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Kate Cusack
"I love the "aha" moment when someone realizes that there is more to my design than they initially expected. It surprises people to discover what my jewelry is made of—and always brings a smile of discovery."
Kate Cusack's fascination with zippers comes from her general love of transforming ordinary materials into wearable objects of art. Because the metal zipper teeth are attached to a fabric edge, it is a material both rigid and flexible. Cusack enjoys the contrast between the whimsical shapes that she creates and the harshness of the metal teeth.
Traditionally, a zipper is a device designed simply to function. It is a fastener and not a feature. Cusack's transformation of zippers into jewelry reminds the wearer of the power of imagination and the joy of discovering a view of something that would otherwise be overlooked.
Cusack earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in costume design for theater from the Yale School of Drama. All of Cusack's experiences—from costume design to the creation of wearable art—culminate in the Zipper Jewelry. All of her work relates to the body, combining theatrical influences and her love for the transformation of unusual materials.
Kate Cusack's fascination with zippers comes from her general love of transforming ordinary materials into wearable objects of art. Because the metal zipper teeth are attached to a fabric edge, it is a material both rigid and flexible. Cusack enjoys the contrast between the whimsical shapes that she creates and the harshness of the metal teeth.
Traditionally, a zipper is a device designed simply to function. It is a fastener and not a feature. Cusack's transformation of zippers into jewelry reminds the wearer of the power of imagination and the joy of discovering a view of something that would otherwise be overlooked.
Cusack earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in costume design for theater from the Yale School of Drama. All of Cusack's experiences—from costume design to the creation of wearable art—culminate in the Zipper Jewelry. All of her work relates to the body, combining theatrical influences and her love for the transformation of unusual materials.
Awards
Smithsonian Craft Show, National Building Museum, Washington, DC, USA, 2014-2016, 2018
BIJOUX - art jewelry exhibit and sale, Norton Art Museum, West Palm Beach, FL, USA, 2013-2016
SOFA Chicago - represented by the Snyderman Works Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA, 2007-2011
LOOT - art jewelry exhibit and sale, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY, USA, 2012
American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, USA, 2015
Craft Boston - Spring, Cyclorama, Boston, MA, USA, 2015
SOFA New York - represented by the Snyderman Works Gallery, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY, USA, 2008-2011
American Craft Exposition, Northwestern University Campus, Evanston, IL, USA, 2014
BIJOUX=ART, Museum of Beaux Arts, Montreal, Canada, 2016
Go For Baroque, Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI, 2016
BIJOUX - art jewelry exhibit and sale, Norton Art Museum, West Palm Beach, FL, USA, 2013-2016
SOFA Chicago - represented by the Snyderman Works Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA, 2007-2011
LOOT - art jewelry exhibit and sale, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY, USA, 2012
American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, USA, 2015
Craft Boston - Spring, Cyclorama, Boston, MA, USA, 2015
SOFA New York - represented by the Snyderman Works Gallery, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY, USA, 2008-2011
American Craft Exposition, Northwestern University Campus, Evanston, IL, USA, 2014
BIJOUX=ART, Museum of Beaux Arts, Montreal, Canada, 2016
Go For Baroque, Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI, 2016
