WAM!

Celebrating ART that moves with us — from studio jewelry to textiles, fashion, and design — the Wearable Art Museum honors creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural legacy.

MISSION

The Wearable Art Museum (WAM!) is dedicated to exhibiting, exploring, and celebrating the worlds of wearable art, studio jewelry, textiles, costume, fiber, and related mixed media.

WAM! will use innovative technology, master craftsmanship, and unbridled creativity to communicate, educate, and inspire. Our exhibitions will spotlight international artists, designers, architects, and inventors, supported by collectors, philanthropists, and engaged communities.

This immersive experience is designed to act as a catalyst for conversation across local, national, and global communities by highlighting creatives whose work reflects generational diversity and personal vision.

Close-up of a person in an artistic costume holding large, shiny, gold and black leaves.

Museums and cultural institutions around the world play a vital role in preserving the powerful contributions artists make to humanity.

A woman kneeling on wet ground, dressed in a dark, shiny outfit with avant-garde, wire-like shoulder decorations, under dramatic lighting with dark background.

WAM! shares this mission, with a dedicated focus on celebrating the genre of Wearable Art across studio jewelry, textiles, fashion, costume, and design.

These works are not only visual statements; they are indelible messages that often move us, both figuratively and literally, worn on the body as personal expressions of culture, identity, and vision.

For the past quarter century, my gallery Sculpture To Wear, founded in New York City in 1973, has played a key role in introducing and cultivating the world of wearable art in the United States.

Now it’s time to serve a larger audience.
WAM! is being founded as a nonprofit institution with dynamic art and education at its core, and legacy as its foundation.

I invite you to join me on this next stage of my journey.
— Lisa M. Berman

  • A woman dressed in a colorful, patterned dress with black gloves standing next to a smiling boy wearing a black T-shirt, plaid shorts, and yellow Crocs, running and having fun in an indoor space with glass walls.

    Tie Dress (Permanent Collection) by Max Alexander (Advisory Council).

  • A decorative wreath made of elongated, striped orange and purple prickly pear fruits with metallic accents and small pearl and star-shaped ornaments.

    2 Roses Jewelry - John Lemieux Rose (Board Member).

  • A woman with water splashing around her, wearing stylized white accessories and pants, posing against a dark background.

    Sculpture to Wear Luminary Award Recepient - Ellina Pollitt.

  • A nude woman with a shaved head poses against a black background, wearing an artistic dress made of white spherical beads covering her torso and upper body.

    Sculpture to Wear Best Retail Design Recepient - Anneli Tammik.

  • A chessboard with white and black squares, two white chess pawns, a black pawn, and a gold ring resembling a spaceship on a thumb of a hand wearing a blue glove. The background is blue.

    WAM! Award Best “Evoke” Design Recepient - Julia Wang.

  • The Dragon & The Bird by WAM! Featured Textile Artist Niki Kohjandi.

Shaping the Legacy of Wearable Art

Anchored in New York City & Los Angeles yet unbound by geography, the Wearable Art Museum is conceived as a dynamic, globally accessible institution. Through touring exhibitions, strategic partnerships, and digital initiatives, it will extend across cultures and continents—bringing the language of wearable art to audiences everywhere while remaining rooted in its home city.

✦ Innovative Exhibitions

WAM! celebrates wearable art in all its forms—studio jewelry, textiles, costume, fiber, and mixed media—through curated exhibitions that connect creativity, craftsmanship, and culture.

✦ Global Vision

Our exhibitions highlight international artists, designers, architects, and inventors, supported by collectors, philanthropists, and engaged communities.

✦ Community Engagement

We build meaningful connections through outreach programs, collaborations, and opportunities that bring wearable art to local, national, and global audiences.

✦ Educational Programs

Workshops, lectures, and demonstrations invite guests to “play with art” while learning from artists and professionals across disciplines.

✦ Cross-Disciplinary Themes

Rotating curatorial themes integrate painting, sculpture, photography, and media into a rich cultural curriculum.

✦ Artist Marketplace

Our physical and online store features work by exhibiting artists and makers, extending the museum experience beyond its walls.