Gems And Jewelry At Carnegie Museum
Submitted by ruzik_tuzik on Tue, 2007-09-11 09:28.
Posted under:
Arts
HULIQ, NC
Carnegie Museum Of Art
exhibitions
museums
Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museum of Natural History unveils some of the most sparkling and dazzling pieces of its collection with the opening of Wertz Gallery: Gems and Jewelry.
This 2,000–square–foot addition to Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems opens to the public on Friday, September 28 and is dedicated to gems, the crystals they come from, and jewelry comprised of these precious stones. Wertz Gallery is named in honor of Ronald W. Wertz, longtime president of the Hillman Foundation.
The creation of Wertz Gallery is part of the year–long expansion and renovation of Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, which first opened in 1980, and which presents and exhibits minerals in the manner of sculpture, showing them for their beauty as well as their physical properties and industrial uses.
When Wertz Gallery debuts it will feature both the museum’s permanent collection of gems and jewelry and a new exhibit entitled Luxe Life: Masterpieces of American Jewelry. Luxe Life, curated by Charlie Scheips. Scheips draws inspiration from the museum’s long tradition and methodology of display of artifacts and specimens from its world-class collection. Many of the pieces in Luxe Life are from the larger traveling exhibit Masterpieces of American Jewelry. For more information about Luxe Life, please see the separate news release entitled “Luxe Life press release.”
“Hillman Hall has been one of the most popular exhibit halls in museums,” said Carnegie Museum of Natural History acting co–director David A. Smith. “Wertz Gallery adds to the legacy of Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems while giving us an opportunity to exhibit many incredible gems and fascinating pieces of jewelry.”
The original Hillman Hall did display gems and jewelry but often on a temporary basis. The expanded Wertz Gallery gives the collection its own space and many new gems and pieces of jewelry that have never been on exhibit will be on display. Approximately 500 gems, crystals, jewelry and other pieces of gem art will be on display in the permanent collection of Wertz Gallery. In addition, Wertz Gallery will also host special temporary and traveling exhibits from collectors around the world.
“The specimens in Wertz Gallery will be some of the finest on exhibit anywhere in the country,” said Marc Wilson, head of the section of minerals. “The entire exhibit gallery will be sparkling with top quality stones and jewelry from world–renowned artists.” — www.cmoa.org
