Initiatives in Art and Culture

Early Registration Discount through February 26^th, 2010
$250 in lieu of $350; students: $100

DIAMONDS

A Conference in New York City

April 9 – 10, 2010

Diamonds have captivated human beings for millennia, from the rough crystals prized in antiquity to the brilliantly-faceted gemstones produced today. The acme of purity and hardness, the diamond's primacy among jewels has never been questioned. This conference will take an all-embracing look at diamonds. We will consider the history, aesthetics, symbolism, and marketing of diamonds, while not shying from issues related to provenance and trade, the rationale for the jewelry community’s increasing commitment to conflict-free stones and the environmental consequences of diamond mining. We will examine the evolution of cutting techniques and the significant interest in fancy colored diamonds, as well as the trend to create jewelry using rough stones. There are famous diamonds, the ownership of which can be traced over centuries from priests and kings to socialites and film stars. We will consider great collections of jewels throughout history. Diamonds have also inspired artists from goldsmiths who crafted regalia and reliquaries to contemporary artists who have used them as materials in their works. We mine rich veins in popular culture such as rapper's "bling" and diamonds in film where, for example, they are heralded as "a girl's best friend."

This Conference is made possible by The Diamond Information Center. We are grateful for funding received from Harry Winston and CIRCA, as well as support from Me&Ro and Tiffany & Co. We also express deep gratitude to The Kazanjian Foundation for its welcome support of student attendance (as of 2/6/2010).

Among those who have agreed to speak are: Jeffrey E. Post, Geologist - Curator-in-Charge, Mineral Collection, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; George Harlow, Curator of Minerals and Gems, American Museum of Natural History; Jack Ogden, chief executive, Gemmological Association of Great Britain and renowned jewelry historian; Benjamin Zucker, authority on precious stones, who went into the family gem business, and whose recent publications are Gems and Jewels: A Connoisseur's Guide (2003), and the novels Blue (2000), Green (2001) and White (2008); Frédéric de Narp, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harry Winston, Inc.; James N. Fernandez, CFO, Tiffany & Co., who is responsible for all our gemstone sourcing and manufacturing operations; Sheila Khama, CEO, DeBeers Botswana; John King, Chief Quality Officer, GIA Laboratory,The Gemological Institute of America (GIA); Henri Barguirdjian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graff Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries since 2000; Douglas Kazanjian, CEO of Kazanjian Bros., a firm that seeks the rarest gems and estate jewels from private families throughout the world and who, in 2007 rediscovered the storied five-carat red diamond; David Wolfe, creative director and chief forecaster of Doneger and Co.; Robert B. Headley, Chief Operating Officer, Jewelers of America; Robin Renzi, CEO & designer, Me&Ro; Edward Maeder, costume and textile authority, an former Curator of Costumes and Textiles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) where he curated “HOLLYWOOD and HISTORY: Costume Design in Film, shown at LACMA”; Ruth Peltason, founder, Bespoke Books, a boutique editorial and design firm and author and editor of publications among them, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry; Chris Del Gatto, co-founder, chairman and CEO of CIRCA; Patti Geolat, senior partner of Geolat & Associates, Dallas, Texas, one of the nation’s most prominent independent jewelry appraisers; and Lyneise Williams, authority on diamonds in contemporary culture who has worked on “bling” and serves on the faculty of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (as of 2/01/2010).

TO REGISTER

Registration confirmations are sent via email.

To register on-line: go to: www.acteva.com/go/diamonds

By e-mail: Fill in the registration form and send to: lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com

Fax: Fill in the registration form, including credit card information, and dial (212) 935-6911.

By mail: Return form with a check or money order payable to Initiatives in Art and Culture or complete the credit card information on the form, and mail to Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57^th Street, Suite 13B, New York, NY 10022

By phone: Using American Express®, Discover®, Visa® Card, or MasterCard®, call (646) 485-1952.

Fee: A discounted registration of $250 is available through February 14^th, 2010. A discounted rate of $100 is available for full-time students with ID. 

Withdrawal and Refunds: Notice of withdrawal must be made in writing to: Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57^th Street, 13B, New York, NY 10022 or to the Program Office via email at lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com. No refunds after April 1, 2010.

CONFERENCE LOCATION

This conference is held at The Graduate Center City University of New York (Fifth Ave. between 34^th–35^th Streets).

Program subject to change

Download PDF brochure

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Heirloom

December 3 – December 5, 2009

TheThe 11th Annual New York Fashion and Design Conference considers the link between sustainability and stewardship as embodied in the broad concept of "Heirloom," the process whereby one generation's creations become the valued patrimony of those that follow.

Our examination will be inclusive, focusing not only on objects that are traditionally conceived of as heirlooms such as watches, wedding gowns, and jewelry, but also on the materials used to create them (fibers, for example) and on other, less obvious heirlooms (fragrance, for example). Eco-consciousness, differing approaches to the transmission of craft, and fair trade are considered, as is the notion that enduring design and craft are a form of preservation.

