Esther Knobel Brooch I (Mind in the Hand), 2007 Silver, iron Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA

Women's Tales: Four Leading Israeli Jewelers

Israeli jewelers Bianca Eshel-Gershuni, Vered Kaminski, Esther Knobel, and Deganit Stern Schocken talk about their role in forging an Israeli identity in the contemporary jewelry movement that is distinctive from that of Europe and America. With Davira S. Taragin, curator of the exhibition, Women's Tales: Four Israeli Jewelers, and Helen W. Drutt English, author and curator. Reception and book signing to follow.

Admission: $25 general, $20 seniors and students. Includes admission to SOFA NYC 2007 and a catalogue of the exposition. For information & tickets, phone 212-501-3011 or e-mail programs@bgc.bard.edu

Fernando Casasempere Venice Landscape, 2006 Porcelain and stoneware coloured with industrial waste on steel jacks. 43 h x 120 w x 150" d Photo: Studio Caparrrelli, London Joanna Bird Pottery, London, England

Fernando Casasempere: From Outside In; A Cultural Voyage

Casasempere talks about the trajectory and the reference which he leans on, either consciously or unconsciously, to build his imagery; and also the effect that new stimuli and different world views have upon his work. A native of Santiago, Chile, Casasempere currently resides in London and is represented by Joanna Bird Pottery.

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Catherine Truman Yellow #2, Brooch, 2006 Carved English lime wood, paint, shu niku ink, 110 x 90 x 20 mm Charon Kransen Arts, New York, NY

Catherine Truman: The Crafting of Human Anatomy

An Australian jeweler and object maker, Truman draws inspiration from the history of anatomy and the study of human movement. The resulting works, characteristically carved from wood, evoke a sensory response to physical recognition and resemblance. Truman will discuss the conceptual and technical threads that weave through the development of her most recent work. She is represented by Charon Kransen Arts; the lecture is presented by Art Jewelry Forum.

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Iris Eichenberg Chatelaine, 2006 Leather, brass, wool, tweed, 3 x 2 x 1" Ornamentum, Hudson, NY

Iris Eichenberg: Timelines

A foreigner in the countries in which she lives and works, Eichenberg observes, from a distance, the remnants and relics of lives lived elsewhere, bearing witness to the tastes, traditions and passions of other migrants. The Amsterdam-based German artist will take up her new position as Artist in Residence and Head of the Metal/Jewelry Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art, this fall. Eichenberg is represented by Ornamentum.

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Kiff Slemmons More or Less Set, 2007 Brooches part of one recombinant piece Ebony and silver, 8" longest dimension Sienna Gallery, Lenox, MA

Kiff Slemmons: Beyond Repair

Slemmons discusses her recent project, "Re:Pair and Imperfection", an exhibition that originated at the Chicago Cultural Center and traveled to Palo Alto and Philadelphia. As a way to explore the idea of the imperfect and acknowledge a perceived need for increased vitality and cross pollination, Slemmons solicited "broken, incomplete, or inconclusive fragments" from artist/jeweler colleagues and made new work from them-"rather like translating one poem into 18 languages." Slemmons is represented by Sienna Gallery; the lecture is presented by the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

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Ethan Stern Russett, 2007 Blown glass, carved, 15 x 18 x 3" Photo: Robert Vinnedge Chappell Gallery, New York, NY

Ethan Stern: The Surface Contains

Stern discusses the development of his work and its early evolution from ceramics. He will also look at the current movement in new glass toward the investigation of surface as content (narrative vs. formal), illustrated with images of work by young artists exploring this concept. Stern is represented by Chappell Gallery.

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Margaret Keelan Baby (detail), 2007 Ceramic, glaze, stains 28 x 12 x 6 Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA

Margaret Keelan: Intimate and Universal Stories

Keelan's figurative ceramic sculptures convey the beauty and inevitability of the aging process, mapping the trajectory of her life and connecting it to the universal story. Her works reference 19th century dolls, Mexican "santos" figures and American folk art. Keelan is represented by Lacoste Gallery.

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