Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith Book Reading + Conversation + Signing

Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith brings the story and legacy of pioneering Black jewelry designer Art Smith back to Brooklyn. The program celebrates the release of the landmark Smithsonian Books publication *Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith* with a reading, discussion, and book signing.

Authors Joanne Hyppolite, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and jewelry historian Toni Greenbaum will share stories and new research about Smith’s life, artistic vision, and lasting influence. Sebastian Grant, curator, art historian, and professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, will moderate the conversation.

Smith, who grew up in Brooklyn, later established a celebrated jewelry studio in Greenwich Village. His bold modernist designs were created in close relationship with the body, drawing on art, music, dance, and the vibrant cultural life of mid-century New York.

When: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Showtimes: 6:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

Tickets: Free

Venue: The Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Art, 10 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Type: Lecture and discussion; shopping and book signing

Authors: Joanne Hyppolite and Toni Greenbaum

Moderator: Sebastian Grant

Featured publication: *Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith*

Co-sponsor: The Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Art