Registration

• Tuition for this course is $45. Members receive exclusive discounts on our programs and courses. Not a member? Learn more.

• Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp@rosenbach.org.

• This program is for those 18 and older.

• Registration opens for Delancey Society members on Friday, March 13, for Rosenbach members on Friday, March 20, and for the general public on Friday, March 27.

Description

Portrait miniatures originated in 16th-century Europe, where these small, hand-painted likenesses were designed to be portable and personal keepsakes. They were tokens of affection, mementos of loved ones, and status symbols. Painted on vellum or ivory, they were often framed with precious metals and jewels, like cameos. The tradition continued until the advent of photography in the mid-19th century.   

In “DEAR JOHN,” a special exhibition in the Rosenbach’s Treasures: History of the Material Text gallery, artist John Wind takes inspiration from this tradition but shifts the emphasis from the subject to the frame—concocting elaborate, exuberant compositions that provide a more modern take on the genre. 

Make your own portrait miniature in this in-person workshop. Bring a small photo or print of a favorite image (up to about 4”x5”), and Wind will provide all the other supplies needed to embellish and frame the image in a meaningful and personal way.  

About the Instructor

John Wind is a mixed media artist whose work explores the intersection of art, commerce, portraiture, and history. He is also a jewelry designer best known for Modern Vintage fashion jewelry and gifts sold under the John Wind brand. The language and materials of jewelry often find their way into his fine art. His work is in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Philadelphia Art Museum; and Museum of the American Revolution.