Essay from the Forces of Nature : Highlights from the Myrna B. Palley Art Jewelry Collection exhibition catalog. LOWE Museum, Miami, 2021.
BY LINDA MACNEIL | Artist specializing in contemporary jewelry
LUCA TRIPALDI Italy, b. 1969 Necklace, c. 2012 Porcelain, steel cable neck wire 10 x 6 1⁄2 x 4 1⁄2 in. (25.4 x 16.5 x 11.4 cm.) Collection of Myrna Palley, IL2021.2.6
Like many artists working with the medium of glass, I made a point of visiting the Myrna and Sheldon Palley Pavilion for Contemporary Glass and Studio Arts at the Lowe Art Museum when my husband Dan Dailey and I visited Miami in 2018. We were welcomed by the Lowe’s director, Dr. Jill Deupi, who toured us through the Museum’s surprisingly large facility. Dan (a fellow artist) and I were astonished by the breadth and depth of the Lowe’s holdings, including the impressive display in the Pavilion, which featured a number of works from the Palleys’ personal collection. These promised gifts to the Museum are an expression of the couple’s commitment to ensuring that the public can enjoy their collection as a source of intellectual and aesthetic stimulation, as they themselves have, for more than fifty years.
FIGURE 1 JOYCE SCOTT United States, b. 1948 Red and Green, ca. 2000-10 Glass beads, wire, plastic, thread 14 x 8 1⁄2 x 1⁄4 in. (35.6 x 21.6 x 0.6 cm.) Collection of Myrna Palley, IL2021.2.3
After touring the Lowe, Dan and I were invited by the Palleys to visit their nearby home to see more of their collection, the majority of which is destined for the Lowe. Their lovely but unpretentious residence offers few exterior clues about the sizeable collection within (I hear Sheldon has additional artwork in his office, too!). Art occupies and defines the Palleys’ living space: each piece is thoughtfully arranged, and the collection fills almost every available wall and surface area. The artworks reflect Myrna and Sheldon’s commitment to collecting
FIGURE 2 JULIE MIHALISIN United States, b. 1962 Necklace, 1993 Glass, silver 9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm.) Collection of Myrna Palley, IL2021.2.13
in depth, with many of “their” artists represented by works that span entire careers. The Palleys shared with us innumerable stories behind the specific works they have collected, including their interactions with the artists who made them, many of whom Dan and I know personally. Their love of the Studio Glass community was clear. Myrna once said to me, “We know the person behind the artwork.” This sort of deep personal connection is emblematic of the special relationship that has linked glass artists and their collectors since the movement was born more than six decades ago. The Palley family’s invitation to have me, an artist who makes jewelry, write about Myrna’s personal collection is a good example of this unique relationship between maker and patron and speaks to the couple’s long-standing commitment to working directly with artists.
Though the Palleys’ support of artists has been unwavering since they bought their first piece in 1975, their attitude toward glass itself has evolved over time. As Sheldon has expressed, he and Myrna lived the evolution of the glass movement, from early perceptions that it was “pretty” to a more nuanced understanding of glass as one of many media available to contemporary artists and artisans. Their convictions about the importance of glass are clearly evidenced by the Lowe’s Palley Pavilion.
This notion of glass as an expressive artistic medium is something I believe and try to convey through my work. I also feel strongly that art is brought to life when worn. Myrna was a testament to this philosophy: I remember seeing her proudly adorned with wearable art at many events over the years, a knowing sparkle in her eyes. One time, I bumped into Myrna and Sheldon in the airport on our way to the SOFA Chicago (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design Fair, now called Intersect Chicago). She was exuberant, wearing a massive, intricately woven panel necklace by the renowned artist Joyce B. Scott (figure 1).
This was “so Myrna.” To me, it fit the part of a collector publicly enjoying her collection as she moved through the crowd. It also reflected her profound appreciation of artists, including Joyce, who has stated that “she was born to make art.” Her necklaces, as well as her art objects, display a passion for making figurative images intertwined with woven expressions and stories using the medium of glass beads and other elements. Myrna reinforced and supported Joyce’s urgent messages of the need for social change, as well as the former’s own flair for dramatic self-presentation, whenever she wore one of the artist’s boldly expressive works.
PIERRE CAVALAN France, b. 1954 Necklace, ca. 1992 Silver, enamel, reflectors, charms, paste jewelry, key, coin, compass, and other found objects 18 x 8 1⁄2 in. (45.7 x 21.6 cm.) Collection of Myrna Palley, IL2021.2.15
Clearly, jewelry was an art form Myrna understood and embraced. She always adorned herself with avant-garde pieces accompanied by carefully planned outfits (in that order: she always selected her jewelry first). She might wear a necklace, earrings, a big brooch, rings, bracelets, or perhaps all of these things at once. One of Myrna’s favorite jewelry artists was Julie Mihalisin, whose pieces she began acquiring in the early 1990s (figure 2).
Julie was one of the first to create wearable art jewelry from glass and metal. She invented her own distinctive style by working through techniques she developed with the kiln slumping method. Julie described her thought process as follows: “To me, the slumping process is symbolic of the struggle between humans and nature—with humans (hard geometric metals) always trying to dominate, and nature (the deceptively malleable glass) the great unknown—adaptable, but fragile if pushed beyond its limits. My goal is to create something greater than the sum of its parts, but the end result was usually 90% calculation and 10% surprise.” Later, Julie and her husband Philip Walling began collaborating on wall sculptures, one of which is now exhibited in the Palley Pavilion. Julie and Phillip have fond memories of their relationship with Myrna and Sheldon, sharing meals and laughter when they met at art shows in cities across the country.
Linda Boone also played an important role in the development of the Palleys’ collection, having worked with the couple in various capacities including art dealer, consultant, and curator. Linda was the owner of Habatat Galleries Florida, which represented a broad stable of glass artists for years. While discussing the Palleys’ collecting career, she made the point that, though the couple was deeply involved in many educational and cultural non-profits in Miami, glass and glass artists were always their first priority. Reflecting the Palleys’ intertwined devotion to the arts and education, Myrna made sure the public had plenty of opportunities to learn about glass and its practitioners through a funded lecture series and artist demonstrations at both the Lowe and its parent organization, the University of Miami. Reflecting on her late friend’s legacy, Linda noted: “When I think of Myrna, I remember her unique spark. She would approach, proudly wearing a fabulous piece of neck ornament from her collection, give you a big smile and laugh. Myrna’s distinctive voice, twinkle in her eyes, and passion of conviction will be remembered. Myrna was not afraid to buck the odds when she believed in something, and that something was always about making things better.”
Mary VanCline, also a glass artist, currently has a large cast glass sculpture on view in the Palley Pavilion. In a recent conversation, Mary expressed her deep admiration for the Palleys and their commitment to developing personal connections with artists, whether their works are meant to be worn, displayed on a wall, placed on a pedestal, or stood unencumbered in a gallery. Of Myrna, the artist states: “We will miss all her incredible energy, her remarkable laughter, and love that shined upon us.”
This highly personal jewelry exhibition holds many memories for all who knew Myrna. Independent curator and scholar Jeannine Falino and I have carefully selected the works on view, which are drawn from a much larger collection of art jewelry. We have focused on the artists’ distinctive expressions of thought in wearable art, highlighting the Palleys’ understanding of and respect for studio glass artists. I am honored to have my work exhibited in this celebration of Myrna’s personal jewelry collection and to have known this special person.
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