Contemporary art jewelry exhibition to showcase the latest jewelry trends of 2015 February 03 2015

All That Glitters
On view: January 30 - March 14, 2015
Opening reception: Saturday, February 7, 4-7pm

New Smyrna Beach, FL — Arts on Douglas announces the opening of All That Glitters, a jewelry exhibition and sale featuring a broad cross-section of wearable designs from accomplished and emerging jewelry artists. The featured artists include Stefan Alexandres, Peg Fetter, Susan Freda, Allison Kline, Eleanor Pigman, Bridgette Rallo, Mary Schimpff Webb, Wendy Thurlow, and Barbara Umbel. The exhibition and sale will run through March 14, 2015. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 7, 4-7pm. 

Last year jewelry was nearly non-existent on the runway. The arbiters of fashion aimed to get back to the basics with nondescript, detail-free designs. This year is different. Designers are now embracing a range of styles from the past, from ornate romanticism to the grit, glam, and bohemian bliss that characterized the 1970s. From this mixed bag of fashion trends one thing is certain: Jewelry is back.

The art jewelry trends of 2015 are a confident contrast of color and materials with retro appeal, and All That Glitters has them all. The exhibition and sale will feature the work of nine jewelry artists who create unique and one-of-a-kind wearable works of art. Their designs are a mix of bold cuts, oversized stones, collars, and sculpted metals juxtaposed with colorful gemstones, and organic, raw materials. Whether you are looking for something subtle and classic or something that makes a head-turning statement, All That Glitters offers the latest jewelry trends to express your personal style.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Stefan Alexandres presents two distinct collections of wearable art jewelry––The Titanium Collection and The Nature Collection. Both collections showcase the artist’s craftsmanship and unique designs with retro appeal. The Titanium Collection features lightweight, ombré pop art shapes and glam-punk ring designs featuring bubble levels and unicorn spires. The Nature Collection captures the free-spirited modern bohemian style popular on the runway. Stefan Alexandres received traditional metal arts training in Athens, Greece. He has participated in many solo and juried exhibitions throughout Florida.

Peg Fetter creates mixed-metal designs that pair burnished gunmetal steel or oxidized copper with bright yellow gold creating a look that is equally comfortable at a cocktail party as it is at the beach. Fetter received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied under Heikki Seppa. She later attended the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts that would later influence the artist to combine steel with metalsmithing to create an organic and industrial quality.

Susan Freda is a jeweler and sculptor known for her organic, ephemeral, and intricate style. She employs form, light, and line as vehicles to create designs that are airy, kinetic, and luminescent pieces. Her work is recognized for its unusual processes, signature weaving, and for its delicate and exquisite craftsmanship. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009. She has been the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, a Rhode Island State Council for the Arts Public Art Grant, a Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship, and a de Young Museum Artist-in-Residence Award for 2009. Susan has exhibited in the US, Canada, England, and Italy. Her work is included in the collection of the Museo Italo Americano of San Francisco, and in numerous private as well as corporate collections. 

Allison Kline will present a collection of colorful enamel jewelry that pairs well with the latest runway styles. She uses silver, enamel, and found objects to create statement neckpieces that are bold, but not overpowering. Allison Kline is a professional graphic designer and “Stuff-Maker.” She received her BFA in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia. In her New Smyrna Beach studio she experiments with painting, printmaking, bookmaking, sewing, small-scale metalsmithing, drawing, gluing, and hammering.

Eleanor Pigman creates whimsical bead-embroidered neckpieces inspired by marine sea life. She combines several different traditional and non-traditional stitches to create a unique sculpture effect. Paper, fabric, and mesh can also be found in her work. Eleanor Pigman received her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and her masters in Art Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bridgette Rallo studied metalsmithing and Precious Metal Clay (PMC) techniques with prize-winning jewelry artist Susan Lewis of Metalmorphosis Studio in Dania, FL. She also worked with Vera Lightstone of Lightstone Studios in Manhattan, and Robert Dancik and CeCe Wire at the Brookfield Craft Center in Brookfield, CT. She was the advanced PMC columnist for BeadBugle.com, an online jewelry trade magazine, for two years before deciding to spend all of her time creating jewelry and teaching in her studio. Bridgette Rallo is a member of the PMC Guild and The Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG).

Mary Schimpff Webb is considered a pioneer of modern art jewelry design. Her modern designs are revered for their fluid and sculptural integration of form and function. She earned many prestigious awards and honors throughout her career. She won the De Beers Diamond USA Award for design in 1955 and 1956, De Beers Diamond International Award for Design in 1958 and 1959. These achievements provided her with an exclusive membership to the Diamonds International Academy Collection and traveling exhibitions. She was featured in the “New Talent” issue of Art in America in 1961. She has exhibited her work in places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim, Germany, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, and Georg Jensen of 5th Avenue. Her work is also included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution of Art, Washington, DC as part of the U.S. State Department’s cultural exchange program to promote American Modernism. Mary Schimpff Webb was recently inducted into the prestigious National Metalsmiths Hall of Fame.

Wendy Thurlow’s jewelry designs incorporate centuries-old techniques with mixed metals, surface embellishments, and high-quality stones to produce jewelry that is both organic and sculptural. Her collections have won numerous awards. She earned her BFA in metalsmithing from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA.

Barbara Umbel designs jewelry with sea urchins, seashells, pearls, and gemstones set in hand-forged silver and gold. She uses traditional metalsmithing techniques to twist and turn the metal into abstract shapes that accentuate the natural beauty of her sea treasures. Barbara Umbel received a BFA in studio art from Towson University, Maryland. She has won numerous juried fine art awards.