First exhibited online in late 2020 through Gallery Loupe and The Jewelry Library as part of New York City Jewelry Week, Tag, You’re It! explores how jewelry both identifies us and draws together our diversities. Readymade key tags, which ordinarily serve as a mundane means of identification, have been transformed by over forty artists and jewelers into necklaces whose visual language ranges from highly refined to spontaneously gestural. When the necklaces are worn, they move with you, with their own soundtrack, urging you to dance—and when in the hand, they disclose beauty, humor, even wonder. All are part of the notion that it takes more than one to make one: the power of the fragment on its own and in its capacity as part of a whole.

We are pleased to present this latest iteration of the show with all proceeds from sales to benefit Amigos del IAGO (Friends of the Institute of Graphic Arts), founded by artist Francisco Toledo to develop cultural and educational projects in the state of Oaxaca. “IAGO is one of many institutions that Toledo created,” says Slemmons. “It serves a wide community of researchers, artists, and visitors from around the world, now housing 70,000 books, magazines and catalogues. It is an important resource, as are libraries everywhere. His loss is still deeply felt, three years since his passing. However, his efforts toward social justice, recognition of the rich cultural heritage of Oaxaca and Mexico, and connection to international communities of contemporary artists continues as Amigos del IAGO under the directorship of his daughter, Sara Lopez Ellitsgaard…I have observed directly some of the projects and know that our contribution will be put to good use—to immediate use.”

Kiff Slemmons is an American artist of international repute, known for her work with non-precious materials. Slemmons holds a BA from University of Iowa, where she majored in art and French, studying for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris. She is represented in numerous museum collections including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Arts and Design in New York; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Tacoma Art Museum; Mint Museum, Charlotte; Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House; and Victoria and Albert Museum, London.