Twenty-five jewelry artists are exhibiting at the show this year with a varied array of design styles and techniques. Brooches are predominantly featured. There is a good mixture of jewelry constructed from traditional materials – gemstones and precious metals. But there are also some excellent pieces of jewelry fabricated from non-traditional materials such as paper and found items. Some familiar jewelry artists exhibiting at the show are Todd Reed, Brooke Marks-Swanson and Kiwon Wang.
Brooches Rule
Of interest is the fact that so many brooches are included. Until Kristin Scott Thomas wore a brooch to the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards this year, brooches in fashion were few and far between. Then Michelle Obama appeared on the cover of the January 18, 2009 issue of Parade magazine, wearing a sleeveless dress with three neckline brooches. With the preponderance of brooches in this premier craft show , it appears likely that brooches are making a big comeback.
Featured Jewelry Artist
Brooke Marks-Swanson may be a familiar name since she was selected for inclusion in the Lark book 500 Necklaces, juried by Marjorie Schick. She is also a regular exhibitor at American Craft Council shows. For the Smithsonian Craft Show she is showing a collection of brooches fabricated from copper incorporating surface design using acrylic paint and 18K gold wire work. They are quite fantastic in appearance, very similar in appearance to abstract paintings.
Just one of the fabulous brooches available at the show is the image on this page – Shadow II. It’s 4 inches high and 2½ inches wide. Prices for her jewelry range from $350 to $850 .
Show Details
If you live in the DC area or are planning a visit in April, it’s highly recommended to check out this show. Daily admission is $15. Parking around the museum is a mess - attendees could circle the area for hours looking for available street parking. Save the wear and tear on the nerves and take a taxi from a hotel or the Metro.
Not a Metro type of person? What a relief - Valet parking is also available. Children under 12 are free, but absolutely no strollers are allowed into the show.
Online Auction
Shoppers that can't make it to the show but are still interested in buying aren’t out of luck. There is an online auction of over 100 pieces of fine craft objects donated by current and past exhibitors. The auction items will be up online starting April 15. Bidding opens April 15 at noon and closes the evening of April 28.
The image on this page is used courtesy of Brooke Marks-Swanson. The design shown is copyrighted.
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