Linking all are rituals that transform materials and objects into heirlooms. The ultimate heirloom is the Earth itself, and attention to eco-friendly principles and practices is important to the custodianship that heirloom status implies and requires.  We consider a central question for the 21st century: How do we carry on the traditions of the past while meeting contemporary challenges such as the need for conservation of the earth’s resources?

Among speakers for this year's conference are the following (as of 10/29/09):

• Nanette Lepore, designer, and president Robert Savage of Nanette Lepore
• Deborah Milner, designer who created a sensation with Aveda Ecoture collection
• Robin Renzi, jeweler who is president and designer, Me & Ro
• Amy Skoczlas-Cole, director, eBay Green Team, a community of consumers dedicated to using what exists in the world today
• Deborah Lindquist, designer noted for her high style eco-sensitive wedding attire
• M. Sanjayan, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy
• Yael Alkalay, perfumer and founder, red flower, which creates original scent using entirely natural substances
• Matt Crawford, author of the best-seller Shop Class as Soulcraft: an Inquiry Into the Value of Work
• Jack Ogden, President, Gemological Association of Great Britain and renowned jewelry historian
• Penny Walsh, founder and principal of Dyework, renowned London-based workshop dedicated to traditional textiles and dyeing methods
• Edward Faber and Philip Poniz, horological experts and founding partners, Patrizzi & Co., world-renowned watch and timepiece auctioneers
• Benjamin Zucker, authority on precious stones, who went into the family gem business, and whose recent publications are Gems and Jewels: A Connoisseurs Guide (2003), and the novels Blue (2000), Green (2001) and White (2008) 
• Meghan Myers, founder and president Portovert (roughly translated: "the green gateway"), praised as "The Number 1 Green Wedding Site" by Martha Stewart Weddings
• Françoise Hoffman, who holds the rank of Maitre d'Artisan in France, is a Lyons-based creator of one-of-a-kind felt garments
• Gabriella Cortese, founder and designer, international fashion line, Antik Batik
• John Rudolph, principal and founder, Mammoth Tusk Gold, dedicated to bringing eco-gold to market
• David Wolfe, chief forecaster, Doneger Group
• Chris Del Gatto, Founder and CEO, CIRCA
• Carol Brodie, creator of Rarities and luxury brand advisor
• Patti Geolat, senior partner of Geolat & Associates, Dallas, Texas; one of the nation’s most prominent independent jewelry appraisers
• Scott Jorgenson, independent fashion historian who works with museums, auction houses, and collectors
• Jenny Taliadoros  publisher, Paper Studio Press and Paperdoll Review
• Cheryl Kremkow, director, Citrine Media, and former editor-in-chief of Modern Jeweler magazine.
• Keith Spodek, Group Director of Quality Assurance and Sustainability, Birks & Mayors, Inc., retailer of fine jewelry and gifting throughout Canada and the southeastern US
• Steve D'Esposito, president RESOLVE and formerly president, Earthworks Action.

We are grateful for generous support received from CIRCA, e-Bay, Macy’s, Mammoth Tusk Gold, The Louis and Lena Minkoff Foundation, and Timberland, (as of 10/5/09).

To Register

Registration confirmations are sent via email.

To register on-line: go to: www.acteva.com/go/heirloom

By e-mail: Fill in the registration form and send to: lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com

Fax: Fill in the registration form, including credit card information, and dial (212) 935-6911.

By mail: Return form at least 10 days before the conference start date with a check or money order payable to Initiatives in Art and Culture or complete the credit card information on the form, and mail to Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, Suite 13B, New York, NY 10022

By phone: Using American Express®, Discover®, Visa® Card, or MasterCard®, call (646) 485-1952.

Fee: The conference fee is $350; an early registration discount of $250 is available through November 17, 2009.  A discounted rate of $100 is available for full-time students with ID.

Withdrawal and Refunds: Notice of withdrawal must be made in writing to: Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, 13B, New York, NY 10022 or to the Program Office via email at lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com. No refunds after November 25, 2009.

Conference Location: This conference is held at The Graduate Center City University of New York (Fifth Ave. between 34th–35th Streets).

Program subject to change.

 

Illustrations (from top of page): Deborah Lindquist, Wedding Gown Rose, a mix of vintage and new earth-friendly fabrics: organic linen and vintage lace dress; bodice embellished with semi-precious stones. Penny Walsh, The many shades of Indigo. Me&Ro, One of a Kind Gold Hammered Dome Ring with Flat Yellow Diamond.

Download PDF brochure

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Coral: Symbol, Substance,
and Significance

October 30 – 31, 2009
New York, NY

Coral is a comprehensive examination of this astonishing organism, exploring its place in both in the natural world and in the realm of culture, and considering what is being done to protect and preserve it. 

