Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show Presents the Pillow Collar Necklace as Part of Permanent Collection

The contemporary jewelry collaboration of Steve Ford and David Forlano have been exhibiting with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show for over 15 years. Their tour-de-force, Pillow Collar Necklace, is part of the museums permanent collection.

The Philadelphia and Santa Fe-based creative collaboration of Ford/Forlano have gained substantial notoriety since starting their work together in 1988. Both graduates of Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Rome, they swiftly established recognition in the field of contemporary art jewelry. An exhibit of recent acquisitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, First Look: Collecting for Philadelphia, included the commissioned work, Pillow Collar Necklace. This piece was purchased with funds contributed by The Women's Committee and the Craft Show Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in memory of museum's longtime director, Anne d'Harnoncourt, who passed away in 2008. Ms d'Harnoncourt was a dedicated patron of Ford/Forlano, owning several of their big bead necklaces. Steve Ford says of this double-sided show piece necklace, "We think of it as a combination of something classical, restrained,and dignified on the one side and something rich, exuberant,adventurous on the other - - like Anne herself." Acting Director and Chief Curator of the Newark Museum, Ulysses Dietz, says, "Steven Ford and Dave Forlano's work represents, to me, the single most transformative influence in the world of polymer clay. They have ennobled a material relegated to preschools and have developed a design vocabulary as deeply rooted in modern art as it is in craft." The Newark Museum bought a major neck piece by Ford and Forlano for its permanent collection in 2010.

Now on its 37th year, the Philadelphia Craft Show is considered the finest of its kind in the world. This November marks Ford/Forlano's 16th year exhibiting with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. The show runs from November 7 -10, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The highly competitive jury process selects the best from over 1,000 applicants to be included in this premier show and sale. Each year, Steve Ford and David Forlano create some of their most unique works and reserve them specifically for this prestigious event. David Forlano says, "We have learned over the years that this show is attended by some of the most sophisticated art and craft buyers in the country and we can push the creative envelope." A special feature of the PMA Craft Show, the Guest Artist Program, selects and highlights craft from a single country selected each year. Countries that have participated include Japan, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Israel, Korea and more. This year, patrons will have the opportunity to see, buy and experience craft made by twenty-three of the finest contemporary Lithuanian artists.

About Ford/Forlano:
Steve Ford and David Forlano have been creating contemporary jewelry since 1988. Both artists are graduates in fine art from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Rome in 1986. They first developed their work under the business name, "Cityzencane" and with the addition of precious metals in the 1990's changed the name to Ford/Forlano. Their collaboration and carrier has placed their work in many publications, galleries, public and private collections. They continue to forge new ground in contemporary American craft jewelry. For more information, visit http://www.fordforlano.com.