Arthur Koby Jewelry Exhibit Comes to Kent State University Museum

The Kent State University Museum will display the work of acclaimed jewelry artist Arthur Koby in its upcoming exhibition “Arthur Koby Jewelry: The Creative Eye.” The exhibit will include works on loan from clients who have amassed collections of Arthur Koby’s jewelry, as well as from the designer himself. The exhibition runs at the Kent State University Museum from Oct. 25, 2013, to Oct. 5, 2014.

An opening reception will offer guests a chance to meet Arthur Koby and will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at the museum’s Schweigert Library. Light refreshments will be provided. Tickets for the reception are $15 per person and may be reserved by phone by calling 330-672-3450 through Oct. 21.

Koby is known for necklaces that draw inspiration from architecture and sculpture, bringing together unique and surprising materials as three-dimensional collage. Each of his creations is a one-of-a-kind object equally suited to accent eveningwear or a simple T-shirt.

Koby first rose to fame more than 30 years ago when his works caught the eye of design luminary Geoffrey Beene, who saw one of his outfits paired with a Koby necklace in a window display. Beene’s fortuitous discovery resulted in a 10-year working relationship with the jewelry designer.

Koby’s creations have been worn by Barbara Walters, Gloria Vanderbilt and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In 1999, one of his designs was featured on the cover of Time magazine.

“Arthur Koby has been recognized for his creative combination of elements in necklaces sought by fashionable women,” said Kent State University Museum Director Jean Druesedow. “Designers such as Geoffrey Beene, Oscar de la Renta and Donna Karan asked him to design necklaces for their runway collections throughout the 1980s. This exhibition will provide students with the opportunity to see these imaginative accessories. These are statement pieces, and each has a different dramatic quality.”

Koby’s necklaces have incorporated countless disparate artifacts – often within the same piece – creating striking juxtapositions. Drawing inspiration from his travels worldwide, Koby has repurposed antique figurines and household knick-knacks as materials for his jewelry, along with more traditional components such as shells, metals and precious stones.

The Kent State University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of East Main and South Lincoln Streets in Kent, Ohio. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4:45 pm; Thursday from 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon-4:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18. The museum is free with a Kent State ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.

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Media Contact:
Effie Tsengas, etsengas@kent.edu, 330-672-8398