"Adornment, be it jewelry or clothing, has always fascinated
me. As a child I spent many hours creating wearable treasures
made of buttons, shells, beads, and found objects that I had collected. The
fashion pages of magazines such as Vogue and Bazaar became my favorite
bedtime stories. As an adult I am still enamored with wearables. It
is the process of creating these adornments that I find so exciting. Creating
jewelry and knitting wearable art has allowed me to experiment with
color, texture, and form to my heart's content!"
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, beaded jewelry,
and loom knit wearables, Barbara Briggs specializes in one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.
Brio Gallery - Galena, IL - currently on display
"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
Metal Clay Artist Magazine - Volume 3 - Issue #1PMC Guild Annual #4 - 2010 PMC Guild Annual #3 - 2009"Making Pure Silver Beads with Metal Clay" by Linda Kaye-Moses - 2009 "Metal Clay Beads" by Barbara Becker Simon - 2009 PMC Guild Annual #22008PMC Guild Annual (Premier edition) - 2007
Bead & Button December 2007 issue Bead & Button April 2007 issueStudio PMCSummer 2006 issue
ARCHIVES
Galena Gazette - December 26, 2007 article "Letting Creativity Reign"
© 2007- Barbara Briggs Designs ~ www.BarbaraBriggsDesigns.com ~
Barbara Briggs Designs - custom, unique, one-of-a-kind silver jewelry. Shop my store at Etsy!