“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 wearable art allows me to experiment with color, texture, and form to my heart’s content!“
ARTIST’S BIO
Barbara 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 she also owned and operated Fibre Ltd., a knitting and weaving studio in Cedarburg, WI from 1978-1986. She taught beginning jewelry classes at DeCordova Museum of Art in Lincoln, MA from 1990-1992, Shibori silk dyeing and free-form basketry at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI in 1999, and sculptural basketry at the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI in 2001. Barbara received PMC (Precious Metal Clay®) Certification in 2005. She presently works 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
Handmade Invitational – Dubuque Museum of Art 2018 “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 pages 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 Bead & Button – April 2013 “Op Art” Cuff – pages 64 – 66 “Metal Clay and Color” – 2012 Cover and pages 49 – 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” pages 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 – pages 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 “Fabulous Focal Beads” – pages 120 -121 Bead & Button – April 2007 issue “Metal Clay Toggle Clasp” – pages 64 – 65 Studio PMC – Summer 2006 issue
AWARDS Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Contests 2021 Seed Beads Contest – Finalist 2020 Seed Beads Contest – Finalist 2020 Metals Contest – Grand Prize Silver Award in Gold Medal Division 2019 Creative Clay Contest – Finalist 2019 Metals Contest – Grand Prize Silver Award in Silver Medal Division 2018 Seed Beads Contest – Gold Medal Prize Winner 2018 Creative Clays Contest – Silver Medal Prize Winner 2018 Metals Contest – Honorable Mention 2017 Seed Beads Contest – Bronze Medal Prize Winner 2017 Creative Clays Contest – Grand Prize President’s Award Winner 2017 Metals Contest – Silver Medal Prize Winner 2016 Creative Clays Contest – Bronze Medal Prize Winner 2015 Seed Beads Contest – Gold Medal Prize Winner