(PRESS RELEASE) The Women’s Jewelry Association’s Ohio/Kentucky chapter hosted a two-day event on April 10 and 11, during which members and their guests had opportunities for networking and education – two goals central to the association’s mission.
The festivities started on Sunday, April 10 with female members of the group donning elaborate hats for a day of fine dining and racing at the Keeneland Race Course, a thoroughbred horse racing facility in Lexington, KY. The activities were followed by cocktails and a gallery opening at WJA OH/KY member Meg Carroll’s Meg C Gallery in Lexington.
The next morning, April 11, the group reconvened at the Headley-Whitney Museum of Art near Lexington, in the bucolic horse country of Kentucky. This decorative and fine arts museum was founded by jewelry designer George Headley and his wife Barbara Whitney,on grounds that had been his family’s farm. Headley was known for collaborations with Salvador Dalí, Paul Flato, David Webb and Cartier between the 1920s and 1960s. The museum features jewelry and bibelots (small, ornate decorative objects of beauty) created by Headley and others, as well as dollhouses, a library, a rose garden and a shell grotto.
At the museum, WJA members heard speakers Philip E. Louer Jr. of North American Gem Carvers, a dealer of lapidary art; and Marlene Richey, a business consultant for jewelers and other creative artists. Louer spoke about the history of gem cutters and carvers, and Richey detailed the history of the 20th century American designer jewelry market. Members also took tours of the museum and had lunch there.
"WJA’s OH-KY chapter is working to attract the many members of the jewelry industry in our region to an increasing number of educational and networking events," says Laurie Watt of Mayer & Watt, vice president of the chapter. "Our two-day event perfectly demonstrates the kinds of diverse activities we can host in our colorful region."
The chapter’s event attracted attendees not only from the Ohio/Kentucky region, but also from Indiana, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. For information on the WJA Ohio/Kentucky chapter of the Women’s Jewelry Association, visit their website.