BARBARA M. BERK

COLLECTIONS

   

Museum of Fine Arts – Boston, MA

Museum of the Gemological Institute of America – Carlsbad, CA

Smithsonian Institution, National Gem Collection – Washington, DC

Private Collections – California, Florida, New York

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AWARDS

   

2004

Spectrum Award, American Gem Trade Association

2002

Award for Excellence in Design, Women's Jewelry Association

2001

Saul Bell Design Award for Jewelry Design: 1st Place

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GROUP EXHIBITIONS

 

2011

LOOT! Mad About Jewelry - Juried Selling Exhibition, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. Jurors: Michele Cohen, Bryna Pomp, Nancy Olnick

2008

New West Coast Design: Jewelry + Metalwork - Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Curators: Mike Holmes, Elizabeth Shypertt
 

2005

Wearable Expressions 2005 – 2006 - Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Juror: Christie Romero, Author, Director of the Center for Jewelry Studies, Anaheim, CA.
 

Art Blooms Jewelry Fair - Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD

The Art of Gold - Perspective Gallery, Blacksburg, VA; Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI; Joe and Emily Lowe Art Gallery, Syracuse, NY. Curator: Michael Monroe, former Director & Curator of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

2004

The Art of Gold - Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR; Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC; J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries, College Station, TX; Anchorage Museum of Art and History, Anchorage, AK. Curator: Michael Monroe, former Director & Curator of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

 

The Jewelry Arts Salon - The International Art and Design Fair, New York, NY

2003

The Art of Gold - Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; University of Richmond Museums, Richmond, VA; Spencer Museum, Lawrence, KS. Curator: Michael Monroe, former Director & Curator of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

Best of the Best - Museum of the Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad, CA

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2000

Materials: Hard and Soft - Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX. Juror: Mark Richard Leach, Director, Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC
 

Gem Artists of North America - Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA
 

1996

Materials: Hard and Soft - Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX. Juror: Arline M. Fisch, Metalsmith, Professor of Art, San Diego State
University, San Diego, CA.
 

Textile Techniques in Metal - Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA

1995

The Art of the Brooch - Edith Lambert Gallery, Santa Fe, NM and Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, OR. Curator: Rosanne Raab, Independent Curator and Collection Advisor for Twentieth Century Art in the Craft Media
 

Craft America ’95 - Silvermine Guild, New Canaan, CT. Juror: Kate Carmel, Senior Curator, American Craft Museum, New York, NY
 

1993

Heartland National Art Festival – Legler Stone Barn Museum, Lenexa, KS. Jurors: Don Doe, Director, Mulvane Art Museum, Washington University; Ed Forde, Professor of Art, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; Paul Smith, Director Emeritus, American Craft Museum, New York, NY

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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Berk, Barbara M., “Featured Member of the Month”, Metal Arts Guild San Francisco, www.metalartsguild_sf.org/project/featured-member/, April 2020

Berk, Barbara M., “Barbara Berk: Interview”, www.JewelryLessons.com, July 2009

Berk, Barbara M., “Introduction to Weaving with Sheet and Wire,” Orchid/The Ganoksin Project, www.ganoksin.com, © 2005, posted 2006.

Berk, Barbara M., "Textile Techniques in Metal:  A Designer's Perspective on Sheet and Wire, Part II”, Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing, Proceedings, 2006. Presented at Santa Fe Symposium, 2006.

Berk, Barbara M., "Textile Techniques in Metal:  A Designer's Perspective on Sheet and Wire", Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing, Proceedings, 2004. Presented at Santa Fe Symposium, 2004.

Berk, Barbara M., “A Platinum Tapestry: Weaving All the Elements Together”, Platinum Manufacturing Process Volume VIII, Platinum Guild International USA, 2000. Presented at Women in Platinum Symposium, 1999.

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SELECTED BOOKS AND CATALOGUES

 

"Textile Techniques in Metal: For Jewelers, Textile Artists and Sculptors", Arline M. Fisch, Echo Point Books & Media, Brattleboro, VT, 2018 and 2016

"Gold: Science and Applications, Chapter 9: 'Jewellery Manufacturing Technology' " , Christopher Corti and Richard Holliday, Taylor & Francis Books, Boca Raton, FL, 2010

"Jewelry & Gems, the Buying Guide", Antoinette Matlins and A. C. Bonanno, 2009

"Art Jewelry Today 2", Jeffrey B. Snyder, Schiffer Books, 2008

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"New West Coast Design: Jewelry + Metalwork", Velvet daVinci Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 2008

"2005.2006 Wearable Expressions", Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA, 2005

