Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) announces its Second Annual Gold Conference Gold: Vision, Value and Values. This two-day event features experts in the fields of mining, jewelry, collecting, investment, and sustainability.

The conference will be held from Thursday, April 12 – Friday, April 13, 2012, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.* To showcase and celebrate the artistry of gold jewelry, an evening reception for attendees will be hosted by Fragments+, the renowned fine-jewelry showcase retailer.

Gold's investment potential, gold mining and the environment, and transformation from mineral to a myriad of uses will be discussed by experts from geologists to jewelers. The upward trend in the price of gold and its impact on jewelers; implications of the changing geographic distribution of gold demand; innovative approaches to minimizing mining’s ecological footprint and social impact; and the history, development and creation of gold jewelry and artifacts will also be addressed by worldwide authorities.

IAC founder and President Lisa Koenigsberg says, "The success of our inaugural meeting convinced us to offer an expanded version of the conference.  Our group of experts and enthusiasts dedicated to the art, science and business of gold will convene to celebrate the proud history of this precious metal and examine gold’s critical economic role and unique place in human culture.”

IAC is honored to announce that the World Gold Council is the premier event sponsor. David Lamb, Managing Director of Jewelry for the World Gold Council commented that, “‘Gold: Vision, Value, and Values’ is a special opportunity for some of today’s most accomplished goldsmiths, inspired designers, and progressive thinkers to come together and share an energetic cultural conversation about the role of gold in the modern world.”

Followers of the conference on Twitter can use #IACGOLD.

*The Graduate Center of the City University of New York is at Fifth Avenue at 34^th Street. +Fragments is located at 116 Prince Street, between Greene and Wooster Streets.

Distinguished speakers and panelists include:

Investment

Online registration is available at http://goldconf.eventbrite.com. The cost of attendance is $350.

Full-time students pay $125 with current ID.

About Initiatives in Art and Culture

Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) is an organization committed to educating diverse audiences in arts, material and design, as well as fashion. IAC's primary activities are conferences, publications, and exhibitions, which take an interdisciplinary approach, considering issues related to fabrication, connoisseurship, cultural patrimony, cultural preservation, and the future of culture. Particular areas of emphasis include American painting, the history of frames, the precious substances, the Arts and Crafts movement, and the art of metalworking in America. IAC's projects have been supported by a wide array of individual, corporate and foundation funders.  IAC was founded by Lisa Koenigsberg, a cultural and art historian. As director of Programs in the Arts at NYU, Koenigsberg launched the series of conferences in 1996, which continues now under the aegis of Initiatives in Art and Culture.

About World Gold Council

The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Working within the investment, jewellery and technology sectors, as well as engaging in government affairs, our purpose is to provide industry leadership, whilst stimulating and sustaining demand for gold.

We develop gold-backed solutions, services and markets, based on true market insight. As a result, we create structural shifts in demand for gold across key market sectors.

We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to better understand the wealth preservation qualities of gold and its role in meeting the social and environmental needs of society.

Based in the UK, with operations in India, the Far East, Europe and the US, the World Gold Council is an association whose members include the world’s leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies.

OLD Initiatives in Art and Culture

OLD Initiatives in Art and Culture

Initiatives in Arts and Culture (IAC) is an organization committed to educating diverse audiences in the fine, decorative, and visual arts as well as architecture. IAC's primary activities are conferences, publications, and exhibitions. These take an interdisciplinary approach, considering issues related to fabrication, connoisseurship, sustainability (CSR), cultural patrimony and preservation, and the future of culture.