At MAD About Jewelry, the party was in the details | amNewYork

"My mother's life-size jewelry chest still reigns in my memory as a private treasure house of beauty. Each tortoiseshell drawer seemed to hold stranger and more specific little miracles than the last: gems, trinkets, charms, chains, heirlooms, curiosities, and glamorous mysteries that appeared to contain entire lives in miniature. Jewelry, to me, never began as a cold symbol of status. It began as discovery. It began as play, intimacy, inheritance, and the delicious suspicion that the smallest object in the room might have the most personality."

"That, perhaps, is the wicked pleasure of MAD About Jewelry, the Museum of Arts and Design's annual exhibition and sale dedicated to contemporary jewelry. Held from May 5 through May 9, the presentation brought together 45 artists from 25 countries working with porcelain, paper, recycled metals, textiles, glass, reclaimed objects, stone, and a wonderfully unruly sense of possibility. The week opened with a benefit on May 5, where MAD Director Tim Rodgers emphasized the rare and necessary achievement of bringing artists from around the world into one room, particularly at a moment when the world feels increasingly divided."

"Board Chair Michele Cohen echoed that spirit, speaking to artistry and craftsmanship as forces that move beyond borders, while Chief Curator Elissa Auther presented this year's acquisition awards to Won Cho and Yuan Yuan, whose works will enter the museum's permanent collection. It was an important institutional gesture, affirming contemporary jewelry as a vital art form rather than a decorative sidebar. Ana NormanPhoto by BFA Slawa TchorzewskaPhoto by BFA Two days later, the May 7 luncheon hosted by Chair Emerita Barbara Tober brought the spirit of the exhibition into a more intimate and revealing register."

"There was warmth in the room, certainly, but also real curiosity, the kind that keeps glamour from becoming empty posture. Tober welcomed a capacity crowd with genuine delight, celebrating the artists who"

A life-size jewelry chest evokes beauty as discovery, play, intimacy, inheritance, and the idea that small objects can hold strong personality. An annual exhibition and sale dedicated to contemporary jewelry brings together 45 artists from 25 countries. The works use materials such as porcelain, paper, recycled metals, textiles, glass, reclaimed objects, and stone, guided by an unruly sense of possibility. The opening benefit emphasizes the rare achievement of gathering global artists in one room amid division. Leadership statements frame artistry and craftsmanship as forces that move beyond borders. Acquisition awards recognize artists whose works enter the museum’s permanent collection, affirming contemporary jewelry as a vital art form rather than decoration.

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