Wearing a piece of Heather Kosch’s sculptural wood and metal jewelry feels a bit like snatching a Brancusi from its museum pedestal and fastening it to your shirt. In the spirit of all things conceptual, we asked the New York-based designer to list her arty inspirations.

“These days, I am very inspired by Ray Kappe. I wish I could live in one of his homes. Also, architecture by Alden B. Dow, who did most of the notable buildings in the small town where I grew up.”

“Hedda Sterne is an important female artist who has gone largely unrecognized. She did what she wanted to do, never stuck to one medium, and created pieces as they came to her. I had the rare privilege of having dinner in her home about three years ago.”

“I find endless inspiration inside the book The Geometry of Art and Life, by Matila Ghyka.”

“The blog 2 or 3 Things I Know. I love the images and creations she finds.”

“My great friend Julian Louie is one of the most consistent and beautiful designers I know. He approaches his collections with such intelligence, and watching his work unfold is inspirational.”

“Fellow jewelry designer Derrick Cruz (of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons) is a master craftsman. The type of attention given to details of every piece he makes is not something you find every day.”

“I love jazz, and Brad Mehldau’s at the top of my list of performers. This season, he is the artist in residence at Carnegie Hall. It’s amazing to see artists perform outside their normal realm. To me, seeing an artist stretch boundaries to challenge him- or herself is what makes that person special.”

“Donald Judd, Robert Smithson, and Dan Flavin, and all those minimalists. Going to the Dia Beacon is like having a conversation through ESP with some of these artists. It’s so quiet in that building, and the beauty and size of the pieces surround you.”

“The PBS Art21 series is one of the best shows ever created surrounding art. It is the only show I have seen that provides small, intimate moments with artists and their work.”