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Sizzle by Manolo Blahnik
Comma Heel by Roger Vivier
Moc Croc by Vivienne Westwood
silk shoes by Pietro Yantorny
THE RACINE ART MUSEUM presents Icons of Elegance: The Most Influential Shoe Designers of the Twentieth Century. This exhibition will only be showing at the Racine Art Museum, and features over one hundred designs from both the Bata Shoe Museum, which hails from Toronto, Canada, and international collections. Prior to the twentieth century, shoemakers were rarely recognized as trendsetters. However, with the advent of the twentieth century there arose a handful of visionary shoe designers who had the power to influence fashion. Some of these designers include Francois Pinet, André Perugia, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, Beth Levine, Charles Jourdan, Andrea Pfister, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and Christian Louboutin. This exhibit will be on view through January 20, 2008.
Shown is Sizzle by Manolo Blahnik, Comma Heel by Roger Vivier, silk shoes by Pietro Yantorny and Moc Croc by Vivienne Westwood. Photographs by Hal Roth and Ron Wood.
441 Main Street, Racine, Wisconsin 53401-0187; www.ramart.org.
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
ARIZONA
 THE BEAD MUSEUM showcases Silver: From Fetish to Fashion, an exhibition of over one hundred pieces of personal adornment, through April 30, 2008. This unusual collection concentrates on silver jewelry from all over the world. The works are divided into six regions: North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, The Americas, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, and India. The pieces range from the mid-nineteenth century to the contemporary.
5754 W. Glenn Dr., Glendale, AZ 85301; 623.931.2737; www.beadmuseumaz.org.
CALIFORNIA
 
THE BOWERS MUSEUM displays Gems: Colors of Light and Stone: The Michael Scott Collection. Considered the most important gem collection in private United States ownership, the pieces include everything from uncut gems to jewelry. The exhibition shows until June 2008.
2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92706; 714.567.3600; www.bowers.org.
  MASSACHUSETTS

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON presents Jewelry by Artists: The Daphne Farago Collection, ending March 5, 2008. This exhibition features one hundred fifty examples of art jewelry from Daphne Farago’s outstanding collection.
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115; 617.267.9300; www.mfa.org.
Jamie Bennett
 Jamie Bennett
THE FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM presents Edge of the Sublime: Enamels by Jamie Bennett, a retrospective beginning January 19, 2008 and ending May 4. This exhibition explores the artist’s creative use and development of a variety of enameling and metalworking techniques to produce highly color-saturated imagery on signature brooches, necklaces and pendants. The exhibit is curated by Jeannine Falino. Shown is Blue Mosaic 9 neckpiece and Coral Tesserae neckpiece by Jamie Bennett.
455 Oak Street, Brockton, Massachusetts 02301. www.fullercraft.org
NEW YORK
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART invites the public to interact in the new exhibition, blog.mode: addressing fashion. Taking place from December 18, 2007 to April 13, 2008, this unusual exhibit will cover approximately forty costumes and accessories not only in the museum itself, but also on an internet blog set up on the museum’s website. Over the duration of the exhibition, which will take place in The Costume Institute galleries, individual costumes and accessories will be posted on the blog periodically with commentary from curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, and, where relevant, from contemporary designers.
1000 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10028; www.metmuseum.org.
NEW YORK
THE MUSEUM AT FIT shows Luxury, the first exhibition to analyze the changing meaning of luxury within the context of fashion history. Held in FIT’s Fashion and Textile History Gallery, the show runs through November 10.
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, New York, NY 10001; 212.217.5970; www.fitnyc.edu.
TEXAS
THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON will host Ornament As Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection, on view from September 30, 2007 to January 21, 2008. In 2002, the museum acquired seven hundred twenty pieces from Drutt’s collection, and approximately three hundred of these objects will be included in the exhibition.
1001 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77005; 713.639.7300; www.mfah.org.
THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM presents Clothes to Dye for: Colorful Textiles from the Charleston Museum Collection
THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM presents Clothes to Dye for: Colorful Textiles from the Charleston Museum Collection
THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM presents Clothes to Dye for: Colorful Textiles from the Charleston Museum Collection
THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM presents Clothes to Dye for: Colorful Textiles from the Charleston Museum Collection, running until April 18, 2008. This year-long exhibition focuses on the power of color, its richness and intensity and examines color symbolism and color theory. The history of dyeing casts light on Eliza Lucas Pinckney and the importance of indigo to the Lowcountry, the Spanish introduction to Europe of tiny South American cochineal insects full of red dye, and dangerous concoctions such as Scheeles green, a stunning and lightfast dye loaded with arsenic and extremely poisonous to dyer and wearer. The Museum will change colors each quarter of a year, focusing on a specific hue, from blue to gold to red and finally green. Shown is a jade green chiffon evening dress, 1950s; a maroon velvet jacket, late 1890s; and a yellow silk damask two-piece dress, circa 1886.
360 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403; 843.722.2996, www.charlestonmuseum.org.
GALLERY EXHIBITIONS
 
ARIZONA OBSIDIAN GALLERY celebrates the holiday season with work from gallery regulars and new artists. All craft media will be represented. Featured artists include Ford and Forlano, Randy O’Brien, Sam Stang, and Kathyanne White. The holiday exhibition runs from November 10, 2007 to January 5, 2008.
4320 N. Campbell Ave. #130, Tucson, AZ 85718; 520.577.3598.
CALIFORNIA CLAUDIA CHAPLINE GALLERY shows Florence Resnikoff, Sculptural Objects/Jewelry, November 16 to December 16, 2007. Jewelry, vessels and liturgical objects will be on exhibit. Florence Resnikoff, a California Living Treasure, is an emeritus professor from the California College of the Arts, which is celebrating their 100th anniversary.
3445 Shoreline Hwy., Stinson Beach, CA 94970; 415.868.2308, www.cchapline.com
WASHINGTON
STONINGTON GALLERY presents Engraved in Tradition, a group exhibit featuring pieces by contemporary artists who work to further the traditional jewelry of North American tribes. The exhibition starts November 1 and ends December 31, 2007 and will highlight the work of Joe David, a Nuu-chah-nulth artist renowned for his carving, painting and jewelry.
119 South Jackson St., Seattle, WA  98104; 866.405.4485.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
THE FREER GALLERY OF ART hosts a continuing exhibition of small glass vessels and sculpture collected by Charles Lang Freer. The exhibit consists of a number of ancient Egyptian sculptures of wood, stone and bronze, as well as amulets, glass beads and inlays, and other objects purchased by the gallery’s founder.
Independence Avenue and 12th St., S.W.; www.asia.si.edu
WISCONSIN THE SCHOOL OF HUMAN ECOLOGY DESIGN GALLERY launches the Crafting Kimono exhibition, running from October 31, 2007 to February 3, 2008. This exhibit will explore the subtle nuances, materials and techniques that go into creating a kimono. The pieces in the exhibition are selected from the extensive holdings of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection by curator Rebecca Kasemeyer. This exhibit is part of a series of biennial exhibitions showcasing the HLATC collections in the Design Gallery.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1300 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706.
THE ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM opens Set in Stone: 2000 Years of Gem and Mineral Trade in the Southwest on December 14, running through February 2009. This exhibition explores how the quest for turquoise, shell and copper—and eventually silver and gold—shaped the character of the Southwest. It will cover Native American jewelry, from prehistoric work over 2,000 years old to contemporary Indian jewelers. Shown is a reconstructed prehistoric turquoise mosaic frog pendant on a Doisinia shell.
Arizona State Museum, Tucson, Arizona; 520.626.8381;
www.statemuseum.arizona.edu.
NETHERLANDS THE GALERIE MARZEE will be presenting the work of Daniel Jocz, Rudolf Kocéa, Sybille Richter, Lucy Sarneel and Hans Stofer. Their work will be exhibited through November 28, 2007.
Lage Markt 3 (Waalkade 4), Nijmegen, The Netherlands 6511 VK.
UNITED KINGDOM THE GILBERT COLLECTION is extending its fourth exhibition of American jewelry, Seaman Schepps (1881-1972): America’s Court Jeweler, until November 11. The bold, chunky jewelry of Schepps has been on the covers of both Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and has been collected by numerous celebrities.
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA; 020.7420.9400.
FAIRS, MARKETS & SHOWS
ILLINOIS 
THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS OF SCULPTURE OBJECTS AND FUNCTIONAL ART presents SOFA Chicago 2007, running from November 2 to 4. Showing again at the Festival Hall, Navy Pier venue, the 14th annual showing of SOFA will feature special exhibits by international art organizations and a lecture series presenting over twenty-five artists, collectors and art professionals.
