Marilyn da Silva tells stories through imagery and representational elements in metalwork. Currently Professor and Program Co-chair of the Jewelry/Metal Arts Program at California College of the Arts in Oakland, CA, she was named a Fellow of the American Craft Council In 2007. Her art is in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including those in Oakland (CA), the Museum of Modern Art in Seoul, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Indiana University Museum.

"I've often heard da Silva's work described as visual poetry. It also resembles how dancers tell a story: they use movement, light and sound to express the emotion in a narrative; da Silva uses color, form, and materials blended with carefully chosen images to tell complex stories without words."
—Jeff Georgantes (director, Dartmouth's jewelry workshop)