Is Jewelry Art?

Some people don't always consider jewelry designing a form of art.  I challenge all the skeptics to take a trip to their local museums and take notice how the featured jewelry exhibits are highly regarded as art. I design my own jewelry and designing, in and of itself, is an art. If one creates art, it follows that one would be deemed an artist.

Sample Collection From Our Trip 

During a recent trip to the
Fuller Craft Museum I was fortunate enough to catch the jewelry exhibit - Adornments & Delights: Five Jewelers Courting Nature. The exhibit consist of five extraordinary jewelers who are highly accomplished and nationally recognized artists. The artists featured are Susan Hamlet, Linda Kindler Priest, Claire Sanford, Mary Hughes, and Caro-Gray Bosca. This exhibition focuses on their unique voices exploring nature. The exhibit will be shown until June 16, 2013,  I highly recommend a visit and you will be a true believer in jewelry as an art-form!

Outside the Fuller Craft Museum

I love this museum because everything is handcrafted even down to the benches that you sit on. The entire place is so inspirational. Throughout my travels I go to museums for inspiration, and not just for the jewelry exhibits, I get inspired by all of the collections. The culture,  colors, textures and creative thinking always moves me. I get the immediate urge to run home and create something!

The next time you hear the age old debate...is jewelry making a craft or art? Take a look at my jewelry collection and other talented jewelry artists, observe how every piece and every collection differs with fine art incorporated. It's truly amazing when a solid piece of wire is molded into something beautiful AND useful. Now that's a work of art! I guess you could argue that I'm more of an Artisan and I won't dispute that because I craft several of my pieces, but I also design, draw, sculpt, and even paint when making jewelry. I consider myself an artist as well, not just because I studied art in school, mostly because I have a defined skill to produce quality work. So feel free to call me an Artisan or Artists because I have so many hobbies that fall into either category.  Hence my blog title...Crafty Addictions.

What do you think?  Is jewelry making art?