Celebrating 70

Breast to Breast Brooch: Homage to Ruth Handler
© Margaux Lange 2010
2.25" x 2.25" x .5"
stering silver, plastic Barbie doll parts, resin
photo by Cole Rodger

This brooch was created for an exhibition entitled:

Celebrating 70
Facéré Jewelry Art Gallery
Seattle, WA
August 19, 2010 - September 5, 2010
Lecture: Thursday, August 19 at 4:00 PM
Reception: Thursday, August 19 at 5:00 PM

The exhibition is in celebration of the 70th birthday of gallery owner Karen Lorene. It also marks the 38th anniversary of Facéré Jewelry Art Gallery. Each of the 70 invited artists were assigned a year and asked to create a work inspired by, representing or relating to that year (from 1940 - 2010.)

My assigned year was 2002. So for my piece, I decided to honor Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel and the woman who invented the Barbie doll, who sadly passed away in 2002.


After her own mastectomy in 1970, Mrs. Handler left Mattel and went on to start a company that made prosthetic breasts for cancer survivors. In talking about her two distinct careers, Mrs. Handler said, “I've lived my life from breast to breast.”


Ruth Handler was frequently adorned with a strand of pearls, so I used that as part of the inspiration for this brooch. However instead of using actual pearls of course, I chose to use pearly white Barbie doll breasts (string of pearls/string of breasts) Seven breasts to represent each decade of the Celebrating 70 show. I initially had intended to make a "pearl" necklace out of the breasts, however there were size constraints placed on the participating artists so I opted to make a brooch instead. However I'm very pleased with how this piece turned out, and I hope it's a hit at the show!

© Margaux Lange 2010

photo by Cole Rodger

This exhibition has an amazing line-up of art jewelers participating and it's an honor to be included. Here is the full artist list:

Boris Bally, Davide Bigazzi, Nancy Bonnema, Ken Bova, Jana Brevick, Jessica Calderwood, Virginia Causey, Liaung Chung-Yen, Jude Clarke, Andy Cooperman, Nancy Mēgan Corwin, Kevin Crane, Peg Fetter, Lisa Fidler, Steven Ford & David Forlano, Suzan Gallup, Laurie Hall, Joan Hammond, Trudee Hill, Tom Hill, Ron Ho, Sarah Hood, Judith Hoyt, Mary Lee Hu, Lezlie Jane, Charra Jarosz, Yeonmi Kang, Deb Karash, Nadine Kariya, Linda Kindler Priest, Margaux Lange, Micki Lippe, Eve Llyndorah, Kristin Lora, Marty Lovins, Leslie MacInnes, Jane Martin, Karen McCreary, Marcia Meyers, Alisa Miller, Rika Mouw, emiko oye, Gina Pankowski, Seth Papac, Rosemary Pham, Lee Phillips, Maria Phillips, Todd Pownell, Gail Rappa, Jayne Redman, Todd Reed, Kait Rhoads, Biba Schutz, Barbara Seidenath, Kiff Slemmons, Jan Smith, Julie Speidel, Alex Stanyon, Suzanne Stern, Cindy Sumner, Patricia Telesco, Cappy Thompson, Cynthia Toops & Dan Adams, Carmen Valdes, Veronica von Allworden, Hiroshi Watanabe, Sarah J. G. Wauzynski, Roberta & David Williamson, Nancy Worden, and Kristi Zevenbergen.

For more information and for a preview of the exhibition visit: facerejewelryart.com