 2019 showcases the work of fifty-five emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists and designers, most of whom have never been shown in New York. The event provides the rare opportunity for collectors and jewelry enthusiasts to meet and acquire pieces from some of the most innovative creators in the field.

"The jewelry content of LOOT 2019 is particularly noteworthy in two specific areas," said LOOT Curator Bryna Pomp. "Firstly, this year's exhibition presents a great number of outstanding young makers who are already creating groundbreaking work. Secondly, it features a larger presence of jewelry in precious metals, particularly in silver and in gold, often with semiprecious and precious stones, that is exceptionally original in design."

MAD is the only museum in the United States with a gallery dedicated to the display of both special jewelry exhibitions and its permanent collection of contemporary and modern studio and art jewelry. LOOTextends MAD's commitment to presenting jewelry as an art form, and provides vital support for Museum exhibitions and programs.

Barbara Tober, LOOT 2019 Co-Chair said, “LOOT is a great international tradition at MAD. For years, we have selected the most creative and innovative artists from around the world to show and sell their jewelry treasures. This year is an exciting example of ‘The Best,’ and it’s all there for you to own and enjoy.”

"LOOT reflects the core of MAD's mission to celebrate the creative process and connect audiences to contemporary art and design," said Marsy Mittlemann, LOOT 2019 Co-Chair. "It presents an extraordinary opportunity for artists and viewers to interact with one another and engage in conversations around the work. I am honored to participate in an event that provides a platform for international talent while supporting MAD's exciting upcoming initiatives."

"LOOT is always exceptionally curated, and 2019 promises to be the best edition to date," said LOOT 2019 Co-Chair Joan Hornig. "No other exhibition in the world brings viewers into contact with the diversity of design and designers showcased each spring at MAD. It is the perfect venue for both serious and first-time collectors to engage with global talent and purchase unique pieces of wearable art at every price point."

LOOT 2019 features fifty-five artists from eighteen countries and territories: Austria (1), Belgium (1), Chile (2), Finland (1), France (2), Germany (6), Italy (2), Korea (5), Poland (1), Portugal (2), Spain (5), Sweden (1), Taiwan (1), Thailand (1), Turkey (3), the United Kingdom (14), the United States (6), and the US Virgin Islands (1). In addition to a diverse range of artistic practices, the jewelry on display encompasses a wide array of materials, from traditional metals to more unconventional media like leather, glass, porcelain, paper, silicone, resin, textiles, wood, horsehair, recycled skateboards, and ultraviolet-reactive nylon.

ARTIST HIGHLIGHTS

The jewelry artists and designers featured in LOOT 2019 include the following:

• Italian designer Selvaggia Armani designs and produces textiles, including necklaces and brooches, for home and casual wear. On site at LOOT, she will create a new collection of jewelry made of hand-painted leather, building on her practice of "live" painting and customized bracelets.

• Japan-born and Massachusetts-based artist Mariko Kusumoto prevails upon fabric to construct forms of elegant simplicity and evocative imagery. Using a proprietary heat-setting technique, she gives the fabric a new identity through reshaping it into three-dimensional forms. Her designs are incorporated into jewelry and sculptural pieces, as well as in collaborations with fashion designers; in January, her work appeared on the Jean-Paul Gaultier catwalk at Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2019.

• Taiwanese jewelry artist Heng Lee juxtaposes traditional craft technique and cutting-edge technology to explore the relationship between nature and Internet culture. Using downloaded images, laser-cut metal, and hand embroidery, he creates visually striking pieces that are both digital and tactile. In a time when much of our information comes from social media, his work interrogates the divide between experience and technology, and encourages full awareness of the current moment.
• Scotland-based artist Wanshu Li is largely inspired by the brilliant colors and sensuous movements of sea creatures like jellyfish and sea anemones. With her jewelry, she aims to create a multisensory wearing experience that involves visual enjoyment, tactility, and sound. Li's fascination with dance culture, laser light shows, and stage performances inspired her to add a further visual dimension to her practice: she experiments with ultraviolet-reactive nylon and fluorescent paints, which combine to produce a remarkable intensity of color when the jewelry is illuminated with UV light.

• Houston-based designer Mariquita Masterson creates handmade glass pieces that are vivid, unique, and energetic, and that unite the everyday with the exceptional. Masterson uses both recycled glass and glass from companies that produce a variety of colors and textures, and on occasion creates stunning pieces out of the fragments of broken antique vases. Most recently, Masterson has gained attention for the debut of one of her necklaces worn by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi during the President's State of the Union address in February.

• This year, LOOT will showcase the work of four 2018 graduates of La Escuela de Arte 3, in Madrid, Spain: Patricia Álvarez, Cristina Armesilla, Sonia Birndt Carrascosa, and Bárbara García. The jewelry of these emerging creators exhibits fresh expressions of color and form, and takes inspiration from music, technology, contradiction, and the city they call home.