Festival Hall, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL; www.sofaexpo.com; 800.563.7632.
MINNESOTA
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF GLASS BEADMAKERS presents the exhibit ConneXtions: A Collaborative Effort Between Wood and Glass. Running from July 26 to December 15, this exhibition is a collaborative effort between the ISGB and the American Association of Woodturners. Over one hundred artists from these two organizations have partnered to create synergistic works of glass beads and lathe-turned wood. The exhibit shows at the AAW Gallery, Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth St., in St. Paul.
www.isgb.org.
NORTH CAROLINA
THE PIEDMONT CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR, marks its forty-fourth fair, November 17 to 18. Showcasing the work of more than one hundred thirty fine craft artists from across the Southeast, the Fair meets at the M.C. Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem.
Cherry St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; www.piedmontcraftsmen.org; 336.725.1516.
Bernd MunsteinerBernd MunsteinerTHE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA opened a new exhibition on June 8 celebrating the work of Bernd Munsteiner, one of the world’s best-known gem artists. The exhibit, Reflections in Stone, showcases a retrospective of Munsteiner’s unique and distinctive carvings from the last several decades. Commonly referred to as the “Father of the Fantasy Cut,” Munsteiner is known for not only cutting gems for jewelry, but also on their own as evocative images and sculptures. Reflections in Stone will show at the Rotunda Gallery at GIA through March 2008. Shown is a sculptured gemstone and a gemstone cut for a necklace.
5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, California, 92008; 760.603.4000, www.gia.edu.
NORTH CAROLINA
THE PIEDMONT CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR, marks its forty-fourth fair, November 17 to 18. Showcasing the work of more than one hundred thirty fine craft artists from across the Southeast, the Fair meets at the M.C. Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem.
Cherry St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; www.piedmontcraftsmen.org; 336.725.1516.
CONFERENCES, LECTURES & SYMPOSIA
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CALIFORNIA
THE MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM presents Craft: Content & Context, a lively panel discussion linked to the Craft in America exhibition also showing at the museum. Moderated by exhibition curator Jo Lauria, the discussion explores how craft objects provide a deep understanding of contemporary culture. The panel is composed of artists with works in the exhibition who represent diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
1439 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101; 619.239.0003.
INDIANA
THE INTERNATIONAL PRECIOUS METAL CLAY GUILD announces dates for its fourth biennial conference, which will be held July 17-20, 2008, on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette.
www.pmc-conference.com.
OREGON
THE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICAN GOLDSMITHS holds its thirty-seventh Annual SNAG Conference entitled Crosscurrents: Diverse Solutions in a Global Environment, running from March 5 to 8, 2008. The Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia will host the conference. Internationally recognized fiber artist Sheila Hicks will be presenting the keynote address, which explores the ways her work crosses disciplines and bridges art, design and architecture.
www.snagmetalsmith.org.
Pat Tseng’s retrospective collection of jewelryTHE SAN DIEGO CHINESE HISTORICAL MUSEUM show Emblems of Ethereal Grace opened September 1, continuing through December 3. An overflow crowd attended the opening ceremonies and viewed Pat Tseng’s retrospective collection of jewelry, in eight cases. It was structured and installed by the artist and the museum staff. Pat Tseng has shown the same degree of meticulous crafting and design in her over three decades career as an artist jeweler. Virtually alone in combining textile and metal techniques, she continues to delight and surprise the knowledgeable viewer and her considerable number of collectors. This is an exhibition to see and savor.
The Sun Yat-Sen Extension Building, 404 Third Ave., San Diego, CA 92101; 619.338.9888;; www.sdchm.org.
WASHINGTON, D.C. THE RENWICK GALLERY hosts Dr. Liza Kirwin as she speaks on the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project. Nanette Laitman gave the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art a grant in 2000 to further explore the development and historical context of craft in America. Dr. Liza Kirwin is the curator of manuscripts at the Archives of American Art and will talk about the collecting of personal papers and oral history interviews from prominent artists working in clay, glass, fiber, metal, and wood. This lecture takes place November 15.
MRC 970, POB 37012, Washington,
D.C. 20013.
