Liberace’s jewelry to be part of Paris museum exhibit titled ‘Medusa’

By ROBIN LEACH NICHE DIVISION OF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

8 years ago

Liberace at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1979. (Courtesy)

Liberace’s Crystal Roadster at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (The Liberace Foundation)

Liberace poses at a piano in his namesake museum at when it opened at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave. in 1979. (Courtesy/Las Vegas News Bureau)

Vive la Liberace! Fabulous pieces of jewelry that Mr. Showmanship collected over the years he headlined in Las Vegas and made up The Liberace Collection are to be part of a five-month exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art in Paris, France.

“The size and audacity of the Liberace jewels changed showmanship and jewelry forever,” said Jonathan Warren, chairman of The Liberace Foundation, which has partnered with the French museum for the exhibit titled “Medusa, Jewelry and Taboos” that examines the cultural importance of jewelry in society throughout history.

Artifacts from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels will be alongside Liberace Museum Collection artifacts, which will be a major part of the exhibit. “ ‘Medusa, Jewelry and Taboos’ is based on the mythological figure of Medusa. Jewelry creates an attraction or repulsion for the one who stares at it, wears it or makes it, as does the face of Medusa,” said curator Anne Dressen.

“The pieces are arguably the most emulated jewels in history, inspiring much of the hip-hop jewelry genre many years later.” Other artifacts include the crystal glove worn by Michael Jackson on “The Victory Tour” and the neck clock worn by Public Enemy’s hometown star Flavor Flav. In all, 400 pieces have been curated from all over the world.

Here’s a YouTube video of the interview I conducted with Liberace during my “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” days:

For the first time, an internationally recognized cultural institution’s exhibit spotlights a substantial contribution of Liberace. By extension, it also represents a milestone in the recognition of the importance of Las Vegas on the world stage. Three thousand guests are expected at the public opening of the exhibit May 18 at 6 p.m.

The Liberace Foundation is sponsoring a performance by composer Chloe Flower, an artist on Maverick, produced by Las Vegas regular Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Chloe will be playing the Liberace Swarovski-encrusted grand piano, one of the artifacts on loan to the museum from the foundation in The Dufy Room.

The Liberace Foundation also will host the opening-night VIP party at the museum overlooking The Seine River and The Eiffel Tower. Guests from Las Vegas and Monaco are expected among the Paris notables and celebrities.