Barbara Briggs Designs Biography

 

"Adornment, be it jewelry or clothing, has always fascinated me. As a child I spent many hours creating wearable treasures made of all manner of found objects - twigs, shells, beads, buttons, cast-off costume jewelry parts, and more comprised my collection. I also loved playing "dress-up" and still do! I poured over the fashion pages of magazines such as Vogue and Bazaar. They became my favorite bedtime stories! In my day-dreams I was a princess dressed in royal jewels, gowns of silk and other finery. As an adult I am still enamored with jewelry and other wearables. It is the process of making these adornments that I find so exciting and being able to wear the end results. Creating jewelry and knitting wearable art has allowed me to experiment with color, texture, and form to my heart's content!"

ARTIST'S BIO

Studied jewelry making at DeCordova Museum of Art in Lincoln, MA and at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Self-taught in fiber arts, silk painting, and free-form basketry. Owned and operated Fibre Ltd., a knitting and weaving studio in Cedarburg, WI 1978-1986. Taught beginning jewelry classes at DeCordova Museum of Art in Lincoln, MA 1990-1992, Shibori silk dyeing and free-form basketry at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 1999, and sculptural basketry at the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI in 2001. Received PMC (Precious Metal Clay®) Certification in 2005. Presently working in precious metal, polymer clay, beaded jewelry, and loom knit wearables, Barbara Briggs specializes in one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.

 

EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWS

"New Directions: Powder Metallurgy (metal clay) in a Sheet Metal World" - 2011
BAAC Annual Art Fair - Barrington, IL 1998
Midwest Craft Exhibition - Skokie, IL 1994, 1988
Oakbrook Invitational Craft Exposition - Oakbrook, IL 1994, 1988
ACC Baltimore Craft Fair - Baltimore, MD 1992, 1990, 1989
ACC San Francisco Craft Fair - San Francisco, CA 1992
Lakefront Festival of Art - Milwaukee, WI 1992, 1988
ACC West Springfield Craft Fair - West Springfield, MA 1990, 1989
Crafts at Rhinebeck - Rhinebeck, NY 1992, 1991
Washington Craft Expo - Washington, DC 1991, 1990, 1989
State Street Art Fair - Ann Arbor, MI 1990
Crafts at the Castle - Boston, MA 1989
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - Ann Arbor, MI 1988
57th Street Art Fair - Chicago, IL 1988

 

PUBLICATIONS
"Contemporary Geometric Beadwork II" by Kate McKinnon -2014 pgs. 55, 76, 77, 230
"Creative Beading - Volume 9" by Bead&Button Magazine -2014 pages 237-239
"Polymer Clay - Global Perspectives" by Cynthia Tinapple - 2014 page 42
"Behind the Brooch" by Lorena Angulo - 2014 pages 42 - 43
Contemporary Geometric Beadwork Calendar - March 2014 - page December 2014
Bead & Button - April 2013 "Op Art" Cuff - pages 64 - 66
"Metal Clay and Color" - 2012 pages: Cover and 49 through 53
Metal Clay Artist Magazine - Vol. 3 - #1 "Exotic Blossoms Bracelet" - pages 64 - 68
"New Directions: Powder Metallurgy (metal clay) in a Sheet Metal World" pgs. 12, 13
PMC Guild Annual #4 - 2010 - pages 18, 19
PMC Guild Annual #3 - 2009 - page 43
"Making Pure Silver Beads with Metal Clay" by Linda Kaye-Moses - 2009 - 3, 55, 85
"Metal Clay Beads" by Barbara Becker Simon - 2009 - pages 52, 73
PMC Guild Annual #2 - 2008 - pages 65, 70, 76
PMC Guild Annual #1 (Premier edition) - 2007 - pages. 32, 33, 69, 102
Bead & Button - December 2007 issue "Fabulous Focal Beads" - pages 120 -121
Bead & Button - April 2007 issue "Metal Clay Toggle Clasp" - pages 64 - 65
Studio PMC - Summer 2006 issue

 

ARCHIVES
Galena Gazette - December 26, 2007 article "Letting Creativity Reign"