Who We Are

Lisa M. Berman

Founding Director, WAM!

Lisa M. Berman is an international art advocate, wearable art expert, and museum curator with over 25 years of experience spanning jewelry, fashion, design, photography, and public art. Known as the “Visionary Proprietor” of Sculpture To Wear since 1999, Berman has played a pivotal role in advancing the studio jewelry movement in the U.S.

As Founder of the Berman Arts Agency, she has guided artists into major museum collections including the Getty, LACMA, Smithsonian, and MoMA, while fostering cultural exchanges, exhibitions, and acquisitions worldwide. She has served on boards at OTIS, LACMA, and FIDM, and has been recognized by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture as a pre-qualified consultant for large-scale public art.

In 2023, Berman relocated to New York City to launch WAM – The Wearable Art Museum, and was appointed Partner to the United Nations Sustainable Fashion & Lifestyle Network. Her curatorial work has been featured globally in exhibitions, film, and media, and she continues to shape the dialogue between art, fashion, and culture.

Contact: Director@WearableArtMuseum.org

From Sculpture To Wear to WAM!

WAM! – The Wearable Art Museum is the evolution of Sculpture To Wear, the pioneering gallery founded in 1973 inside the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Sculpture To Wear was one of the first galleries in the United States to champion jewelry by fine artists such as Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, and Louise Nevelson, establishing wearable art as a recognized art form. Relaunched on the West Coast in 1999 by Lisa M. Berman, Sculpture To Wear has spent more than two decades curating exhibitions, placing works in major museums, and amplifying the voices of wearable art visionaries.

Today, WAM! builds on that legacy. Expanding the conversation globally, and reimagining what it means to wear art in the 21st century.

  • A collage of four images featuring jewelry design and modeling: a black-and-white photo of a woman wearing large earrings, a detailed shot of a silver necklace with beads and pendants, a woman with styled hair wearing a creative gold necklace and shoulder embellishments, and a black-and-white photoshoot of a woman with long nails and artistic pose.

  • “There’s Tiffany and Cartier and then… there’s Sculpture To Wear.”

    — Where Magazine

  • Origins: Sculpture To Wear

    Founded in 1973 at New York’s Plaza Hotel, Sculpture To Wear was the first gallery to champion wearable art as a serious art form. Its exhibitions featured jewelry by fine artists including Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, Jean Arp, and Louise Nevelson. The gallery also launched the career of Robert Lee Morris, later of the iconic Artwear store, and helped create a market for artist-made studio jewelry in the U.S.

  • Rebirth: Lisa M. Berman

    In 1999, Lisa M. Berman reinvigorated Sculpture To Wear on the West Coast with the exhibition Structural Integrity — Jewelry’s Foundation. For over two decades, she has curated international shows, placed works in major museums such as the Smithsonian, LACMA, and the Getty, and collaborated with leading artists, designers, and institutions. Known as an ambassador of wearable art, Berman has served in leadership roles at Otis College of Art and Design, the Fashion Council at LACMA, and FIDM, while mentoring artists worldwide.

  • Evolution: WAM! — The Wearable Art Museum

    WAM! (Wearable Art Museum) is the evolution of Sculpture To Wear — a global platform dedicated to the education, preservation, and promotion of wearable art. By blending history with innovation, WAM! expands the conversation around what it means to wear art in the 21st century. Through exhibitions, archives, and collaborations, WAM! continues the legacy while inspiring a new generation of artists, collectors, and visionaries.

Our Board Members & Advisory Council

  • A woman with dark, styled hair, wearing a black top and gold earrings, smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

    Lisa Koenigsberg

    Vice-Chair

    President and Founder, Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) and an internationally recognized thought-leader in visual culture. Consultant to museums, galleries, and cultural institutions with graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins and Yale. Former director of Programs in the Arts at NYU, she has held positions at the Museum of the City of New York, the American Museum of Natural History, and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

  • A man with a beard holding glasses, looking at the camera against a dark background.

