Among Friends. American and German Jewelry Artists from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection

Artist list

John Axel Prip, Peter Bauhuis, Jamie Bennett, David Bielander, Melanie Bilenker, Manfred Bischoff, Helen Britton, Doug Bucci, Claus Bury, Jessica Calderwood, Sharon Church, Ken Cory, Aaron Decker, Georg Dobler, Benjamin Dory, Vaughn Douglas Stubbs, Sandra Enterline, Claire Falkenstein, Karl Fritsch, Christiane Förster, Elizabeth Garrison, Thomas Gentille, Toni Goessler-Snyder, Adam Grinovich, Tamara Grüner, Laurie Hall, William Harper, Therese Hilbert, Mirjam Hiller, Ron Ho, Daniel Jocz, Jessica Jane Julius, Hermann Jünger, Jiro Kamata, Betsy King, Mary Kretsinger, Shana Kroiz, Daniel Kruger, Otto Künzli, Stanley Lechtzin, Keith Lewis, Mark Wagner & Stacey Lee Webber, Falko Marx, Miye Matsukata, Zach Mellman-Carsey, Bruce Metcalf, Frederick Miller, John Paul Miller, Eleanor Moty, Louis Mueller, Louise Nevelson, Judy Onofrio, Albert Paley, Joe Pillari, Dorothea Prühl, Debra Rapoport, Robin Kranitzky & Kim Overstreet, Gerd Rothmann, Sam Kramer & Peggy Ackerly, Mary Ann Scherr, Marjorie Schick, Lauren Schott, Joyce J. Scott, Sondra Sherman, Helen Shirk, Olaf Skoogfors, Kiff Slemmons, Bettina Speckner, Linda Threadgill, Donald Paul Tompkins, Merrily Tompkins, Jennifer Trask, MJ Tyson, William Underhill, J. Fred Woell, Wolli the Kid, Nancy Worden, Renée Zettle-Sterling

Among Friends is conceived as an homage to Helen Drutt and as an expression of gratitude for her decades of friendship with Munich and its cultural institutions. Above all, it honors her close personal relationships with artists. These friendships lie at the heart of the exhibition and give it its distinctive character.

Born in 1930, Drutt came of age as a modern, self-assured woman in the 1960s. A devoted mother of two, she soon emerged as one of the pioneering gallerists and educators in the United States. In 1973 she founded her eponymous gallery in Philadelphia, among the first of its kind devoted exclusively to contemporary jewelry and metal arts. Over time, she became known as a meticulous chronicler, a committed collector, and an influential voice in the field. By the late 1980s, she was already being asked to recommend American and Canadian artists for SCHMUCK at the Internationale Handwerksmesse in Munich.

For more than sixty years, Drutt has been a passionate observer and collector of contemporary jewelry. In her hands, jewelry becomes a means of communication and cultural diplomacy, capable of bridging social, political, and religious divides through the shared language of art. With conviction and tireless dedication, she assumed the role of a bridge builder who brought artistic communities on different continents closer together.

The Helen W. Drutt Collection spans works by leading American jewelry artists of the late 1960s as well as contemporary pieces by a younger generation of goldsmiths, including Melanie Bilenker, Aaron Decker, and Zachary Mellman-Carsey.

This curated presentation comprises a total of 240 artworks. With a selection of 140 American pieces, it offers a compelling introduction to the history of U.S. studio jewelry, ranging from the narrative works of Ken Cory to sculptures and jewelry by artists such as Claire Falkenstein and Louise Nevelson. The exhibition also includes Albert Paley, whose innovative brooches draw on a wide range of historical references; J. Fred Woell, known for his use of non-precious materials and found commercial objects; and Thomas Gentille, whose work incorporates unconventional materials such as eggshell, wood, and resin.

John Paul Miller introduced the granulation technique to the United States, while Eleanor Moty’s jewelry is closely connected to the virtuoso gem cutting of Tom Munsteiner of Idar-Oberstein. Refined gold-and-silver surfaces characterize the work of Toni Goessler-Snyder, a German-born artist who remains largely unknown in Europe. Key figures in narrative jewelry are represented by artists including Kiff Slemmons, siblings Donald Paul and Merrily Tompkins, Keith Lewis, Judy Onofrio, Laurie Hall, and Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet. Their works often incorporate found objects, recycled materials, glass, and plastics, while reflecting and commenting on social and political realities. 

These works are complemented by jewelry by artists such as Jamie Bennett, William Harper, Sondra Sherman, and Helen Shirk, whose meticulously crafted pieces draw on classical metalworking techniques.

Alongside these outstanding representatives of American contemporary jewelry, Among Friends also presents works by renowned German artists from the Helen W. Drutt Collection. A total of 97 objects are shown by artists including Hermann Jünger, Claus Bury, Manfred Bischoff, Helen Britton, David Bielander, Georg Dobler, Christiane Förster, Therese Hilbert, Mirjam Hiller, Otto Künzli, Falko Marx, Dorothea Prühl, Gerd Rothmann, Bettina Speckner, and Wolli The Kid, also known as Wolfgang Lieglein.

Seen, admired, collected, and passionately worn, these works testify to their owner’s deep personal devotion. Drutt’s practice of wearing jewelry is central to her identity. In keeping with the spirit of Among Friends, this devotion also extends to the contexts in which the works are worn. American jewelry icons are worn in Munich, while German protagonists are worn in Philadelphia and New York, creating visual dialogues that continue to shape and enrich the field.


Opening on March 4, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Helen W. Drutt will be present.
Press conference on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Book preview on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Helen W. Drutt and participating artists will be present.


An exhibition at Galerie Handwerk in close cooperation with Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum.
Curated by Barbara Schmidt and Petra Hölscher.
The accompanying publication has been made possible by the generous support of the Benno und Therese Danner’sche Kunstgewerbestiftung, Munich, and is published by Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Stuttgart.
Graphic design by Ina Bauer, Stuttgart.


Gallery hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 to 18 h
Thursday 10 to 20 h
Saturday 10 to 13 h
The gallery is closed on Sundays and public holidays.