Marilyn da Silva’s work is based on telling stories through imagery and representational elements. Her trademark surface treatment of gesso and colored pencil creates a rich palette for her sculpture and wearable pieces. Her work has been displayed nationally and internationally, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the National Gallery of Australia. She is represented in public and private collections. Also, she has been featured in numerous books, magazines and catalogues. She was invited to be “Master Metalsmith 1999” by the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. She received the honor of being selected as a Fellow of the American Craft Council 2007 and Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College 2022.
Marilyn da Silva is Professor Emerita of the Jewelry & Metal Arts Program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco where she has been since 1987. Before moving to California, she taught from 1978-87 at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She earned her MFA in Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and her BS in Art Education at Bowling Green State University.