Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, an exhibition of over two hundred pieces of rare and historically significant jewelry from the 17th century to the present, all from prominent Chicago collections. This first-of-its- kind exhibition includes a range of never-seen-before jewelry and decorative arts objects from the Richard H. Driehaus Collection alongside objects from the Chicago History Museum, the Field Museum, and the Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art, among loans from other Chicago institutions, collections, and private lenders with unique areas of focus. Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective is organized by jewelry historian and author Elyse Zorn Karlin, guest curator of the Museum’s 2015 exhibition Maker and Muse: Women and 20th Century Art Jewelry, and will be on view at the Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie Street, from May 23 to September 23, 2024.
Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective opens with a timeline of stylistic periods of jewelry history from the late 17th century to the present. From there, items are organized into categories of collecting interest, such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Vienna Secession, British Arts & Crafts, Chicago Arts & Crafts, 19th Century Revival, Belle Époque, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Art Deco, Fabergé, Important Makers, Tiaras, and Mid-Century Modern and Contemporary Jewelry.
Highlights of the exhibition include loans from the Field Museum from the 1893 World’s Fair; a rare piece of silver made by Paul Revere, Jr.; a handwrought silver punch bowl belonging to the Cliff Dweller’s Club, jewelry renderings by Art Nouveau master Rene ́Lalique, a number of jewels and objects made by Chicago’s own Kalo Shop as well as other Chicago artists from the Arts & Crafts Movement, and more.
Driehaus Museum Executive Director Lisa Key says, “Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective continues our commitment to presenting new research and ideas around decorative art, and honors the collecting legacy of our founder, Richard H. Driehaus. The exhibition 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. We are pleased to work again with Elyse Karlin, whose expertise in jewelry remains unparalleled.”
Karlin says, “Chicago Collects has a broad thesis that allows us to show a variety of jewelry from across centuries, but what all the works have in common are their origins– they all come from Chicago collectors. Many of the pieces have never been shown publicly before and they illustrate a number of periods and styles in jewelry history. In addition, the exhibition showcases the work of noted contemporary Chicago goldsmiths. It’s been a delight to work with so many wonderful pieces, all right here in Chicago.”
Related programs
Introducing Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective
Thursday, May 23, 6:00pm
$20 general, $10 Student
Visitors are invited to Driehaus Museum’s sumptuous new exhibition Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective on its opening night featuring guest curator Elyse Zorn Karlin in conversation with Driehaus Museum Executive Director Lisa Key. From assembling over 200 pieces of jewelry and decorative arts from across four centuries to exploring their artistic origins and merits, Karlin will share her expertise and insights into the history of jewelry design and the story Chicago Collects tells.
Jewelry in Perspective Virtual Conference
Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 12:00pm
$140-155
In tandem with Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum is partnering with the Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts (ASJRA) to support a two-afternoon virtual conference. The conference will feature exhibition curator Elyse Karlin among other experts to discuss late 19th and 20th century American and European jewelry.
Baubles and Bubbles
Wednesday, June 5, 6:00pm
$50 general, $25 Student
Chicago jewelry designers featured in Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective–Tammy Kohl, Ellie Thompson, Sherry Bender, and Dora Winchester—discuss their inspiration, design process, and signature style through a zippy, lightning-style presentation. The conversation is followed by a jewelry trunk show. Tickets include a champagne toast.
Heist Night: Rififi Film Screening and Talkback
Wednesday, June 12, 5:30pm
$25 General, $15 Student
18+
Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. In the 1955 French film Rififi, what begins as a minor burglary swiftly escalates into a grand-scale jewel heist orchestrated by seasoned jewelry thief Tony and his crew. Directed by Jules Dassin and starring Jean Servais, Carl Mohner, and Marie Sabouret, the film will be introduced by University of Chicago Professor Leora Auslander, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the visuals and narrative.
Heist Night: Murph the Surf Film Screening and Talkback
Wednesday, July 31, 5:30pm
$25 General, $15 Student
18+
Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. The 1975 film Murph the Surf chronicles the audacious 1964 heist of the J.P. Morgan jewel collection from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Dubbed “The Greatest Jewel Heist of the 20th Century,” the film will be introduced by Chicago Collects guest curator, Elyse Karlin, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the visuals and narrative.
Heist Night: Topkapi Film Screening and Talkback
Thursday, August 15, 5:30pm
$25 General, $15 Student
18+
Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. In the 1964 film Topkapi, the elegant thief Elizabeth Lipp and the cunning criminal mastermind Walter Harper join forces to orchestrate the heist of a lifetime: the theft of an emerald-encrusted dagger housed within Istanbul’s prestigious Topkapi Palace. The film will be introduced by School of the Art Institute Professor Bruce Jenkins, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the creative team behind the film.
Heist Night: Ocean’s Eight Film Screening and Talkback
Monday, September 16, 5:30pm
$25 General, $15 Student
18+
Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. In the stylish and empowering Ocean’s Eight (2018) starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, Debbie Ocean leads an elite, all-female team of thieves and experts in a daring scheme. Their target: the dazzling $150 million diamond necklace adorning the neck of the glamorous actress Daphne Kluger, set to make its debut at the prestigious Met Gala. The film will be introduced by School of the Art Institute Professor Patricia Erens, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the visuals and narrative.
About the Driehaus Museum
The Driehaus Museum engages and inspires the global community through exploration and ongoing conversations in art, architecture, and design of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are presented in an immersive experience within the restored Nickerson Mansion, completed in 1883, at the height of the Gilded Age, and the Murphy Auditorium, built in 1926. The Museum’s collection reflects and is inspired by the collecting interests, vision, and focus of its founder, the late Richard H. Driehaus.
For more information, visit driehausmuseum.org and connect with the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
