Jewelry as Art: Dallas Museum’s Upcoming Exhibit of Contemporary Design

By Annie Davidson Watson | April 14, 2025

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) will highlight the evolution of contemporary jewelry design, from the 1940s to today, in an exhibit titled “Constellations” that opens Nov. 9.

Scheduled to be on view through May 3, 2026, “Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry” will feature more than 350 wearable works of art from DMA’s jewelry collection, one of the most significant of its kind in the United States.

“‘Constellations’ is a groundbreaking moment for the DMA’s contemporary jewelry holdings,” said Sarah Schleuning, the museum’s Margot B. Perot senior curator of design and decorative art, in a statement. “Few people realize how extraordinary our collection is, and so we are thrilled to present for the first time an exhibition that showcases this incredible range of works spanning geographies, media, and ideas.”

From abstract forms to playful designs, the exhibition will explore jewelry’s dynamic role as a medium for creativity, self-expression, and cultural dialogue. Reflecting over 75 years of visionary collecting, the DMA’s jewelry holdings spans cultures, materials, and artistic movements.

“When the museum began collecting contemporary jewelry in the 1950s, we were already at the forefront of the field. But in the last 15 years we’ve increased our holdings by 5000%, including commissions by emerging artists to strategic acquisitions of American studio jewelry, thanks to the generosity of local and national collectors who continue to support our vision,” said Schleuning. “This is a milestone exhibition celebrating the boundless creativity of artists making wearable art.”

Organized thematically into four “constellations”—zones of body, archetypes, signals, and play—the upcoming show will invite visitors to consider how jewelry interacts with the body, conveys meaning, and challenges traditional notions of adornment. Many pieces will be displayed alongside artists’ drawings and archival photographs, offering insight into their creation and wear.

In conjunction with the exhibit, a richly illustrated 456-page catalog will be available—the DMA’s first publication dedicated entirely to it jewelry holdings. Highlights of “Constellations” will come from American studio jewelers, avant-garde European designers, and recent commissions by leading contemporary artists—including pieces pictured below.