The response to our New York trip announcement was overwhelming. As we said in the email announcing the trip, we are limited to 25 members; currently there are 30 members who have expressed a desire to make the trip. Trip payment and confirmation packets were sent to the first twenty five members who contacted us; the remaining five members have been placed on a “wait list’.

There will be members with reservations who will not be able to join us. If you are interested in the New York trip please let us know and we’ll add your name to the wait list. If space becomes available you will be contacted to complete your registration. It is easy, simply click here to send us an email.

The trip dates are Friday Oct. 3rd, Saturday Oct. 4th and Sunday Oct. 5th. The price is $950 and includes: all museum and guided tour fees, all local transportation, two gourmet meals per day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a private dinner on Saturday, and as always a $25 donation to the Art Jewelry Forum.

MAD Jewelry curator Ursula Neuman is thrilled that we will be in town for the new museum’s first weeks of public viewing and has helped us plan our trip. The itinerary is almost final. Here are the many activities we are scheduling:

• Special events at the Museum of Arts and Design, including a private guided tour of the whole new museum building as well as an in depth look at the jewelry displays. There will an opportunity to personally meet and question Ursula Neuman and former American Craft Museum (the previous name for MAD) curator Paul Smith about their thoughts on both the history and the future of MAD.
• A behind-the-scenes look at the addition of the Donna Schneier contemporary jewelry collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with curator Jane Adlin.
• Visits to artist’s studios in town as well as presentations from artists represented by Charon Kranson Arts, Gallery Loupe and the David Collection among others, including the opportunity to plan social and educational events with them.
• Patricia Faber treats us to cocktails and the Michael Zobel retrospective at Aaron Faber Gallery.
• A tour through the International Arts and Design Fair with noted historian Toni Greenbaum and author of “Messengers of Modernism”.
• A timely visit to the Brooklyn Museum to see the show “From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith”.
• Visits to both Pratt and the 92nd Street Y jewelry programs with presentations from students and instructors.
• Viewings of the private collections of Barbara Tober and Susan Grant Lewin (author of “One of a Kind: American Art Jewelry Today”).

As is our tradition we will dine at highly rated restaurants, and for our second night in New York we have planned a special private dinner party.

It is going to be a wonderful trip!