The art of jewelry

Source: courier-journal

The art of jewelry has withstood some severe onslaughts recently by the legions of crafters who string beads on elastic string to make one-size-fits-all ankle/wrist/whatever adornments.

Two exhibitions, one in Lexington, Ky., one in Louisville, may revive belief that sometimes this craft can be an art.

In Lexington

A menagerie of tiny carved gemstone animals forms a delightful exhibition that opens with a 6-8 p.m. reception Friday at Lexington's Headley-Whitney Museum, 4435 Old Frankfort Pike.

The 30 miniature animals, each 2 to 8 inches in size, are on loan from the Lizzadro Museum in Elmhurst, Ill., near Chicago. The museum displays hard stone carvings from around the world, most collected by founder and electrical contractor Joseph Lizzadro.

The Lizzadro has 20 dioramas populated by miniature wildlife, farm and prehistoric mammals, birds and other creatures, all created at the German lapidary center, the city of Idar-Oberstein. One is "Ziggy," an Asian bull elephant who lived at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago until his death in 1976. The ivory tusks on the obsidian carving are from a piece of broken tusk from the real Ziggy.

The assorted animal carvings in Lexington include roosters, a walrus, elephants (but, alas, not Ziggy), leopards, flowers and other nature items. The exhibit continues through Sept. 9. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and students; free for children 5 and younger.

In Louisville

Teeny tiny sculptures comprise "Artful Adornment: Kentucky Jewelry," which opens with a 5 to 7:30 p.m. reception Thursday at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St.

The jewelry by 40 regional artisans represents every technique you can think of, from bead-weaving and metal-smithing to stone-setting, according to Mary Ellen Furlong, KMAC associate curator and organizer of this exhibition. The exhibition continues through Oct. 6. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.