Current Exhibition
Material Stories:
Pieces from the Elsie Michie Art Jewelry Collection
Friday, August 1
Opening | 4–7pm
Join us for a relaxed opening with collector Elsie Michie in attendance. Select pieces will be available for guests to try on.
Saturday, August 2
Gallery Hours | 11am–5pm
Drop by during regular hours to explore the exhibition at your own pace.
Sunday, August 3
Special Event | 2–4pm
An informal discussion and Q&A with Elsie Michie and gallery owner/artist Julie Lake. Most pieces will be available to try on. Space is limited.
Lake Object is honored to present Material Stories: Pieces from the Elsie Michie Art Jewelry Collection, a rare, three-day exhibition showcasing extraordinary examples of contemporary art jewelry by some of the most inventive and influential makers working today. This is the first in a series of exhibitions from the private collection of scholar and collector Elsie Michie, whose eye for narrative, material experimentation, and conceptual strength has shaped a compelling and diverse body of wearable works.
Art jewelry is a genre that challenges conventional definitions of adornment. These pieces are not made to match outfits or display wealth. They are objects of inquiry and expression, using the body as both site and frame. Materials range from industrial metals to paper, plastic, fiber, and found objects. Themes include politics, identity, humor, memory, environmental concern, and personal narrative. Each piece is a miniature sculpture, a story told through form, process, and material choice.
While major museums and collectors around the world have embraced art jewelry, it is still relatively unfamiliar to many. This exhibition offers Taos audiences a rare opportunity to engage directly with some of the most recognized names in the field. Some of these artists’ works are included in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the Museum of Arts and Design and beyond. One of the artists, Joyce J. Scott, is a MacArthur Foundation grant recipient.
None of the works in Material Stories are for sale. The intent of this exhibition is purely educational and to create space for dialogue, curiosity, and a deepened appreciation for jewelry as a form of contemporary art.
Artists include: Harriete Estel Berman, Jenine Bressner, Kathy Buszkiewicz, Julie Decubber, Robert Ebendorf, Betsy Hershberg, Tina Fung Holder, Nel Linssen, Thomas Mann, Floor Mommersteeg, John Moore, K. Lee Manuel, Albert Paley, Yuka Saito, Joyce J. Scott, Kiff Slemmons, Frank Tjepkema, Anoush Waddington, and Mallory Weston.