TURKEY
THE INTERNATIONAL BEAD AND BEADWORK CONFERENCE takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, from November 22 to 25. The theme for the program is The Global Perspective on Beads and Beadwork. Museum and other exhibitions are planned and there will be a bead bazaar and associated tours.
www.istanbul-boncuk.org.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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CONNECTICUT
AID TO ARTISANS announces the launch of an innovative five-year project to benefit artisans in India. The project, named Artisan Enterprise Development Alliance Program, will start officially in October. Aid to Artisans is a nonprofit organization focusing on training and assistance to artisan groups worldwide, and has worked in one hundred ten countries since its founding in 1976.
www.aidtoartisans.org.
FLORIDA
THE FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY announces the opening of a new fiber arts and textiles gallery thanks to the donation of Ruth Funk, artist, teacher and arts patron. Named the Ruth Funk Textile Arts Gallery, the facility will be the first of its kind in Florida. Funk’s gift will go towards the construction of a ten thousand square foot building. She has donated to the university hundreds of textiles, jewelry and cultural artifacts, plus a donation of more than four hundred related books.
www.fit.edu.
Grace Lampwork Beads and Jewelry
PASADENA BEAD AND DESIGN SHOW presents an exposition of the finest artisans and merchants in the handmade tradition, from January 17 to 20, 2008, in Pasadena, California. The show is comprised of two hundred fifty exhibitors and workshops, chosen by juried application and by invitation, representing lapidary, glass, metal, jewelry, ceramic, fiber, beadmaking, enamel, fabric, textile, wearable, and decorative arts. The show is both wholesale and retail, and is open to the public. Coeditors of Ornament Magazine Carolyn Benesh and Robert Liu will also be giving several lectures at the show entitled Messages and Murmurs of Contemporary Jewelers, Contemporary Glass Ornaments: Unveiling Their Ancient and Ethnographic Roots Through Artists’ Experiments, and Photographing Glass Ornaments: Techniques and Uses for the Craftsperson. Pre-registration is encouraged at www.pasadenabeadanddesignshow.com. Shown are several beads by Grace Lampwork Beads and Jewelry.
168 South Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101.
MINNESOTA
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF GLASS BEADMAKERS presents the exhibit ConneXtions: A Collaborative Effort Between Wood and Glass. Running from July 26 to December 15, this exhibition is a collaborative effort between the ISGB and the American Association of Woodturners. Over one hundred artists from these two organizations have partnered to create synergistic works of glass beads and lathe-turned wood. The exhibit will show at the AAW Gallery in St. Paul, Minnesota.
www.isgb.org.
NEW MEXICO
RIO GRANDE announces the finalists of the Seventh Annual Saul Bell Design Award Competition. Twenty-seven jewelry designs are selected in the five categories of the competition, which include gold/platinum, precious metal clay, hollowware, silver, and beads. From these finalists, ten winners are chosen and announced at a gala celebration dinner held during the annual JCK Show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.saulbellaward.com.
NEW YORK  THE TIFFANY FOUNDATION has become the major supporter of the study center and exhibition gallery for contemporary jewelry at the Museum of Arts & Design’s future home on Columbus Circle, in New York City, opening in 2008. The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Jewelry Gallery, named in recognition of the foundation’s generosity, will be the first resource of its kind in the country. In addition, the museum has announced the appointment of Ursula Ilse-Neuman as the Museum of Arts & Design’s first Curator of Jewelry. 
RHODE ISLAND
THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN SILVERSMITHS awards John Marshall with the 2006 Hans Christensen Sterling Silversmith’s Award. John Marshall chaired the Metalworking Department at the University of Washington School of Art, and was named Professor Emeritus in 2001. He also has taught at Syracuse University. The Hans Christensen Sterling Silversmith’s Award is named after the late Hans Christensen, silversmith at Georg Jensen Silversmithy in Denmark, and Professor of Silversmithing at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York.
POB 72839, Providence, RI 02907; www.silversmithing.com.
UNITED KINGDOM
 THE BEAD STUDY TRUST announces that the Guido Scholarship Fund is distributing awards for “suitable (bead-related) research abroad.” Applicants must also be subscribers to the Bead Study Trust Newsletter. An application for this year must be sent in by November 30, 2007.
Department of the Middle East, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG; www.beadstudytrust.org.uk.

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