Jewelry, art sale offers unique finds

Hand-crafted jewelry and other objects are for sale today and Friday and up for auction Friday night at the School of Fine Arts Gallery. \n"Dazzle: Contemporary Art Jewelry and Objects Sale," sponsored by the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design program, will offer crafts made by IU students, faculty and alumni to raise money for a special exhibit.\n"This is all one of a kind," said Randy Long, head of the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design program.\nThe types of jewelry on sale include necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, broaches and pendants. The jewelry is made from materials such as sterling silver, resin and copper. A few housewares, such as creamers, teapots, vases and bowls, will also be for sale.\n"There's something to please everyone," Long said.\nAll of the pieces have a buy-now price. If they do not sell tomorrow or Friday afternoon, they will be sold at a silent auction.\nThe centerpiece of the silent auction is IU alumna Helen Shirk's 20-inch, handsmithed, colored copper bowl titled "Sustaining Spirit." The bowl is priced at $4,300, the auction's most expensive item.\nNot all the pieces on sale are so expensive. The lowest-priced item is a caterpillar pendant, which shoppers can snag for $20.\nAll the pieces were made by students, faculty and alumni of the metalsmithing program, and the average piece took about 20 hours to make, said Ari Pescovitz, a senior who has five items in the show.\n"It's jewelry that says something about the maker and the wearer," said graduate student Sim Luttin, one of the event's coordinators. \nThe jewelry that doesn't sell will be offered again at a sale in the spring.\nThe sale will help raise money to bring an exhibit to the SoFA Gallery next fall. The exhibit, "Field of Vision: Contemporary Jewelry and Hollowware," will display metal work from countries all over the world. These pieces will also be on sale for much higher prices at the "Field of Vision" show.\nThe department will need to raise more than $30,000 to bring this exhibit to IU, so not all the money will be made at the sale and silent auction.\n"Tentatively, we're hoping to raise $4,000," Luttin said.\nThe rest of the money will come from grants, departmental support and sponsorships.\nThe sale runs from noon to 4 p.m. today and Friday at the SoFA Gallery, located in room 123 of the School of Fine Arts. The silent auction will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday in the SoFA Gallery.