In Motion

A Jewelry Invitational in collaboration with Night Shift Studio

July 17 - August 28, 2025

Receptions:

Opening reception: August 1 | 5-8pm

Curator Talk: August 1 | 6:30pm

Gravers Lane Gallery is pleased to present “In Motion”. Art jewelers and guest curators Ellyse Bendillo & Kate Dannenberg of Night Shift Studio were invited for their second time by Gravers Lane Gallery to develop a themed invitational exhibition. The opening reception will take place on August 1st 2025, 5pm - 8pm. Please join the curators at 6:30pm as they lead a conversation about “In Motion” with participating artists and gallery staff.

At the intersection of fine art, design, and engineering, kinetic jewelry challenges traditional expectations of adornment. “In Motion” is an exhibition of contemporary kinetic jewelry and sculpture by studio artists. Reactive and interactive jewelry that moves with you, these pieces dance, sway, spin, and shake—shapeshifting before your eyes. Featured artists apply their well-honed craft skills to breathe life into each element, transcending beyond static form. The range of artists shows the versatility of the material—from geometric construction with crisp mechanics to gently flowing thread-like chain. These artists understand that the tactile experience of jewelry is essential to the enjoyment of adornment. With evocative visual movement and kinetic elements these pieces delight. Metalsmiths are mechanics and architects who embrace a dynamic relationship with gravity.

The art jewelry pieces on display are not passive objects, but expressive works that respond to the wearer's gestures and environment. “In Motion” highlights how contemporary jewelers use movement to deepen emotional resonance and create a multisensory experience—where sight, sound, and touch converge. In our fast paced contemporary reality, these works reclaim slowness and presence. They ask viewers and wearers alike to pause, observe, and engage. Whether subtle shifts or exuberant motion, the pieces in “In Motion” reflect the living energy of the body—and the imagination of the maker. In doing so, they affirm art jewelry’s place not only as ornament, but as conversation, reaction, and play.

Artists

About The Curators

Ellyse Bendillo

Ellyse Bendillo is a jeweler, enamelist, teacher, studio manager, and illustrator. She received her BFA in Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and continued her education working on Philadelphia’s Historic Jeweler’s Row. Here she gained a wealth of hands-on knowledge and a love of antique enamel and fine jewelry repair. She brings this love to her illustrative enamel jewelry that celebrates the everyday wonders of life. Her elaborate enamel work treats the mundane with a reverence matching the stained glass work that inspires her. She most recently curated an open-call group exhibition, Memento Mori, featuring works with an emphasis on themes of mortality, impermanence, and remembrance. When she isn’t creating and curating, Ellyse also teaches jewelry-making workshops at Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia, and has been a visiting instructor at Peter’s Valley School of Craft.

One of Ellyse’s favorite parts about working in jewelry repair is marveling at ingenious mechanisms and cold connections as she fixes others’ work. She has a folder on her phone just for reminiscing on her favorite pieces she’s encountered while on the job. Trained and practicing as an enamelist, she also loves to see how color can play into jewelry, either as an accent or a means of image-making.

Kate Dannenberg

Kate Dannenberg is an artist, jeweler, teacher, curator, studio manager, metalsmith, and reluctant writer. She grew up in Philadelphia and studied metalsmithing and jewelry design at the School for American Crafts in Rochester, NY before returning to Philadelphia and finding her place in the Philly craft scene. Working as a bench jeweler for a fine jeweler for a number of years broadened her knowledge of the field and connected her to the network of jewelry artists throughout the city. She co-founded Night Shift Studio with Ellyse in 2019 and began curating in 2021 when she joined theDream Machine team for New York City Jewelry Week.

You can see her this fall at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Fine Craft Show where she is exhibiting for the fifth time. Her love of nature is evident in her work. Kate finds joy in the process of making; creating jewelry, housewares, and more with great attention to detail, craftsmanship, and tactility. Inspired by natural forms and textures and shaped by her love of making, she creates beautiful objects of functional adornment for the body and home fit for everyday use and display. Through her work as teaching artist and curator she strives to uplift the craft community through inclusion, education, and enthusiasm. You can see a full list of upcoming events and view her work atkatedannenberg.com.

Night Shift Studio

Night Shift Studio is a collaborative metalsmithing and jewelry studio in Bok in South Philadelphia. The founders came together over a shared thirst for constructive feedback, creative freedom, and collaboration. Fueling each other’s desire to make, they’ve created a supportive network of fellow artists, each with a unique perspective to lend insight and advice. They share a communal studio space, as well as tools, equipment and expertise. Night Shift hosted its first exhibition, Memento Mori in 2023. Ellyse and Kate are the co-founders and studio managers, but they share the space with talented artists who contribute to and help shape the thriving craft community in Philadelphia.