In its first year, the LOOT Advisory Committee assists LOOT Curator Bryna Pomp with the selection of artists and designers. The LOOT Advisory Committee for 2019 includes Susan Ach, Michele Cohen, Marsy Mittlemann, and Barbara Waldman.

LOOT ACQUISITION PRIZE

Awarded annually by a jury, the LOOT Acquisition Prize recognizes a LOOT jewelry artist or designer whose work reflects maturity in artistry and concept, exhibits both a superior and an experimental understanding of materials and form, and demonstrates expertise in technique and execution. MAD's permanent collection includes nearly one thousand pieces of jewelry, spanning the mid-twentieth century to the present day. The LOOT Acquisition Prize formalizes the Museum's goal of enhancing its collection by acquiring jewelry from artists who have made significant contributions to the field and whose work provides historical context for MAD's mid- to late-twentieth-century pieces, as well as from emerging artists who are an important force in the contemporary art jewelry scene.

The 2019 jury is chaired by Barbara Paris Gifford and Elissa Auther together with LOOT Co-Chairs Joan Hornig and Marsy Mittlemann, LOOT Curator Bryna Pomp, and Board Chair Michele Cohen. The 2019 LOOT Acquisition Prize will be awarded on April 8 during the Opening Benefit dinner.

In 2018, the prize was jointly awarded to Isabelle Molénat and Sarran Youkongdee. Past LOOT artists who have had works acquired by the Museum include the well-established art jeweler Iris Nieuwenburg and the emerging jewelry artist Casey Sobel. Alena Willroth, who was awarded the inaugural LOOT Acquisition Prize in 2016, will be a returning artist this year.

OPENING BENEFIT AND LOOT AWARD

The LOOT 2019 Opening Benefit takes place on Monday, April 8, beginning with a cocktail hour and reception at 4:30 pm. The evening's activities include first access to the LOOT exhibition and sale—an exclusive opportunity to meet this year's artists and acquire their designs—as well as a dinner honoring the recipients of the LOOT Award.

The LOOT Award recognizes luminaries in the field of jewelry, including artists, collectors, and designers. This year's honorees are jewelry designer and philanthropist Adria de Haume and jewelry and fashion designer Josie Natori. Past recipients include fashion icon Iris Apfel (2013), collector Barbara Berger (2013), jewelry designer Joan Hornig (2016), fashion designer Kay Unger (2016), and artists Joyce J. Scott (2014) and Axel Russmeyer (2012).

The LOOT 2019 Opening Benefit Host Committee comprises Susan Ach, Iris Apfel, Davina Benshetrit, Caroline Blackman, Noreen Buckfire, Marian C. Burke, Kathy Chazen, Michele Cohen, Paolo Costagli, Stacy Creamer, Emily Cutler, Marcia Docter, Patti Dweck, Beth Farber, Sandy Grotta, Joon Han, Jan Huling, Barbara Jacobs, Ann Kaplan, Wendy Tarlow Kaplan, Jane Koryn, Laura Kruger, Luisa LaViola, Bonnie Levine, Pam Levine, Tina Livanos, Jackie Martin, Stacey Mayrock, Ella McHugh, Robert Lee Morris, Edie Nadler, Michelle Perr, Linda Plattus, Andi Potamkin, Barbara Regna, Heidi Rigney, Deborah Roberts, Lela Rose, Jill Ryan, Bette Saltzman, Gail Shields-Miller, Angela Sun, Ted Taylor, Barbara Tober, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Kay Unger, Barbara Waldman, Janet Winter, Marcia Celis Wirth, Pamela Workman, Jan Wysocki, and Lynn Yaeger.

To purchase tickets to the LOOT 2019 Opening Benefit, to be held on Monday, April 8, visit thestore.madmuseum.org/collections/loot-2019, or contact Rebekka Grossman at 212.299.7712 or rebekka.grossman@madmuseum.org.

PUBLIC EXHIBITION AND SALE HOURS

Tuesday, April 9: Wednesday, April 10: Thursday, April 11: Friday, April 12: Saturday, April 13:

10 am to 6 pm 10 am to 6 pm 10 am to 9 pm 10 am to 6 pm 10 am to 6 pm

Entrance to LOOT is included in the price of Museum admission: $16 general; $14 for seniors; $12 for students; free for MAD members and children under 18 years of age. To purchase tickets online, visit madmuseum.org/visit.

ABOUT CORPORATE SPONSOR: PAOLO COSTAGLI

Paolo Costagli New York returns as corporate sponsor of LOOT. The fine jewelry brand recognized for its sophisticated, modern, and distinctly bold designs, will debut Onde, its new collection of 18kt gold and diamond jewelry at LOOT 2019. The Onde collection, inspired by the waves of the Venetian Lagoon, introduces a variety of rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Featuring Paolo Costagli'ssignature bold geometrics with a touch of fluidity, the collection presents effortlessly chic precious jewelry fit for all occasions, from everyday wear to a formal soirée.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields and presents the work of artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill. 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 twenty-first-century innovation, and fosters a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design. For more information, visit madmuseum.org.