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MAD About Jewelry is the Museum of Arts
and Design's annual benefit awards
celebration and sale of contemporary
jewelry. Now in its 25th year, this
milestone edition showcases
extraordinary designs from 50 emerging
and acclaimed international jewelry
artists representing more than 20
countries. MAD About Jewelry is the
ultimate pop-up shop for artist-made
jewelry, offering collectors and jewelry
enthusiasts alike the rare opportunity
to meet and acquire pieces from the most
innovative creators in the field. This
year’s highlights include Xinyi
Chen's "Artificial Intelligems"
crafted from electronic waste, Joana
Correia's organic pieces made from
silk cocoons and orange peels, and Cano
Jewelry's modern interpretations of
pre-Columbian
goldsmithing traditions.
Celebrating the opening was a benefit
brunch honoring Frank Everett,
Vice Chairman of Jewelry Americas,
Sotheby’s, on May 3rd. Guests were
welcomed by MAD Board Chairman Michele
Cohen, who invited everyone to an
exclusive tour of the exhibit,
personally led by MAD About Jewelry
Director, Bryna Pomp. Attending the sold
out event were Susan Ach, Marian and
Rusty Burke, Marcia Doctor, LaVon
Kellner, Sheila Lambert, Madison
McFerrin, Richard McGeehan, Marsy
Mittlemann, Karen and Michael Rotenberg,
Brittany Slater, Peter Trippi, and
many others. Frank spoke movingly about
his fascination with jewelry, the sale
of jeweler Shaun Leane’s personal
archives (2017), and the Brilliant &
Black: A Jewelry Renaissance exhibition
(2021) which celebrated the works of 25
leading designers. He thanked his
husband, Alex Chavez, “for giving me the
encouragement to leave the restaurant in
San Francisco and follow my passion and
my dream career.”
On May 5th, MAD’s chairman emerita
Barbara Tober hosted lunch and
conversation with MAD Curator Barbara
Paris Gifford and art historian Toni
Greenbaum. “Everyday I see friends of
the museum that understand the beauty of
jewelry. Everybody has a certain taste
that is just a little different. A
little bit special. A little bit
creative. And that’s what we do here.”
said MAD Director Tim Rodgers.
“Jewelry is wearable sculpture. It’s
personal - it tells the world something
about you.”, said Greenbaum, adorned in
Art Smith jewelry, “Art Smith wasn’t
just decorative, it was architectural.”
Following the lunch, guests excitedly
rushed to the third floor, where
artists’ jewelry was on sale directly
from the makers. Guests included MAD
Board Members LaVon Kellner, Barbara
Tober, Barbara Waldman, and MAD Curator
Elissa Auther, as well as Grimanesa
Amoros, Carrie Rebora Barratt, Alva
Chinn, Joan Hardy Clark, Pat Cleveland,
Paul Van Ravenstein, Machine Dazzle,
Tiffany Dubin, Han Feng, Michele Gerber
Klein, Susan Gutfreund, Isabelle
Harnoncourt Feigen, Margo Langenberg,
Bonnie Lautenberg, Jeanne Lawrence,
Betsy McCaughey, Katie Ridder, Dame
Donna Anne Soloway, Lynn Yaeger, and HRH
Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia.
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