Craft in America | Modernist jewelry artist Art Smith segment from the JEWELRY episode @craftinamerica | Uploaded December 2021 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
craftinamerica.org. Art Smith (1917–1982) was a highly acclaimed jewelry artist whose extraordinary avant-garde creations pushed the limits of modernism from 1946 to the early 70s. As Smith’s artistry grew, so did his association with some of this country’s most prominent Black artists including James Baldwin, composer and pianist Billy Strayhorn, Lena Horne (who wore his jewelry), and Harry Belafonte. He opened a store in Greenwich Village on West Fourth in 1946, which operated until 1979, shortly before his death in 1982. He pioneered many mid-century jewelry innovations including bold, geometric pieces that cover and reveal the body, often fabricated from wire and large pieces of silver. Much of his work was of a completely different scale from his contemporaries. He has been called a star of the modernist jewelry movement.
JEWELRY explores the history, artistry, and impact of personal adornment. Featuring classic jeweler Tom Herman; Harriete Estel Berman who creates jewelry with recycled materials; the coeditors of Ornament Magazine; the legacy of modernist jeweler Art Smith; nature-inspired artist Gabrielle Gould; and Navajo/Hopi master jeweler Jesse Monongya.
For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America programs are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america
craftinamerica.org. Art Smith (1917–1982) was a highly acclaimed jewelry artist whose extraordinary avant-garde creations pushed the limits of modernism from 1946 to the early 70s. As Smith’s artistry grew, so did his association with some of this country’s most prominent Black artists including James Baldwin, composer and pianist Billy Strayhorn, Lena Horne (who wore his jewelry), and Harry Belafonte. He opened a store in Greenwich Village on West Fourth in 1946, which operated until 1979, shortly before his death in 1982. He pioneered many mid-century jewelry innovations including bold, geometric pieces that cover and reveal the body, often fabricated from wire and large pieces of silver. Much of his work was of a completely different scale from his contemporaries. He has been called a star of the modernist jewelry movement.
JEWELRY explores the history, artistry, and impact of personal adornment. Featuring classic jeweler Tom Herman; Harriete Estel Berman who creates jewelry with recycled materials; the coeditors of Ornament Magazine; the legacy of modernist jeweler Art Smith; nature-inspired artist Gabrielle Gould; and Navajo/Hopi master jeweler Jesse Monongya.
For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America programs are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america
