THE 92ND STREET Y, NEW YORK WITH THE SUPPORT OF DE BEERS GROUP, ANNOUNCES A SPARKLING PANEL DISCUSSION APRIL 21, ICE COLD: A HIP HOP JEWELRY HISTORY, WITH RAPPER SLICK RICK, HISTORIAN VIKKI TOBAK, DESIGNER JUNE AMBROSE AND VOGUE’S JANELLE OKWODU
AND, WITH DE BEERS’ SUPPORT, 92NY EDUCATES THE NEXT GENERATION OF EMERGING JEWELRY ARTISTS IN ITS NEW EDUCATION INITIATIVE, TEEN GEMS
Join us Friday, April 21, 2023, at 7 pm ET in person and online at The 92nd Street Y, New York for a sparkling conversation inspired by the book Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History. The talk will include author Vikki Tobak, hip hop artist and producer Slick Rick (who wrote the foreword for the book), costume designer and PUMA Creative Director June Ambrose, in conversation with Janelle Okwodu, Vogue.com’s Senior Fashion and Culture Editor. With its unapologetic force and creative energy, hip-hop culture not only disrupted, but exploded and remade, the American cultural vernacular. From sneakers to jewelry, the evolution of hip-hop defined a new vision of cool and redefined the world of adornment, luxury and style. As documented by Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History, by Vikki Tobak, diamonds, gold and other precious forms of embellishment became a shining statement of identity, swagger and even notions of the American dream. Our conversation focuses on the semiotics of hip-hop jewelry and how the culture was an integral part of music and history. Tickets available here.
With De Beers’ support, 92NY has expanded Teen Gems , a one-of-a-kind, 12-week jewelry-making course offered free of cost to New York City public high school students. The class covers basic jewelry techniques and will also include lectures with artists and professionals in the jewelry industry as well as internships in partnership with the NYC Department of Education. The goal of this High School Jewelry Immersion Program is to offer students with an interest in art and design, but little means to explore these passions further, access to jewelry studio equipment, training, and mentorship. The opportunity to develop a mastery of skills will help build overall confidence in art making, leadership skills, and a glimpse into potential career opportunities. Conversations with arts professionals will foster a professional network to support students as they progress through their high school art design experience and navigate selecting a career path.
“There is little to no access to jewelry studios for teens in NYC with or without resources. Learning the skills of soldering and fabrication, learning to master fire – these are life-changing experiences,” said Jonathan Wahl, director of 92NY’s Jewelry Center. “With a mix of skill-building and conversations with jewelers in the field, this program will build bridges to foster personal growth and perhaps a life in the arts, an avenue that a teen might not have the access to dream about outside of this experience,” he said.
“Whether celebrating the energy of street fashion in the 80s or encouraging future design stars, amplifying fresh and diverse voices in the jewelry space is a priority for us at De Beers,” shared Sally Morrison, Director of the Natural Diamond Initiative at De Beers. “We are proud to support this prestigious panel, which explores the cultural impact of hip hop jewelry. We hope it will inspire and excite this year’s Teen Gems to become the next generation’s jewelry stars by thinking outside the box and creating jewelry that defines the new era of cool,” added Morrison.
The 2023 Teen Gems program is sponsored by De Beers Group and an anonymous donor.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of the De Beers Group strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions, such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives GemFair and Tracr. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.
Teen Gems is conducted in collaboration with New York City Jewelry Week.
About The 92nd Street Y, New York: The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. 92NY offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads. The 92nd Street Y, New York is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92NY’s programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities. For more information, visit www.92NY.org.