A Conversation with Brooke Garber Neidich

Brooke Garber Neidich, the Creative Director and Owner of Sidney Garber, blends a legacy of fine jewelry with modern ease in her stylish, confident, comfortable pieces. Brooke inherited the house in 2008 and expanded it to New York City, adding a strong commitment to philanthropy. ​As a new member of our Honorary Committee, Brooke joined us for a rapid-fire round of questions on her go-to source for discovering new makers and artists, upcoming must-see exhibitions, and more.

Art + Design

Favorites 

If you could add one museum piece to your personal collection, what would it be?

Mmmmm…not just one! Julie Mehretu’s Landscape Elegies. I have the one she made for the Whitney Gala in 2005, but there are a total of eight.

Which design era or movement most inspires you right now?

I just saw the beautiful Poiret exhibit in Paris at the Museum of Art & Design, and I was inspired!

Who is an emerging artist you think everyone should know?

Ronny Quevedo. I first saw his work in 2018 in the Whitney curator Marcella Guerrero’s show Pacha, Llaqta, Wasichay: Indigenous Space, Modern Architecture, New Art. Also, Brook Hsu is very interesting.

What’s a piece in your collection that always sparks conversation?

David Wjornarovich, Portrait Self Portrait, 1983-1985.

If you could collaborate with any artist or designer, living or dead, who would it be?

I just finished two incredible collaborations for Sidney Garber, one with my friend, the artist Sheree Hovsepian, and one with the artist Jeffery Gibson. His four massive bronzes have just been installed on either side of the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum.

What’s your favorite space you’ve ever visited for its design or art alone?

The American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2013. I still think about Sarah Sze’s installation, Triple Point.

Lifestyle

What’s the first piece of art or design you ever purchased?

A Brice Marden screen print, Untitled, 1973.

What’s your ideal weekend in New York City?

It begins with a latte with the grandsons at Bar Pisellino and dinner close to home. In between, it’s dashing around the park with the grandsons and their scooters, and then stopping to catch my breath. Any museum visit or the theater is a huge plus!

Which design-related Instagram accounts or newsletters are your must-follows?

In these times, I read Heather Cox Richardson and Robert Hubbell every day. For ideas, I love Feed Me by Emily Sundberg, 5 Things You Should Buy by Becky Malinsky, Shop Rat by Emilia Petrarca, Earl Earl by Laurel Pantin, The Cereal Aisle by Leandra Medine Cohen, Derek Blasberg’s And Another Thing, and Gems of Wisdom by Stellene Volandes, who also does the excellent newsletter for Elle Decor.

For fashion news, I always read Lauren Sherman in Puck. For beauty and wellness, Linda Wells in Air Mail Look.

On Instagram, it’s Kate Young, Christina Grasso, Stellene Volandes—and too many more to name.

What’s your go-to source for discovering new makers and artists 

When you are involved in a great museum, every exhibition opens your eyes. The Whitney Museum is always free for visitors under 25 and now it’s free for ALL on Friday nights from 5 to 10 pm. 

If you weren’t in your current profession, what would you be doing?

Less.

Plugs

What’s a project from the past year that pushed you creatively?

The new Sidney Garber collaborations with Sheree Hovsepian and with Jeffrey Gibson. I’ve admired these artists and am hugely honored to be able to work with them on really special pieces of jewelry.

Which upcoming exhibition is on your must-see list?

The Lichtenstein at the Whitney, curated by two of my favorites, Meg Onli and Alex Da Corte. 

What’s next on your own creative or collecting horizon?

Sidney Garber is about to celebrate our 80th anniversary in 2026, so I’m plotting ideas for that. From there, my mind is open to new projects, ideas, and inspirations.

Where can people see your work next?

The jewelry pieces will be at the Sidney Garber boutiques in New York City and Chicago, as well as at Bergdorf Goodman.