All That Glitters: Finnish Jewelry
traveling exhibit now at the Fitchburg Art Museum, Massachusetts
Organized by the Helsinki Design Museum, this exhibition of Finnish jewelry from the 1930s to contemporary conceptual art pieces follows changes in the meanings and design of jewelry over the decades. The exhibition includes uncluttered Jewelry design from the 1950s by Elis Kauppi, Bertel Gardberg, Börje Rajalin and Paula Häiväoja, Björn Weckströms forceful Lapponia jewelry of the 1960s, and the most interesting achievements of the jewelry industry and designers from recent decades.
It gets frustrating going online, finding out about important jewelry exhibits, and trying to see images of what will be in these exhibits. Museums and Galleries seem to operate on the hide-and-seek business model. They hide any images of the pieces to be exhibited, hoping to entice you to come into the exhibit personally.
Alas and alack, this isn’t feasible for most people. These Museums and Galleries need to evolve from the pre-internet, pre-globalization eras, and look at what Museums like the Smithsonian or the Hermitage or even the Vatican are doing, to make their collections and exhibits more accessible to the masses. They might be surprised how providing images and information might have positive impacts on local attendance, regional and national recognition, and card, poster and gift sales.
So, here are some things I think you might see at this exhibit.
Eva Gylden, Cameo, 1929
Bjorn Weckstrom/Lapponia Jewelry, 1969
Reino Saastamoinen, late 1960s
Learn To Bead 