Anna Sui, wearing a Zandra gown, recalled her first Zandra show in 1974, “seeing her fashion, all the guests there who I had only read about, it changed my life and started the friendship that continues to this day.” Zandra blew kisses, getting whoops and applause from her friends, as she declared "I always wear statement jewelry. A broch or two, and bracelets. It’s part of who I am.”

Accepting the award for Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) Board Chair Bonnie Levine said, “since 1997 we have promoted and garnered critical attention for contemporary jewelry. AJF has become the leading voice for art jewelry’s advancement, serving to establish and elevate jewelry’s advancement.”

The festive evening celebrated more than 40 emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists and allowed guests to acquire exquisite pieces directly from the world’s most innovative jewelry artists of our day.

MAD Board Chair Michele Cohen shared a few words about the mission of the Museum and Chief Curator Elissa Auther presented the MAD About Jewelry 2022 Acquisition Prize to Rebecca Hannon. The award recognizes an artist whose work reflects maturity in artistry and concept, exhibits both a superior and an experimental understanding of materials and form, and demonstrates expertise in technique and execution.

Guests included Museum Trustees Marcia Docter, Alexander Hankin, Lewis and Laura Kruger, Marsy Mittlemann, Barbara Tober, Barbara Waldman, as well as Carol Alt, Malu Byrne, Alva Chinn, Pat Cleveland and Paul Von Ravenstein, LoveShackFancy’s Rebecca Cohen, Sebastian Errazuriz, Alex Lundqvist, Fern Mallis, Anna Sui, Heather Thompson, Lynn Yaeger, David and Sybil Yurman, and MAD’s Nanette L. Laitman Director Tim Rodgers, and Deputy Director of Institutional Advancement Ben Strauss.