Podcasts Arts Jewelry Journey Podcast Episode 10: A Journey into The Met's "Jewelry: The Body Transformed" Exhibit with Beth Carver Wees, Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts at The Met

Episode 10: A Journey into The Met's "Jewelry: The Body Transformed" Exhibit with Beth Carver Wees, Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts at The Met

Published: Jan. 14, 2019, 9 a.m.

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Beth Carver Wees is the Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she oversees the collections of American silver, jewelry and other metalwork. She is one of six organizing curators for The Met\\u2019s current exhibition, Jewelry: The Body Transformed (through February 24, 2019), as well as a contributor to the accompanying catalog. In addition, she is preparing a special installation of The Met\\u2019s American jewelry, which will be on display from June 2019 through January 2020.

Prior to joining The Met\\u2019s staff in 2000, Beth was Curator of Decorative Arts at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. She holds degrees in art history from Smith College and the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. An enthusiast for Britain\\u2019s historic houses, Beth is an alumna of the Attingham Summer School and the Royal Collection Studies, and sits on the board of the American Friends of Attingham as Secretary. She lectures internationally and is the author of numerous articles and books, including\\xa0English, Irish & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute\\xa0(1997) and\\xa0Early American Silver in The Metropolitan Museum of Art\\xa0(2013).

What you\\u2019ll learn in this episode:

  • The concept behind the \\u201cJewelry: The Body Transformed\\u201d exhibit and how it was structured to tell stories of the pieces in the exhibit.
  • Why museums often obtain jewelry through bequest, and how it can sometimes lead to gaps in their collections.
  • What pieces in the museum\\u2019s collection are Beth\\u2019s favorites, and why their historical value is so appealing.
  • Why you don\\u2019t need expensive materials to make meaningful and impressive jewelry, and what pieces The Met has on display in this category.
  • A preview of The Met\\u2019s upcoming exhibit surveying American jewelry from colonial times through today.

Additional resources:

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