Lechtzin is a pioneering jewelry artist known for developing the electroforming process, which enables the creation of large-scale yet lightweight and wearable forms. He also employs computer-aided design to explore new possibilities in form and structure.
Lechtzin studied at Wayne State University and the Cranbrook Academy of Art before joining the faculty of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, where he founded the Jewelry and Metals program in 1962. A founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, he has long championed the integration of technology and art, fully adopting computer-based design in 1987.
Lechtzin’s many honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of North American Goldsmiths (2009), election to the College of Fellows of the American Craft Council (1992), and Temple University’s Great Teacher Award (1989). His work is held in numerous museum collections, including Woodmere, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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