FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Theresa Kwong, TK Metal Arts, Voted a Finalist in JCK Design Center Editors' Choice Awards
Kwong, who is appearing for the first time at JCK Las Vegas from June 3-6, has a booth in the Design Center's Rising Star section
Theresa Kwong, of TK Metal Arts, has been voted one of three finalists in the Rising Star division of the JCK Design Center's Editors' Choice Awards competition. This is Kwong's first time at the JCK Las Vegas trade show, which takes place from June 3-6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Kwong is also one of only 21 up-and-coming designers who were selected for booths in the Rising Star section of the Design Center. She's in booth RS14.
Kwong, a trained architect, creates jewelry with clean lines and sinuous curves. She forms her pieces from flat sheets of recycled gold, silver, and copper, using various hammers. "Each hammer stroke slowly coaxes these thin sheets of metal into strong but delicate looking organic forms," says the artist. "When I create a piece of jewelry, I strive for visual beauty when viewed from different angles. Craftsmanship, proportion, and comfort of wear are all important to me. All pieces are equally inspired by natural and built environments."
The judges who reviewed JCK Design Center artists' submissions and chose the finalists included: Grace Fuller of W Magazine, Elana Zajdman of Marie Claire, Sarah Gerrish of Redbook, Tanya Dukes of InDesign, Katerina Perez of the Katerina Perez blog, and Paula Lee of Oprah Magazine. On Friday, June 3, during the first day of JCK Las Vegas, all members of the press will have the opportunity to see the finalists' designs in the Design Center, and vote on the winner.
That evening, from 6:30-7:30 pm, JCK Design Center will host "An Evening of Design" where the Editors' Choice winners will be announced, along with the Top 50 Retailers. The cocktail party event will take place in the Loft, Palm Foyer, on Level 3 of Mandalay Bay Convention Center. "I'm delighted to be chosen by editors to be a finalist in the Editors' Choice awards, in the Rising Star category," says Kwong. "As a first time exhibitor, it was a great affirmation of my work."
The designer was the winner of the 2014 Alice Abrams Future of Design Fund Scholarship, which she used to further her jewelry studies at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. The scholarship was established by the late Cindy Edelstein, owner of Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, to foster the future development of talented American jewelry designers by providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships and the production of educational seminars, conferences and publications to support the future of design in the fine jewelry business. "I know that Cindy, who was the originator of the idea for JCK Las Vegas show's Design Center back in 1992, would be so delighted to see me exhibiting here as a Rising Star," says Kwong.
The artist originally received her Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley. She has studied under numerous masters and is especially influenced by designer and artist Michael Good.
To learn more about Theresa Kwong of TK Metal Arts, visit tkmetalarts.com and plan to stop by Kwong's booth, RS14, in the Rising Star section of the JCK Design Center. This year's JCK Design Center has relocated to a new spot, near the new grand entrance to the show, at Bayside, Level 1 of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (shuttle bus drop offs are here, too). The new JCK Design Center space features an open concept, non-linear floorplan, and chalkboard-style booths meant to inspire new ideas and spark conversation about design.
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