(HOUSTON, TX) November 18, 2021 – This winter, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents Rings! 1968 – 2021, featuring an incredible selection of wearable pieces that capture the avant-garde notions of contemporary jewelry and represent the limitless creative potential of the ring. Throughout time, rings have signified personal and cultural connections around the world, communicating marital status, membership, and belonging, as well as marking the end of an important transition or the beginning of a new reality. Showcasing experimental materials and approaches, in addition to traditional metalsmithing techniques, the rings on view in this exhibition offer an examination of the cultural, political, and personal meanings of this timeless and ubiquitous form.
Having first opened last summer at Philadelphia’s The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design, this growing traveling exhibition features an international selection of over 100 rings. Organized by Helen Drutt, collector, educator, author, and renowned advocate of modern and contemporary craft, and researched by independent curator Elizabeth Essner with assistance from Colleen Terrell, the show highlights many works from Drutt’s expansive collection. Her collection not only serves as a historic archive of contemporary jewelry but also promotes the relevance of jewelry in today’s culture.
