The Artful Life: 6 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From Tiffany & Co.’s latest high jewelry to designer Richard Brendon’s tableware collaboration with the V&A Museum
1. The Neon Museum in Las Vegas Hosts Citywide Cultural Celebration
Just days after U2 christened the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere at the Venetian Resort, a citywide cultural festival is kicking off thanks to the Neon Museum, which was founded in 2012 and displays over 120 vintage neon signs. The second annual Duck Duck Shed, as the event is known, will take place from October 4 to 7 at an array of prominent locations throughout the Nevada city. Events include panels, tours, exhibitions, and unique experiences, including a screening of “Postcard from Earth” at the aforementioned Sphere. Must-see panels include “From Neon to Natural: The Use of Light in Casinos” with design virtuoso Roger Thomas, Emeritus EVP of Design at Wynn Resorts and a Neon Museum board member. A full schedule of events can be found here. —Geoffrey Montes
2. Tiffany & Co. Launches High Jewelry Collection with Actress Anya Taylor-Joy
Tiffany & Co.’s latest high jewelry campaign, Blue Book 2023: Out of the Blue, features The Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who dons a stunning array of pieces from the Schlumberger collection. Photographer Craig McDean shot Taylor-Joy wearing the iconic brands’s latest jewels, which are inspired by the legacy of trailblazing artist and designer Jean Schlumberger. The collection was masterminded by Nathalie Verdeille, the chief artistic officer of jewelry and high jewelry at Tiffany’s. “The house has such a long-standing history for its design and craftsmanship,” says Taylor-Joy. “I am excited to be a part of their exceptional legacy.” —Lucy Rees
3. Star-Studded Group Exhibition Inaugurates White Cube New York
After years of speculation as to when White Cube would open its doors in New York City, the leading contemporary art gallery has officially found a home on the Upper East Side. Originally established in London, and now featuring locations from Paris to Hong Kong, White Cube New York is continuing the artist-led gallery’s reputation for hosting exhibitions that feature the art world’s most renowned talents. For its inaugural exhibition “Chopped & Screwed,” running through October 28, works by 18 artists including Philip Guston, Ilana Savdie, Danh Vo, General Idea, Mark Bradford, and Galerie Creative Mind Theaster Gates will be on display speaking to themes of patriarchy, religion, power, and government authority. The show is curated by White Cube U.S.’s senior director, Courtney Willis Blair. Following the group show, the Madison Avenue gallery will present a series of new paintings by Tracy Emin in a one-of-a-kind show opening November 4, as well as two separate solo shows of Theaster Gates (January 2024) and Antony Gormley (Spring 2024). —Shelby Black
4. British Designer Richard Brendon Expands Collection with the V&A Museum to Include New Tableware
When London designer Richard Brendon debuted his first array of bone china cups, mugs, and saucers made in collaboration with the Victoria & Albert Museum, he reinterpreted four patterns from the institution’s archives. Now, the follow-up collection has come to market, this time focusing exclusively on the romantic Dragon Flower design, isolating the exotic, almost sinister bloom from the original’s more expressive border. “The V&A has the best collection of Georgian porcelain in the world, and this is my favorite period of British ceramics, so being able to draw inspiration from this archive has been a huge amount of fun; I’ve been like a kid in a candy shop,” Brendon says in a statement. “Extending the Dragon Flower pattern into a full range of tableware and tea ware has been a real pleasure; it was a fun design challenge working out how to pare back the original ornate pattern into something cleaner and more contemporary. The range is still decorative, but not over the top, and it acts as a beautiful canvas for food or afternoon tea.” The illustrations, hand applied in Stoke-on-Trent, reverberate against the crisp white china with the sunny orange, dark blue, and gold artwork represented in vivid detail. Each piece is crafted with unique variations, giving every example a museum-worthy level of collectibility. It’s the perfect service to ring in 2024’s Year of the Dragon. —Jill Sieracki
5. Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York to Hold Sixth Annual Benefête
One of New York’s oldest arts organizations with a history dating back to 1884, Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York supports lens-based artists by providing working facilities, platforms for critical dialogue, and an exhibition space in the heart of Chinatown, where emerging talents Darryl DeAngelo Terrell and Daniel Ramos currently have work on view. Next week, Baxter St is throwing its Sixth Annual Benefête to celebrate powerhouse photographers Gillian Laub, Nona Faustine, and Stretch and Bobbito. The festive evening will be held at the iconic New York nightclub, The Box, and will raise essential funds for the organization’s arts incubator. Dance the night away with live performances by musical legends Common, Black Thought, and El Michels Affair, along with beats by Mark Ronson, on Tuesday, October 10. —Stefanie Li
6. British Canines and Their Incredible Homes Are Profiled in the Book Top Dogs
Whoever coined the phrase “It’s a dog’s life” certainly had no idea that canines would be living in such high style as they are in the new release, Top Dogs (Triglyph Books). Some of Britain’s most pampered pets are the stars of this delightful coffee table book, which features photographs by Dylan Thomas, interviews by Georgina Montagu, plus a foreword by the then-HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Through these intimate portraits of British pooches and their devoted owners, readers get a special look inside the dazzling and diverse homes of personalities including Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Pawson, as well as Ivor Braka and Kristen McMenamy. From a royal residence to a working farm, the locations aren’t the only things that will leave tongues wagging—so will the impressive range of breeds. Plus, a donation from book sales will be made to Medical Detection Dogs, a charity that trains dogs to diagnose medical conditions. —Jacqueline Terrebonne