MUSKEGON, MI — The Muskegon Museum of Art is excited to present Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, an exhibition of over two hundred pieces of rare and historically significant jewelry from the late Renaissance to the present. The exhibition opens on Thursday, October 17 with an opening reception at 5 PM and will be on display until January 5, 2025.
Borrowed from the Richard H. Driehaus Collection, the Driehaus Museum, and other private collections in Chicago, much of the rare jewelry and historical objects in Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective have never been on display for the public to see. Highlights include a 19th-century jeweled monstrance, a collection of magnificent tiaras, gems from the Art Nouveau Movement, and much more. The exhibition also features works by notable artists and designers such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Paul Revere, Jr., René Lalique, and Chicago’s Kalo Shop.
Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective opens with a timeline of stylistic periods throughout the history of jewelry from the late 17th century to the present. The objects in the exhibition are organized along a chronological timeline and will take visitors on a journey through the movements of Art Nouveau, British Arts & Crafts, 19th-century Revival, Elle Époque, Art Deco, Fabergé, Mid-Century Modern, and many more.
Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective is organized by jewelry historian Elyse Zorn Karlin and the Driehaus Museum in Chicago. Driehaus Museum Executive Director Lisa Key says,
“Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective brings audiences closer to a very personal artform – jewelry – to show how history can add new perspectives to our everyday lives. Audiences will be thrilled to experience, up close, incredible works of wearable art and revel in the artistry of this universal artform.”
Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective is underwritten by Sanborn’s Jewelers and JSJ Foundation. Lenders include the Richard H. Driehaus Collection, Chicago, the Chicago History Museum, the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, select private collectors, and contemporary Chicago jewelry artisans.
