"Read My Pins" at BAM

Breaking the Glass Ceiling, featured in the Bellevue Arts Museum's "Read My Pins" exhibition. This brooch was worn by Madeleine Albright to send the message that she and those like her were breaking the glass ceiling for women of all ages. The brooch was designed by Vivian Shimoyama and photographed by John Bigelow Taylor. Used courtesy of Bellevue Arts Museum.   "Read My Pins" is a unique exhibition to find in an art museum. It features an eclectic collection of brooches, mostly of the costume variety, that represent a woman whose art cannot be found anywhere on display; not painted on canvas, not etched in glass, and not forged in metal or decorated with gemstones. The brooches were described in the Washington Post as "garish tchothkes." Kathleen Vanesian of the Phoenix New Times goes so far as to say that the show is "often ridiculously segmented into categories," and she doesn't feel it belongs in the Phoenix Art Museum. I believe Ms. Vanesian raises an important question, one the arts community continues to ask about art in general and jewelry specifically. What constitutes art? Most of these brooches were acquired at garage sales and dime stores, out of the way shops visited by a woman whose role in shaping US foreign policy and democracy has done nothing to alter her down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to collecting jewelry. So, is it art? I suppose the answer depends largely upon how you define the word. Was it made by master craftsmen using old world techniques? Most of it was not. Was it pieced together in the studio by a visionary who artfully considered the means and methods by which she pieced together the stones and carved the lines of metal? Most of it was not. Was it fashioned out of nature's most beautiful offerings: precious gold or silver, diamonds and rubies? Most of it was not. Then why has this collection of costume brooches of varying themes and designs, loosely grouped in categories of insects, hearts, and patriotic symbols, taken such a prominent place in the central exhibition hall at the Bellevue Arts Museum? An institution whose mission is to ignite the mind and fuel creativity? An institution dedicated to art, craft, and design? I propose that in this case, Read My Pins falls under the Bellevue Arts Museum's commitment to the exploration of creativity. This collection of brooches belongs to a woman whose creativity was played out day after day in state rooms, board rooms, and conference rooms. Her media included words, moods, and all the forms of nonverbal communication she could muster. Including her jewelry. After a number of difficult negotiations with Iraqi officials, Madeleine Albright was described by one of Saddam Hussein's poets (read, press agents) as an "unparalleled serpent." At her next meeting with these officials, Ms. Albright wore a pin with a serpent coiled around a single branch, a jewel hanging from its mouth like an egg it was about to swallow. From that point on, Ms. Albright, who was appointed the first female Secretary of State in 1997, took up the habit of inviting colleagues and press agents to, "Read my pins." I think a person would be hard-pressed to find a more creative way for a diplomat to express her creativity. And visitors to the Bellevue Arts Museum have the opportunity to stand face to face with a collection of jewels that represents feminine prowess in the face of national and international crises on a scale that most of us can only comment on from our armchairs. It may seem out of place in an arts museum, but for those of us who choose to look deeper, beyond the mere surface appearance, we have the pleasure of discovering far more than meets the eye. Madeleine Albright is a woman who gave of herself in every way to promote freedom and democracy on a global scale. A casual glance at her pins and the stories and quotes that go with them might leave a bitter aftertaste of ethnocentrism and even arrogance, terms that are often bandied about wherever discussions of American politics and foreign policy take place. However, upon deeper inspection, we find a collection of heartfelt messages, hopes and dreams, intents and purposes. We find a woman who worked hard to learn the ways of peace and, yes, the art of war, in an arena populated by men who were often affronted by the very prospect of a woman sitting at table with them. We find a woman who never compromised her femininity, yet found ways to hold her own and make a true difference in the world. We find a woman humble enough to share her weaknesses along with her strengths. A woman who made every decision with careful consideration for the long-range consequences, not just for American citizens, but also for the citizens of the world. A woman who faced challenges the likes of which most of us will never taste, who felt the inadequacy every woman faces, but on a global scale. A woman who wrote, "There were times I felt stymied by my own government, treated unfairly by Congress and the press, and frustrated by own inability to wave a wand and magically reshape events" {from her book Madame Secretary}. And yet, she showed up for work every single day, ready to give of all her gifts, all her experience, and all her energies to secure freedom for as many people on the earth as possible in her few short years as Secretary of State. She further writes in her book Madame Secretary, "People sometimes ask me how I want to be remembered. I reply that I don't want to be remembered; I am still here. But when the day comes, I hope people will say that I did the best with what I was given, tried to make my parents proud, served my country with all the energy I had, and took a strong stand on the side of freedom. Perhaps some will say that I helped teach a generation of older women to stand tall and young women not to be afraid to interrupt." I, for one, am grateful to the Bellevue Arts Museum for believing in the value of displaying a collection that, while not necessarily considered traditional or even contemporary art, was clearly artfully curated by a woman whose artistry has and will continue to inspire many around the world. I encourage you to take an hour out of your day and $12 out of your wallet to immerse yourself in the realm of American foreign policy and American values as seen through the lens of a woman whose life has been dedicated to both since her family came to America for safety in the late 1940s. Visit the Bellevue Arts Museum website for more information. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews, Staff Writer