    John Lemieux Rose

    Board Member- Treasurer

    Co-Founder Media Enterprises (Marketing Director of Art Jewelry Forum), Designer and owner of 2Roses Jewelry.

  • A man with short gray hair and glasses, smiling, wearing a dark suit, blue shirt, and red tie, in front of a neutral-colored background.

    Marc Hankin

    Board Member – Legal Counsel
    Founder of Hankin Patent Law. With decades of experience, he advises inventors, entrepreneurs, and companies on protecting technology and creative works through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and licensing. His clients span industries from AI and medical devices to fashion and jewelry.

  • A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair and blonde highlights, wearing a purple sweater and jewelry, standing indoors with a blurred background of a room or office.

    Betsey Potter

    Board Member - Secretary
    Costume designer and founder of The Wardrobe Wing, Inc. Emmy-nominated for The Charmings and Beakman’s World, she has designed for theater, film, television, and four Super Bowl halftime shows. A member of Motion Picture Costumers Local 705, she also serves on the Television Academy’s Board of Governors and the Costume Society of America.

  • A man in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie, smiling, standing in front of a backdrop with logos for Accessories Council and Swarovski.

    Robert Lee Morris

    Advisory Council
    Award-winning jewelry designer, founder of ARTWEAR NYC. His work has appeared on 80+ Vogue covers and he has collaborated with leading designers including Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Karl Lagerfeld. Recipient of the Coty Award and three CFDA Awards, including the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

  • A young boy with curly brown hair leaning against a dark wall on a city street, wearing a black T-shirt.

    Max Alexander

    Advisory Council
    Couture to the Max, Fashion Designer. Guinesss book world record holder of world’s youngest fashion designer, age 9. Ambassador to the United Nations for Sustainabilty.

  • Woman with pink hair smiling, wearing a striped shirt and white overalls.

    Sherri Madison

    Advisory Council
    HBO Couture Cardboard Queen. Southern California artist creating sustainable fine art from 100% recycled cardboard, often painted with eco-friendly gouache. Inspired by her military upbringing and early training in classical oil painting, she transforms discarded materials into layered works that promote recycling, reuse, and creativity. She holds a B.A. in Fine Art from Pepperdine University and studied in Florence, Italy.

  • Black and white photo of a confident man in a suit, with one hand on his chin and the other crossed over his chest. The words "Polished Man" appear in the upper right corner.

    Uriel Saenz

    Advisory Council

    Founder of U.S. Lifestyle Group and magazine, international fashion designer, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and humanitarian. His designs have been featured in Paris, Milan, and China Fashion Weeks and published in Vogue UK, Elle, Glamour, and WWD. Saenz is also the U.S. Ambassador for Polished Man’s global campaign against child abuse.

  • A woman with styled braids wearing a large, geometric black and white collar necklace smiling.

    Dr Virginia Joy Simmons

    Advisory Council
    Art collector, philanthropist, and advocate for artists of African descent and Black culture. Founding Board member of LAXART, The Watts House Project, and The Mistake Room (where she is Board Chair). Currently Senior Art and Exhibition Advisor for Destination Crenshaw, Commissioner of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Board member of the California African American Museum.

  • Three women standing on a wooden staircase inside a building, smiling and raising their arms in celebration.

    Judith Hendler

    Advisory Council
    Renowned jewelry designer known for her bold acrylic creations, first made from recycled aircraft scrap. Her work gained national attention when featured on Dynasty and other TV shows, and later appeared in major department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom. Hendler’s designs have been showcased in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and WWD, and used in campaigns for Elizabeth Arden and top fashion designers.

  • Portrait of a woman wearing large blue sunglasses, earrings, and a black top, with a colorful dotted background.

    Teri Brudnak

    Advisory Council
    Pioneering jewelry artist and technologist. Studied holography at CSU Long Beach, created electronic jewelry featured in Jewelry USA at the American Craft Museum, and designed accessories for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Exhibited nationally and internationally, she continues her studio practice in Southern California.

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