Upcoming Shows in 2002

Feb. 14-18 Buyers Market of American Craft, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Convention Center (Wholesale Only)

Feb. 19-21 Baltimore Craft Show, Baltimore, MD, Hyatt Hotel Inner Harbour (Wholesale Only)

April 27-28 ACC Craft Show, Chicago, Navy Pier (Retail)

2001 "Colored Threads", Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2001 "Masked Ball", Craft Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri

2001 8th Annual Discoveries Show, Greene and Greene Gallery, Lambertville, New Jersey

1999 "Approaching the Millennium", Vermont State Craft Center, Manchester, Vermont

1999 "Organic Matters", Sculpture to Wear, Santa Monica, California

1993 Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibit, Springfield, Illinois

1993 Metals Illinois: An Invitational Exhibit of Contemporary Metalwork by Illinois metalsmiths; Parkland College, Champaign, Illinois

1988 New Art Forms Exhibition Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois Represented by James Olney, Carmel, California

1985 Schmuck fur Kopf und Haar (Jewelry for the Head and Hair) Schmuckmuseum (Jewelry Museum) of Pforzheim, West Germany

1985 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition Center for the Visual Arts, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

1984 Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibit, Springfield, Illinois

1984 Master of Science Exhibition Center for the Visual Arts, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

1999 Porcupine, A Literary Arts Magazine, pgs. 76-79.

1997 Chicago Life, Holiday 1997, written by Victor M. Cassidy: "Artist-Made Gifts", front cover, pgs. 8, 27, 28.

1996 Accent Magazine

1995 Women's Wear Daily, August 15, 1995 Vol. 170, No. 30, page 8.

1995 Women's Wear Daily, May 24, 1995, Section II, page 30.

1994 Chicago Artists' News, published by the Chicago Artists' Coalition, written by Victor M. Cassidy: "How Artists Get By". Volume XX, Number X October, 1994, page 6.

1993 Jewelry/Metalwork Survey #3, published and written by David LaPlantz, 1993.

1989 Chicago Tribune, Sunday, July 16, 1989

1989 Chicago Tribune, Sunday, June 25, 1989

1986 Illinois State University Metalsmiths Past and Present, Exhibition Catalogue

As a graduate student, sculpture fascinated me and I studied many different styles and techniques. It wasn't until I started to work in jewelry that I realized I could incorporate what I had learned from sculpture. Ideas could be translated quickly. I could receive an immediate response from the wearer of the jewelry. I began to appreciate the scale of jewelry and how it transforms the wearer.

From sculpture and jewelry, I learned about mold making and developed a way to take a mold of various parts of plants allowing me to cast them into metal. I translated these plant parts into jewelry. I am attracted to particular plants for their texture and/or simplicity. And, each plant suggests a pair of earrings, a necklace, or a bracelet. Primitive cultures have adorned the body with natural forms for years. My jewelry is an expression of nature, which is preserved.

Also, at this time, I became interested in medieval chain mail, the mesh that I currently use in my jewelry. The fluid movement of the mesh allowed me to create jewelry that caresses and conforms to the body. And, the armor exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago inspired me to create wearable art/jewelry of a larger scale.

After graduate school, I combined the chain mail with the castings of plants to create unique and very wearable jewelry. I am fascinated by the way the mesh flows over the body and how each person wears the jewelry very differently. The jewelry becomes a statement for the wearer and allows them to become what they feel at the moment. It is as if the human body is my stage and the performance takes place when the jewelry is worn.

1986 Master of Fine Arts: Jewelry/Metals
Illinois State Unversity, Normal, Illinois

1985 Research Internship: developed a slide presentation from research of the artwork of New Ireland.
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois

1984 Master of Science: Jewelry/Metals
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

1982 Bachelor of Science: Fine Arts
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

1981 Study Abroad Program: Advanced studies of the French language and history, which were enhanced by my archeological excavation.
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois

1990 Juror for the 15th Annual Beverly Art Center Art Fair and Festival, Chicago, Illinois

1990 Studio Tour organized by the Northside Affiliates of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois

1989 Jewelry Instructor at the Beverly Art Center, Chicago, Illinois

1984-1986 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Art, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois; taught beginning jewelry

1998 Received Award of Excellence at the Beth El Temple Festival of the Arts show.

1990 A contribution has been made to the Museum of Contemporary Art in honor of Elaine Unzicker by the Northside Affiliates of the Museum of Contemporary Art.