Ornament is a periodical magazine that documents the history, art and craft of ancient, ethnic and contemporary jewelry and personal adornment. It presents and discusses a wide range of personal adornment and wearable art, including beads, jewelry, and clothing.[2]

Ornament
Founded1974 (as The Bead Journal);
1978 (as Ornament)[1]
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.ornamentmagazine.org
Meroitic period necklace of gold and carnelian beads
External videos
video icon Ornament Magazine, Preview from the JEWELRY episode, Nov 4, 2021 on PBS
video icon Carolyn Benesh’s legacy, Bonus video from the JEWELRY episode. PBS broadcast premiere Dec 10, 2021

The periodical was founded by Carolyn L. E. Benesh [Wikidata] and Robert K. Liu [Wikidata] in 1974 as The Bead Journal: A Quarterly Publication of Ancient and Ethnic Jewelry. Its focus was expanded and it was retitled Ornament : A Quarterly of Jewelry and Personal Adornment in 1978.[1] Their son Patrick R. Benesh-Liu [Wikidata] began to work full-time for the magazine in 2005, and is now a co-editor.[2]

Robert Liu is also the in-house photographer for Ornament.[3] His cover images have been described as "stunningly beautiful".[4]

Ornament magazine sponsors and selects the winner for the Ornament Award for Excellence in Art to Wear, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.[5][6]

The Founders

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Robert K. Liu studied ethnology and ichthyology and is a jeweler and photographer. He has written and lectured extensively on history, jewelry, and photography.[7][2][8] He is the author of the books Collectible Beads: A Universal Aesthetic (1995)[9] The Photography of Personal Adornment (2014)[10] and Naval Ship Models of World War II (2021).[11]

Carolyn L. E. Benesh was a respected scholar, lecturer, and writer, and a collector of contemporary jewelry.[2] She was a frequent juror for Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and the Smithsonian Craft Show[12][13] and a president and board member of PBS's series Craft in America.[14] Benesh died on September 30, 2020.[2][15] An exhibition spotlighting one hundred items from her collection, The Process of Becoming: The Jewelry Collection of Carolyn L.E. Benesh, appeared at the Wayne Art Center in December 2021. It was curated by Carol Sauvion and Emily Zaiden.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Karklins, Karlis (2011). "Looking Back on 30 Years of the Society of Bead Researchers" (PDF). The Bead Forum (58): 1, 6–10. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Craft in America - Robert K. Liu & Patrick R. Benesh-Liu/Ornament Magazine". Craft in America. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  3. ^ Briggs, Barbara (11 July 2015). "If you take photos of your artwork…". Barbara Briggs Designs. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  4. ^ Carren, Rachel (3 June 2015). "Photography of Personal Adornment by Robert Liu". Polymer Art Archive. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ "45th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show Awards Announcement". Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  6. ^ Benesh, Carolyn. "Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show". Ornament Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  7. ^ "HOW IS IT MADE? HOW IS IT USED? – Dr. Robert Liu, Ph.D" (PDF). Bead Society of Northern California Newsletter. July 2015. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Call for entries and submissions:". Glass Line magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. ^ Karklins, Karlis (1994). "Robert K. Liu 1995 Collectible Beads: A Universal Aesthetic". BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers. 6: 84.
  10. ^ Scherer, Alice (2015). "Robert K. Liu 2015 Photography of Personal Adornment". BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers. 27: 76.
  11. ^ "Author Guest Post: Robert K Liu". Pen & Sword Blog. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Wayne Art Gallery celebrates 26th anniversary of 'CraftForms'". Mainline Media News. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Jurors Announced for 35th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show". Smithsonian Institution. August 25, 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Carolyn Benesh". Saul Bell Design Award. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  15. ^ "The December 2020 Report: Obituary". Art Jewelry Forum. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
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