Kent State University Museum
Features Dean Harris

What: The exhibition—American Creator Series: Dean Harris, Jeweler

When: August 9, 2007, through January 27, 2008

Where: East Gallery in Rockwell Hall on the corner of East Main and South Lincoln streets on the Kent Campus.

Background: American Creator Series: Dean Harris, Jeweler presents to the public the work of an emerging creator whose body of work is both art and industry. His work with gold, platinum and silver and with precious and semi-precious stones links art and fashion and is imbued with a love of the natural world. From his signature hammered gold wire minimalist hoop earrings based on geometric and organic shapes to his collaboration with German lapidaries and Belgian diamond traders, Dean Harris has succeeded in making a place for himself in a highly competitive field in less than a decade in business.

Upon the inception of the company in 1998, Mr. Harris was immediately recognized by the fashion establishment: his jewelry adorned what would be the first of a long series of magazine covers starting with the September 1999 issue of Harper's Bazaar. Since then, his work has appeared in a multitude of magazines and newspapers including American, British, Australian and Italian Vogue, American and Russian Harper's Bazaar, L'Officiel, L'Uomo Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, In Style, Marie Claire, GQ, Allure, Self, Elegant Bride, Travel + Leisure, Town and Country, T (the New York Times style magazine), W Magazine and Women's Wear Daily. In 2000, Dean Harris' talent was recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which bestowed upon him the Perry Ellis Award for best new accessory designer.

In 2004 Mr. Harris was the only jeweler among the ten finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, a new initiative that was the focus of the documentary film Seamless by Douglas Keeve. This inclusion of a jewelry designer in the world of fashion reoccurred when Mr. Harris was featured in the book Sample: 100 Fashion Designers - 010 Curators - Cuttings from Contemporary Fashion, published by Phaidon Press in 2005. Called upon by American designers such as Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Doo Ri, and Ralph Rucci to design jewelry for their runway shows, Dean Harris has become part of the world of fashion and among the creators to watch in the new millennium.

The exhibition will open on August 9 and will continue through January 27, 2008. On September 27 Mr. Harris will present a lecture and gallery tour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. This will be followed by a reception. The jeweler will discuss the diversity of materials used in his work as well as his inspirations and journey. A geography lesson is bound to occur since the jeweler's body of work includes beetle wings from Thailand, agates from Brazil, opals from Australia, porcupine quills from Africa and many exotic woods. Natural history and the effects of global warming also will be discussed through Dean's work with horn, fossilized ammonites and the growing availability of fossilized mammoth ivory, unearthed as a result of the thawing of glaciers. While traditional materials such as pearls and diamonds will be addressed, plastics and aluminum also will be part of the presentation. The September 27 events will be free with museum admission. Entry will not be restricted although seating will be limited.

The Kent State University Museum is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 4:45 p.m. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The museum is located in Rockwell Hall on the corner of East Main and South Lincoln streets on the Kent Campus. Special guided tours are available for groups by reservation. Free on-site motor coach parking is available.

For additional information about the Kent State University Museum, go to http://www.kent.edu/muusem/, or call (330) 672-3450.

LINK TO HARRIS WEBSITE

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