New York Silver
Then and Now
June 28, 2017 - July 1, 2018
Back to Past Exhibitions
A dialogue in silver between past and present.
New York Silver, Then and Now links the rich history of silversmithing in New York City to present-day artistic practice. It features newly commissioned works by leading metalworkers, created in response to historical objects from the Museum’s collection.
The Museum’s holdings, widely recognized as one of the foremost collections of American silver in the nation, include leading examples of silver designed and produced in New York from the mid-17th through the 20th century. Comprised of more than 1,800 works by such notable craftsmen as Cornelius Kierstede, Myer Myers, and Charles LeRoux , and renowned retailer/manufacturers like Black, Starr & Frost and Tiffany & Co., the collection demonstrates how, for over four centuries, the city’s silversmiths and designers have adapted international styles to make them distinctively “New York” in look and feel.
The exhibition will open a dialogue between past and present, pairing historic pieces with remarkable new work by contemporary artists. Internationally recognized artists from the New York area who have been invited to participate include designers Dror Benshetrit and Ted Muehling; architect/interior designers William Georgis and Sheila Bridges; artists Michele Oka Doner, Kiki Smith, and Chitra Ganesh; metalsmiths Myra Mimlitsch-Gray and Wendy Yothers, and many others.
The contemporary artists featured in New York Silver, Then and Now are: Aranda/Lasch; Dror Benshetrit; Constantin Boym; Laurene Leon Boym; Sheila Bridges; David Butler; Marcelo Coelho Studio; Erin Daily; Chitra Ganesh; Michael Gayk; William T. Georgis; Preston Jones; Amy Roper Lyons; Myra Mimlitsch-Gray; Michele Oka Doner; Patrick J. Quinn; Robert Lobe; Ted Muehling; Liza Nechamkin-Glasser; Kiki Smith; Courtney Starrett; Jonathan Wahl; Brian Weissman; and Wendy Yothers.
Loef Frederiks, Salt cellars, 1623. Silver.
Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Mrs. Edward Robbins, 66.103.1-2
Patrick Quinn, Standing Salt, 2017. Steel, fine silver.
Courtesy of the artist
Tiffany & Co., Goelet Prize for Sloops, 1889. Sterling silver, gilding
Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, M39.1.1
Amy Roper Lyons, Women’s Work #1, 2017. Silver, 3-D printed and cast, hand-polished and patinated; enameled
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
Adrian Bancker, Set of three casters, 1731-50. Silver.
Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Herbert L. Pratt, 43.10.3A-B
Wendy Yothers, Gotham tête-à-tête beverage service, 2017. Silver
Courtesy of the artist
Robert Lobe
Benjamin Aranda
Chitra Ganesh
Sponsors
New York Silver, Then and Now is made possible in part by the John P. Strang Trust and the Roy J. Zuckerberg Family Foundation. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Barbara and Donald Tober Foundation, Michele and Marty Cohen, Jacqueline Fowler, Mark E. Bryant Charitable Trust, the New York Silver Society, David Diamond and Karen Zukowski, Sarah Eigen, Joann Ryan, and Rita and Mark Kromelow.