Beginning with the role of coral within the reef and the criticality of coral reefs to ocean ecology – and thus to human existence – we turn to forces threatening reef survival, and to efforts of scientists, governments, and nongovernmental organizations to protect and restore them. We address laws and treaties formulated to govern trade in coral, a substance that has been termed "too precious to wear." We examine coral in history, both its evolving associations over time and its traditional place in the wunderkammer, and explore its changing role and use in jewelry, art, and fashion, with specific discussion of the mimetic use of coral alternatives and the symbolic use of the coral motif as an inspiration. Initiatives in Art and Culture has a long-standing commitment to explorations of cultural patrimony and of art and ornament. In Coral, we again celebrate the object by placing it in the broadest possible context.

Among those who have agreed to speak are: Michael Kowalski, Chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co.; Richard E. Dodge, professor and dean, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Oceanographic Institute and Executive Director of the Centers Coral Reef Institute (NCRI); Kacky Andrews, Director, Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Committee (NOAA); Michele Oka Doner, artist whose breadth of artistic production encompasses public art, sculpture, furniture, jewelry, and functional objects, a significant number of which draw inspiration from coral and the sea; Marilyn F. Cooperman, jeweler whose work often employs aquatic motifs; Amedeo Scognamiglio, jeweler, whose family has been based in Torre del Greco, a center of the creation of jewelry from seashells, corals and semiprecious stones; Stephen Dweck, jeweler whose work is inspired by minerals and a love for the natural world; Janie Schoenborn, design director, Lilly Pulitzer; David Wolfe, creative director and chief forecaster of Doneger and Co.; Sarah Graham, jeweler whose point of departure for her coral inspired work are plates in Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms in Nature; Dawn Martin, president of SeaWeb; Andrew Baker, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries, University of Miami; Christine Dawson, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Géza von Habsburg, an art historian who has served as chairman of two auction houses and whose numerous publications include Princely Treasures (1997) and several definitive volumes on Fabergé; Godfrey Reggio, producer and director, who is prominent in the film world for his Qatsi trilogy (Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqqyqatsi) and for Anima Mundi, (music for all by Philip Glass) which convey a humanist philosophy about the earth; Barbara Best, Coastal Resources and Policy Advisor, Office of Natural Resources Management, Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, U.S Agency for International Development; Ilze K. Berzins, Executive Vice President, Animal Health, Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium; Ken Nedimyer, Founder and President, Coral Restoration Foundation; Steve D'Esposito, president RESOLVE and formerly president, Earthworks Action; Rebecca Bratspies, Professor of Environmental Law, City University New York Law School; Billy Causey, Regional Director, Florida Keys National Sanctuary; Caleb McClennen, Director, Marine Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society; Crawford Allan, Regional Director, TRAFFIC North America, World Wildlife Fund; and Mercer R. Brugler, Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Program, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

We are grateful for generous support received from Tiffany & Co., NOAA Coral Conservation Reef Program, SeaWeb, The Henry Foundation, The John G. Shedd Aquarium, The Louis and Lena Minkoff Foundation, The Magazine ANTIQUES, and The Exeter Group (as of 10/5/09).

To Register

To register on-line: go to: www.acteva.com/go/coral

By e-mail: Fill in the registration form and send to: lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com

Fax: Fill in the registration form, including credit card information, and dial (212) 935-6911.

By mail: Return form at least 10 days before the conference start date with a check or money order payable to Initiatives in Art and Culture or complete

the credit card information on the form, and mail to Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, Suite 13B, New York, NY 10022

By phone: Using American Express®, Discover®, Visa® Card, or MasterCard®, call (646) 485-1952.

Fee: The conference fee is $250; an early registration discount of $195 is available through October 23, 2009.  A discounted rate of $100 is available for full-time students with ID.  

Withdrawal and refunds: Notice of withdrawal must be made in writing to: Initiatives in Art and Culture, 333 East 57th Street, 13B, New York, NY 10022 or to the Program Office via email at lisa.koenigsberg@artinitiatives.com. No refunds after October 20, 2009.

Conference location: This conference is held at The City University Graduate Center (Fifth Ave. between 34th–35th Streets).

Program subject to change.

Illustrations (from top of page): Vibrant Living Corals & Reefs, Bright pink Stylasterid coral, Stylaster venustus; photo: ©Alberto Lindner/NOAA; courtesy, SeaWeb; Sarah Graham, Caged Coral and Flowering Coral Rings, Designs inspired by drawings of coral in Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms in Nature, 18 K Yellow Gold and Blackened Steel, set with White and Cognac Diamonds. Photo: Hap Sakwa; Michele Oka Doner, Coral Reef Bracelet, 2007, bronze and diamonds, 4 x 3 1/2 in. Photo by Sherry Griffin.

Download PDF brochure