The lecture series at SOFA NY has always been smaller than that of SOFA Chicago. This year is remarkable, however, for the number of presentations by contemporary art jewelers at SOFA and another concurrent event.
Women’s Tales: Four Leading Israeli Jewelers
Israeli jewelers Bianca Eshel-Gershuni, Vered Kaminski, Esather Knobel, and Deganit Stern Schocken talk about their role in forging an Israeli identity in the contemporary art jewelry movement that is distinctive from that of Europe and America. May 30 at The Bard Graduate Center, 38 West 86th Street from 6-8 p.m.. With Davira S. Taragin, curator of the exhibit, and Helen W. Drutt English, author and curator. Reception and book signing to follow. $25 general admission
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 works. This is the AJF sponsored lecture at SOFA on Friday, June 1 from 1-2 p.m.
Iris Eichenberg: Timelines
A foreigner in the countries in which she lives and work, 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. This SOFA lecture is Friday, June 1 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Kiff Slemmons: Beyond Repair
Slemmons discusses her recent project, “Re:Pair and Imperfection”, an exhibition that originated in Chicago 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 solicted “broken, incomplete, or inconclusive fragments” from artist/jewelry colleagues and made new work from them-”rather like translating one poem into 18 languages.” SOFA lecture Saturday, June 2 from 11 a.m. - Noon.