Charmed, I'm Sure: Sienna Patti Contemporary Celebrates Its 20th With An 80-piece Jewelry Project
The Lenox gallery, famous for its unique art jewelry, celebrates its past with charms from 80 of its past creators.
Of special interest to locals: a charm by noted glass artist Tom Patti (Sienna's father) shown bottom left, and a charm by illustrator Leonardo Quiles (Sienna's husband) shown bottom right
A sparkling brooch in the shape of an enormous beetle, or a snail coming out of its pearly white shell, a praying mantis, a tiny man, a large silver and turquoise Tylenol — you’ve likely seen an item of jewelry from Sienna Patti’s gallery, even if you’ve never stepped inside the Lenox shop. The necklaces and earrings can sometimes be quite large, made from smoky quartz, wood or human hair, and in the shape of anything from delicate cicada wings or twigs to a cobra or stick of dynamite. These are statement pieces, fine jewelry with a sense of humor, accoutrements that will not be overlooked and will be coveted by strangers who will approach you at parties to ask where you got something so unique.
In celebration of her namesake gallery’s 20th anniversary, Sienna Patti asked 80 of the jewelry artists who have shown and sold work in her gallery to create two original charms. One of them will become part of a massive charm bracelet, which will go into the collection of a major art museum. The other is for sale. All 80 will be on view in the gallery through the end of June whether they’ve been purchased or not, so the project, Charmed, can be viewed in full by anyone who stops in.
“Charms are something that get passed down from generation to generation, as a marker of a time or a celebration,” says Patti. They commemorate a visit to a special place, a graduation, a birthday. She says that 90% of the artists made their two charms exactly the same; the others have slight variations. “I gave them an inch by inch range, so they’re slightly bigger than a traditional charm," she says. Prices range from $100 to $3,200.
Each charm comes with a 100-page book detailing the Charmed project with introductions by art historian, writer and curator Liesbeth den Besten and Emily Stoehrer, Ph.D., who is the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
For the rest of summer and into fall, Patti's gallery will feature exhibits that celebrate her relationship to this area, with artists hailing from Chatham and Croton-on-Hudson, New York, and a collaboration with Stonover Farm in Lenox. Until then, choose your lucky charm before they're all sold out.
Charmed at Sienna Patti Contemporary
Now – June 30, 2019
80 Main St., Lenox, MA
(413) 637-8386
Open Wed–Sat from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and by appointment.
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