READING, Pa. — Professor Rebecca Strzelek, Penn State's Laureate for 2016-2017 academic year, will give a presentation on the art of jewelry-making using cutting-edge computer technology at 12:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building, room 121, Penn State Berks. This event is free and open to the public.
Titled "Layers: 15 Years of Storytelling Through Contemporary Jewelry-Making," Strzelek's presentation will focus on the relationship between tradition and technology. She will discuss the stories, challenges, methods and discoveries woven through each of her pieces. The presentation will include samples of her work that audience members can examine and try on.
Strzelek is professor of visual arts and head of the degree program in visual art studies at Penn State Altoona. Her work focuses on investigating the ways wearable objects interact with the surfaces of the body and includes the creation of these wearable objects through computer- aided design (CAD) and rapid prototyping or 3D printing.
Her work has appeared in more than 65 exhibitions, and can also be found in the permanent collections at such institutions as the Museum of Arts and Design, Racine Art Museum, and the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, as well as in private collections, such as that held by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
In addition, her work can be seen in several recent works from Lark Books, including Showcase 500 Art Necklaces, 21st Century Jewelry: The First Decade, and Lark Studio Series: Pendants, as well as in such publications as Metalsmith magazine, the New Yorker, and American Craft magazine.
An annual faculty honor established in 2008, the Penn State Laureate is a full-time faculty member in the arts or humanities who is assigned half time for one academic year to bring greater visibility to the arts, the humanities, and the University, as well as his or her own work. As such, the laureate is a highly visible representative of the University, appearing at events and speaking engagements throughout the Commonwealth.