Wood + Body: Expressions of Contemporary Jewelry
July 2 — November 7, 2021
Curator: Jennifer-Navva Milliken
Edgar Mosa, Round Trip, 2011. Wood, iron, gold-plated silver.
Photos: left, Topher Scott; right, Joseph McShea
Wood + Body presents aspirational works of contemporary jewelry by leading international artists in the field who have dedicated their practices to exploring the relationship between the warm, changing, and living material of wood and the human body. Both wood and the body are rife with narrative and conceptual significance that is rooted in ancient art and literature but continues into the present. In the surprising but eminently wearable works on view, wood replaces the gemstone and beckons for a new way of valuing the “jewel.” As a group united by the condition of wearability and the use of wood, these intriguing works represent the wide range of creative approaches that characterizes contemporary jewelry practice. The exhibition includes several works from the Center’s permanent collection.
EXHIBITION EVENTS
Join us for our virtual Preview Reception – Wood + Body: Expressions of Contemporary Jewelry June 18 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Free
This casual reception will offer insights from the artists about their work. So grab your favorite snack and beverage and don’t miss this festive evening to raise a glass!
This event is free to the public. The Center for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of it.
A suggested donation of $5 per person enables us to provide programs and exhibitions throughout the year.
Registration information available here.
Curator Talk with Jennifer-Navva Milliken | Thurs. July 22, 2021 | 6:30 pm EDT | LIVE on ZOOM
Join us for an evening with Artistic Director and Curator Jennifer-Navva Milliken to learn about her thinking behind the exhibition Wood + Body: Expressions of Contemporary Jewelry. This small but international showing of contemporary jewelry made from wood offers a wide range of approaches, concepts, and questions while encouraging viewers to consider the creative potential of wood and adornment. Don’t miss this fascinating talk diving into the world of contemporary jewelry.
Click HERE to RSVP
Image: Ketli Tiitsar, Nature Morte Brooch IX, 2015. Photo: Dénes Farkas.
Jennifer-Navva Milliken is the artistic leader of the Center and is responsible for creating and executing the exhibition schedule, facilitating the annual Windgate ITE International Residency program, maintaining the integrity of the museum collection and research library, and overseeing the Center’s publishing and documentation activities.
Before coming to the Center in May 2018, she worked as an independent curator and consultant, following her tenure as the Curator of Craft and Design and the interim curatorial director at the Bellevue Arts Museum [BAM]. Before joining BAM, she established INTER ALIA projects, a curatorial enterprise based in Tel Aviv, Israel, and New York, NY. INTER ALIA fostered dialogues surrounding contemporary art, studio craft, design, and new media through site-specific pop-up exhibitions, gallery programming, writing, and advocacy for artists practicing in these fields. Milliken has lived in several locales including Jerusalem, New York, Seoul, and Tel Aviv. In addition to her time at BAM, she has been an embedded staff member at a number of cultural institutions and museums, among them the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD), New York, and The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
She serves on the board of the Furniture Society and is a member of the International Council of Museums. Milliken remains in demand as a lecturer and writer due to her expertise in contemporary craft and design. She authored the exhibition catalogue WHY WOOD? Contemporary Practice in a Timeless Material, a 2016 Collectors of Wood Art publication, as well as Humaira Abid: Taboo, which was released in 2018 in conjunction with the traveling exhibition Humaira Abid: Searching for Home — which was on view at the Center for Art in Wood in 2020.
This event is free to the public. The Center for Art in Wood interprets, nurtures, and champions creative engagement and expansion of art, craft, and design in wood to enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of it. A suggested donation of $5 per person enables us to provide programs and exhibitions throughout the year.
Questions? Please contact Katie Sorenson, Senior Manager of Partnerships and Engagement at [email protected].