mima|press release
Media information from mima Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
For immediate release: Friday 1 August 2014
Tatty Devine Felieke Van der Leest Giovanni Corvaja
Banana Necklace, 2011 Emperor Penguin Freddy with Gold Bracelet, 1999
Polar Bear Claw Necklace, 2005 Presented by The Art Fund through
Acquired through the Northern Art Fund Collect
Rock Foundation Craft
Acquisition Scheme
mima’s world-class jewellery collection to be
showcased in new permanent Jewellery Gallery
• Opens to the public on 4 October 2014
• Over 100 pieces of jewellery will go on display, making the collection available
for visitors to enjoy for the first time
• Tatty Devine gifting 15 pieces of iconic jewellery to mima’s collection
On Saturday 4 October mima and Teesside University will unveil a brand new Jewellery Gallery,
presenting over 100 pieces of its internationally renowned jewellery collection to the public and
marking its first permanent gallery space since the opening of this iconic building in 2007.
mima’s jewellery collection is recognised as one of the most significant in the UK, alongside those
held by the V&A, National Museums Scotland and the Crafts Council. Started at the Cleveland
Craft Centre in 1984, the collection has since amassed pieces ranging from bangles and
neckpieces, to rings and brooches by renowned UK and international designers including Ted
Noten, Karl Fritsch, Wendy Ramshaw, Caroline Broadhead, Felieke Van Der Leest and Emmy Van
Leersum amongst many others.
In total the collection is worth over £200,000, with the earliest piece dating from the 1970s. The
gallery will mean the collection can be exhibited fully for the first time, in an exciting and interactive
space that uses state of the art digital technology and films to bring jewellery alive.
To celebrate the gallery launch, independent British jewellery designers Tatty Devine will be gifting
15 pieces of its distinctive handmade jewellery to mima’s collection, including brooches, bracelets
and necklaces. Each piece is an iconic design from the year it represents, one for every year of
The first 100 pieces from the collection to go on show in the new gallery space will include 10
selected by members of the public who attended an audience panel at mima at the beginning of
the year. Highlights across the collection will include:
• Several pieces by Dutch designer Felieke Van der Leest, known for using animals in her
work. It will include her famous Emperor Penguin Freddy with Polar Bear Claw Necklace
from 2005, which illustrates the fictional tale of an Emperor Penguin called Freddy who
fought and killed a Polar Bear, turning its fur into a coat and its claw into a necklace
• A gold bracelet by Giovanni Corvaja
• Ted Noten’s Erenhot necklace, created during his travels from Tokyo to Amsterdam in
2004. Throughout his 42-day trip he collected items at each stop he made; this particular
piece was collected in Erenhot City, Mongolia
• Work by Wendy Ramshaw, whose solo show bringing together 50 years of work opens at
mima in September. This will be the last chance for the public to view these works together
before the collection is divided and housed at different arts institutions across the world
• The Arson at Sea broach by New Zealand based designer Octavia Cook, who is inspired
by the history of Captain Cook and the New Worlds voyage
• Dorothy Hogg’s V&A Secrets necklace, created during her residency at the V&A in 2008.
After being locked out of her studio one evening, Dorothy created this piece from found
objects in the corridor
• 19 pieces by pioneers of the New Jewellery movement, Gjis Bakker, Emmy Van Leersum
and Otto Kunzli
As part of the project, jewellery artists Gemma Draper and Janet Hinchliffe McCutcheon were
recently appointed jewellers in residence at Teesside University, where they are currently working
alongside students to share their expertise and skills in decorative adornment.
On the opening of the new Jewellery Gallery, mima curator Alix Collingwood commented:
“We are extremely proud of our jewellery collection, which is unique in the UK in its focus and
comparable with important collections of contemporary jewellery at the V&A and the Crafts
Council. It’s an amazing resource to have in Middlesbrough and to be able to open it up to the
public in this way is incredible.”
Professor Gerda Roper, Dean of Teesside University’s School of Arts & Media, added:
“Jewellery experts around the world know about Middlesbrough’s renowned collection and now
they will have the opportunity to visit, making the town a prime destination for jewellery enthusiasts
and creative arts students. This will be a lasting legacy for the region.”
To mark the opening of the new gallery space on 4 and 5 October, mima will be offering a
weekend of family activities, including jewellery workshops and talks.
The gallery has been realised thanks to a grant of almost £300,000 from Arts Council England and
support from Teesside University.
To find out more about mima’s jewellery gallery, please see www.visitmima.com/jewellery.
ENDS
For press information please contact Rachael Young or Christina Neou-North
at Four Colman Getty
E: Rachael.young@fourcolmangetty.com / Christina.neou-north@fourcolmangetty.com
T: 020 3697 4257 / 020 3697 4264
Notes to editors
• High resolution images from the collection are available on request – please contact Four
Colman Getty
• A selection of jewellers are available for interview – please contact Four Colman Getty
• Press tours of the new gallery are available on request – please contact Four Colman Getty
About mima
mima, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, is an internationally renowned gallery which opened
in 2007 to bring together Middlesbrough's collections. With a policy of accessible excellence,
mima exhibits, commissions and collects world-class modern and contemporary art from 1900 to
the present day: its collections focus particularly on drawing, ceramics and jewellery.
mima becomes part of Teesside University in September 2014. mima is a partner in the Plus Tate
visual arts network, funding will be continued by Arts Council England and Middlesbrough Council
remains a partner.
New director Alistair Hudson from Grizedale Arts takes up his post in October.
mima, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AZ | 01642 726
720 | mima@middlesbrough.gov.uk www.visitmima.com
About Tatty Devine
Tatty Devine is an independent British company designing and making original, playful jewellery by
hand in their London and Kent studios. Their standout designs are all about expressing yourself in
a fun and distinctive way. Harriet Vine MBE and Rosie Wolfenden MBE, who met at art school,
founded Tatty Devine in 1999. The brand blurs the boundaries between art, fashion and culture.