The exciting KOHĀ and KOHĀ Moana happenings in Munich expanded the typical audience of Munich Jewellery Week Jewelry pieces present in both events were seen and experienced in very different ways by two audiences These alternative approaches to displaying jewelry brought the work to life in an energizing contrast to the expected—and conventional—modes of exhibition […]
Exhibitions Not Just Seen but Felt Read More »
Why does art jewelry so often seem to be about the art and so little about the body or the wearer? I took this question with me to Munich Jewellery Week, on assignment from AJF. Across four days, I asked artists, designers, students, and gallerists to share their thoughts on it. Art jewelry as identity
Art or Adornment? Where Does Art Jewelry Stand? Read More »
It was everything I imagined my first time would be like. Magical, filled with surprises, and deeply satisfying. I’m talking, of course, about my first time attending Munich Jewelry Week. What happens when a beautiful European city gets turned into a contemporary art jewelry box for a week? This city-wide event brings together artists, gallery
Your First Time Is Always Special Read More »
Art Jewelry Forum took 17 travelers to Santa Fe, in the high desert of New Mexico, May 12–15, 2025. The temperatures were mild, the downtown area lush and green, with blooms everywhere. Garlands of dark red dried chiles festooned the buildings and lampposts. Our focus was on Native American jewelry. We saw so many beautiful
Santa Fe Diary—2025 Read More »
When collector Lois Boardman wore her gold nosepiece, by German jeweler Gerd Rothmann, to the supermarket, customers averted their gaze. It was strange and, she supposed, may have appeared to be a prosthetic. The piece was not a false appendage. It was made using an impression of Boardman’s real nose taken with the help of
Lois Boardman entered eternity in Pasadena, CA, on April 21, 2025. There is little doubt that she planned to accompany Pope Francis, wearing her Gold Nose, cast by Gerd Rothmann, and adorned by Nancy Worden’s necklace titled Gilding the Past. Like the dinner gatherings of historical persons in Van Loon’s Lives, her presence would have
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Art Jewelry Forum has expanded its efforts to connect more directly with the jewelry community by regularly hosting live chats online. These feature artist studio visits, talks with gallerists about shows they’re hosting, interviews with curators and authors, and other programming tied to various jewelry weeks from around the
AJF Live with Melanie Eddy Read More »
May 2025, Part 2 Right now, we all could use a treat. It feels good to get a terrific piece of art jewelry for ourselves while celebrating and supporting artists and the galleries who show them! Art Jewelry Forum’s international gallery supporters celebrate and exhibit art jewelry. Our bi-monthly On Offer series allows this extensive network of international galleries to showcase
In a shift away from the conventional gallery model, Salotto SPJ is redefining how we experience contemporary jewelry. Inspired by the intimacy and intellect of historical salons, this curated space in Milan, Italy, brings together artists, collectors, and curious minds in a setting that feels less like a showroom and more like a conversation. Salotto
In Conversation with Josefine Spjeldnæs Read More »
This week, AJF goes to Santa Fe, NM, US. There, the travelers will take in The Stories We Carry, on view at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). The exhibition’s curator, Brian Fleetwood (Mvskoke Creek), will give us a special tour of his show. There isn’t a monolithic “Indigenous jewelry,” states Fleetwood. Each culture
The Hidden Narratives within Indigenous Jewelry Read More »
As AJF travels to Santa Fe, NM, US, this week, it’s the perfect time to interview new AJF member Ivan Barnett—who’s based in Santa Fe—about his consulting venture, Serious Play. For over 25 years, Ivan Barnett has shaped the narrative of contemporary craft and design through his work with the Santa Fe institution Patina Gallery.
Ivan Barnett in Conversation Read More »
May 2025, Part 1 Right now, we all could use a treat. It feels good to get a terrific piece of art jewelry for ourselves while celebrating and supporting artists and the galleries who show them! Art Jewelry Forum’s international gallery supporters celebrate and exhibit art jewelry. Our bi-monthly On Offer series allows this extensive network of international galleries to