"Jewelry & Gems, the Buying Guide", Antoinette Matlins and A. C. Bonanno, 2005

"Pearl Buying Guide", Renée Newman, 2004

"Art Jewelry Today", Dona Z. Meilach, Schiffer Books, 2003

"The Gem and Jewelry Pocket Guide", Renée Newman, 2000

"Rainbow of Jewelry", Caroline Childers, Rizzoli International, 2000

"Textile Techniques in Metal: For Jewelers, Textile Artists and Sculptors", Arline M. Fisch, Lark Books, Ashville, NC, 2001 and 1996
"Jewelry/Metalwork Survey #3: Ideas, Images, Imagemakers", David LaPlantz, 1993

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MAGAZINE COVERS

 

"Adornment", Spring 2008

"Rapaport Diamond Report", February 6, 2004

"American Jewelry Manufacturer", October, 1999

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SELECTED PERIODICALS

 

“Barbara M. Berk’s ‘Aquamarine Rhapsody’ Pendant Now in the Smithsonian”,  RoskinGemNewsReport.com, Gary Roskin, May 27, 2024

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“Carving a Niche: Sherris Cottier Shank in collaboration with Barbara Berk”, Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist, Cathleen McCarthy, Fall 2021
 

“Signature Techniques”, Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist, Annie Osburn, September/October 2011

“Great Designers”, World Gold Council/www.gold.org, March 2011

“In The Loop: Textile Techniques in Jewelry Making”, Michael David Sturlin, MJSA Journal, January 2011

“Saul Bell Award: Following in A Founder’s Footsteps”, Jill A. DeDominicis, Ornament, Vol. 32, No. 5, 2009

“The Scintillating Jewelry of Barbara Berk”, Adornment, Yvonne Markowitz, Spring 2008

“Boston Museum Acquires Berk’s Work”, JCK Luxury, Fall 2007

“Buckled Up: Industry technical experts create precious concho belt to honor Eddie Bell”, MJSA Journal, Tina Wojtkielo Snyder, January, 2007
 

“Please Touch”, American Style, Lee Lawrence, December 2005

“School of Fisch”, LapidaryJournal.com , Nina Graci, September 2005

“2004 AGTA Spectrum Awards", Lapidary Journal, February 2004
 

"Trend Portfolio:  Knit One, Purl Two", Jewelry Connoisseur, Summer 2003

“Commissions”, Metalsmith, Elizabeth Broadrup Lieberman, Winter 2003

“Truly Excellent Women”, Lapidary Journal, December 2002

“A Cut Above: Intertwining Style”, AJM, Tina Wotkielo, June, 2001

“Jewelry of the 1990s”, Gems and Gemology, Elise B. Misiorowski, Winter 2001

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PRESENTATIONS & TALKS

 

2019

“Transcending Textile Structures: Weaving and Lace Making with Metal”, Artist Talk, Ruth’s Table Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2015

“Textile Techniques in Metal:  (Un)Familiar Materials, (Un)Expected Methods”, 8th Annual Portland Jewelry Symposium, Portland, OR.

2009

“Contemporary Applications of Textile Techniques in Metal: A Jewelry Artist’s Perspective on Sheet and Wire”, 4th Annual Conference, Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, New York, NY.

2006

“Of Potholders and Pigtails: Contemporary Applications of Textile Techniques in Metal”, Museum of the Gemological Institute of America Lecture Series: Process & Progress, Carlsbad, CA.
 

"Textile Techniques in Metal:  A Designer's Perspective on Sheet and Wire, Part II”, Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing, Albuquerque, NM

2004

"Textile Techniques in Metal:  A Designer's Perspective on Sheet and Wire" Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing, Albuquerque, NM
 

1999

“A Platinum Tapestry: Weaving All the Elements Together”, Women in Platinum Symposium, Platinum Guild International USA, New York, NY

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

2013 – 2020

Peninsula Museum of Art, Burlingame, CA. Group workshops and private classes.

2011 and 2013

The Ranch. Center for Arts and Craft, Snohomish, WA. Weaving with Metal

2010

92nd Street Y, New York, NY. Weaving with Metal

2008

Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA. Weaving with Metal

2007

University of California Extension/Santa Cruz, Cupertino, CA. Weaving with Metal

2006

Metalwerx School for Jewelry and the Metal Arts, Waltham MA. Weaving with Sheet & Wire

2003

“At the Bench Live”, MJSA Expo New York. Weaving Gold

2002

Kraftwerks Invitational Jewelry Manufacturing Seminar, Ontario, CA. Textures: Weaving With Gold

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EDUCATION

 

1991

Graduate Gemologist, Gemological Institute of America, Santa Monica, CA

1974

M.A., SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY

1972

B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 

Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts
Gemological Institute of America Alumni Association
International Sculpture Center
Metal Arts Guild
Pacific Rim Sculptors

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