Iconic New York City community center 92Y, which specializes in education classes, has suffered “tremendous financial losses” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its website (donations to the organization are being collected here).
Though the nonprofit may be down, its latest lineup of jewelry classes and seminars—hosted exclusively online this fall—prove it’s far from out. Comprehensive and timely, the new courses are sure to appeal to jewelry lovers, designers, art fans, and history hounds.
Here are a few of the classes (starting soon!) we’re most excited about.
100 Years Of Jewelry
Over the course of four 90-minute lectures, Bella Neyman, cofounder of NYC Jewelry Week, curator, and journalist, will “embark on a crash course in all that glitters.” The class description reads, “There are two ways to look at jewelry: in the traditional sense as an object of beauty…or as an object which has meaning beyond its materials, as a symbol of individuality and reflective of the time in which it was made, influenced by the political, social, and cultural events.”
Neyman will explore jewelry pieces that reflect the time and social happenings that were afoot during their creation. She posits, “Can jewelry be made in response to avant-garde art, women’s changing status in society, political and social events, and innovation in technology?”
Each of the classes will cover roughly 25–30 years of jewelry, exploring the times’ trends, jewelry-makers, and popular techniques.
Sept. 14–Oct. 5, 10–11:30 a.m. ET, $130
Jewelry as an Agent of Change
Artist Mia Hebib, founder of jewelry brand Oblik Atelier, hosts this class, which asks: “Beyond protest, donating, and speaking up, how does our creative effort resonate? How can jewelry expression contribute in this movement?”
Hebib will introduce students to jewelers from the 1960s through present day who have used their work to raise awareness and contribute monetarily to causes. The class also has a how-to element: Hebib will talk about how to research and develop “your own expression of contribution today” and “resourcefully use materials and techniques to execute your idea,” according to the course description.
Sept. 14–28, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET, $99
Artists Talk With Jonathan Wahl
Jewelry and art lovers are invited to join Jonathan Wahl, the director of 92Y’s Jewelry Center, for a walk through his diverse studio practice of nearly three decades.
Wahl’s work has spanned sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics, and his fine art is part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the American Craft Museum. He currently creates highly rendered charcoal and graphite drawings that initially began as portraits of Victorian jet jewelry.
Sept. 23, 7 p.m. ET, $10
Top: Oblik Atelier earrings (image via @oblikatelier)
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