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Barbara Becker Simon
"I want all who see my jewelry to experience a sense of delight; coaxing a smile from the owner or viewer is one of life’s little pleasures for me. Art is communication—from the artist to the user and from the user to those in their sphere. If my beads and jewelry can create a reaction of joy on any level, most of the time that is all I need!"
Trained as a metalsmith in 1966, Barbara’s jewelry combines whimsy, wearability, and always demands a deeper look. She has created one-of-a-kind wedding rings, elaborate necklaces, and everything in between. Barbara was introduced to hot glass in 1972 and lampworking in 1996. The world of glass and the world of jewelry making delightfully collide in her studio. Barbara finds working in glass to be a joyful process and a constant source of learning and experimentation. Her goal is to use color, whimsy, and imagery in making her glass bead jewelry resonate with the wearer.
Barbara works in a variety of media—silver, gold, gemstones, glass, found objects, papier mache, and rubber—in order to bring her jewelry ideas to life. Traditional metalworking and jewelry skills provide a basis for good design and a sweeping knowledge of techniques. Her award-winning beads are flame-worked at a torch and sometimes fused. Experimentation and asking, “What if...?” often results in new ideas for techniques.
Barbara Becker Simon earned a B.S. in Art Education from SUNY-New Paltz in 1969. She took all her electives in Jewelry with Kurt Matsdorf. Barbara earned an MFA in Metalwork and Jewelry from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971 under the tutelage of Fred Fenster and J. Fred Woell. Through the next five decades Barbara has studied with well-known metalsmiths, jewelers, and glass workers such as Al Paley, Tim McCreight, Heiki Seppa, Audrey Handler, and Loren Stump.
Trained as a metalsmith in 1966, Barbara’s jewelry combines whimsy, wearability, and always demands a deeper look. She has created one-of-a-kind wedding rings, elaborate necklaces, and everything in between. Barbara was introduced to hot glass in 1972 and lampworking in 1996. The world of glass and the world of jewelry making delightfully collide in her studio. Barbara finds working in glass to be a joyful process and a constant source of learning and experimentation. Her goal is to use color, whimsy, and imagery in making her glass bead jewelry resonate with the wearer.
Barbara works in a variety of media—silver, gold, gemstones, glass, found objects, papier mache, and rubber—in order to bring her jewelry ideas to life. Traditional metalworking and jewelry skills provide a basis for good design and a sweeping knowledge of techniques. Her award-winning beads are flame-worked at a torch and sometimes fused. Experimentation and asking, “What if...?” often results in new ideas for techniques.
Barbara Becker Simon earned a B.S. in Art Education from SUNY-New Paltz in 1969. She took all her electives in Jewelry with Kurt Matsdorf. Barbara earned an MFA in Metalwork and Jewelry from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971 under the tutelage of Fred Fenster and J. Fred Woell. Through the next five decades Barbara has studied with well-known metalsmiths, jewelers, and glass workers such as Al Paley, Tim McCreight, Heiki Seppa, Audrey Handler, and Loren Stump.
