UrbanGlass Opening Receptions at NYC Jewelry Week 2025

Join us for the opening reception celebrating five dynamic exhibitions exploring identity, creativity, and art. We Want Cake! Give Us Cake! [queerphoria] volume 5: flourish, Preoccupations, Dream Machine and Urban Sparkle.

We Want Cake! Let’s Eat Cake! highlights the work and personal stories of 16 contemporary jewelry artists. Inspired by Marie Antoinette’s misquote, Japanese kawaii culture and Elisa Sung’s Cake Picnic, this exhibit celebrates joy, which can serve as an act of rebellion.

We Want Cake! Let’s Eat Cake! presents jewelry with child-like glee, while amplifying the communal chant to have our voices heard and desires met.

[queerphoria] vol.5 is an in-person and virtual exhibition showcasing international 2SLGBTQIA+ artists exploring the theme of flourishing in adornment and sculpture. Join Queer Metalsmiths’ curators Tracey Carswell, Sol Diaz and Naomi Johnson for the opening reception November 19th from 6-9pm at UrbanGlass.

Preoccupations often serve as catalysts for creativity—from the intimate connections to identity or heritage to broader contemplations about nature, culture, and society—making is an outlet to tangibly manifest a deeper understanding. Through a lens of their own fixations, four MFA candidates from the University of Georgia highlight their breadth of research with unique jewelry and objects generated from distinctive curiosities.

Dream Machine is a group exhibition featuring work that explores themes of identity and politics; intimacy and isolation; body and autonomy. Through jewelry, tableware, and objects, artists manifest the intangible—giving voice and form to the liminal spaces of dreams, feelings, and atmosphere. Allowing for hope, anticipation, and anxiety, these works come together to reflect distinct and connected experiences.

UrbanSparkle is an annual display of wearable contemporary craft through the lens of glass as a material. The artists featured in the 2025 edition of UrbanSparkle are Dierdre Maine, Everett Hoffman, Julia Turner, and Nikki Couppee, who all address the aesthetic and materiality of glass in different ways. Join us for the opening reception on November 19th from 6-9pm!

Each November, NYC Jewelry Week proudly presents ‘The Week,’ a 7-day celebration dedicated to the art of jewelry. This annual festival invites a global audience to explore the world of jewelry through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual experiences, spanning New York City and beyond. Our hybrid program features virtual programs streamed on YouTube alongside immersive on-site activities.

In-person, NYC Jewelry Week brings together leading figures in the jewelry industry to curate extraordinary experiences, including exhibitions, exclusive shopping opportunities, and retail collaborations. Attendees can also participate in insightful panel discussions that explore trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. Each event creates memorable jewelry moments that celebrate the creativity and craftsmanship of the industry.

Committed to inclusivity, many of our programs are free and open to the public. NYC Jewelry Week seeks to reshape how people view jewelry by inviting everyone to appreciate the artistry behind the scenes. Join us in celebrating the transformative power of jewelry and experience the beauty and innovation that define our community.

We look forward to welcoming you to NYCJW25!

Host or Publisher NYC Jewelry Week