San Antonio, Texas, US—Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is pleased to announce the 2024 Young Artist Award (YAA) competition, the 21st cycle of this prestigious prize.
The AJF Young Artist Award, held every two years, acknowledges promise, innovation, and individuality, and advances the careers of rising artists. Ambitious contemporary jewelry artists aged 35 and under are invited to apply for this international prize in contemporary art jewelry, which includes US$7,500 for the winner, as well as an exhibition during Schmuck, in March 2024, for the winner and four finalists.
The benefits of winning ripple out beyond the financial; past recipients have described the prize as boosting their energy and motivation, and the sense of encouragement and support from the field enhanced their confidence. The award has advanced their careers by virtue of increased exposure, networking connections, and exhibition opportunities.
AJF’s award and grant program is made possible by individuals who believe funding art creation is an important way to show their appreciation for the arts. For the third cycle in a row, the Young Artist Award competition is generously supported by collectors Karen and Michael Rotenberg, whose collection focuses on the innovative use of alternative materials by emerging talent and mid-career artists. AJF is deeply grateful for their commitment. Their leadership and generosity are funding not only the prize for the winner but US$1,000 awarded to each of the four finalists.
We are excited to announce that, this year, applicants who make it to the second stage of the jury’s three rounds of deliberations will be highlighted in a photo essay on AJF’s website.
The 2024 YAA jury consists of Ted Noten, Atty Tantivit, and Mallory Weston.
- Weston won the 2022 Young Artist Award. She lives and works in Philadelphia, PA, where she is an associate professor of Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She received her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2013. In addition to her career as an educator, she maintains an active studio practice. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Design (NYC); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and CODA Museum and Design Museum den Bosch (both in the Netherlands), among others.
- Tantivit is the founder and director of ATTA Gallery. She has played an active role as a collector and an advocate of jewelry art since opening her Bangkok gallery in 2010.
- Noten’s designs act as a critique on contemporary life and on the history of jewelry, as well as on the wider context of product design. Interestingly, the Dutch artist’s work equally relates to architecture. The underlying, recurring, theme of his work is to challenge convention and processes of habituation, the familiar, and the unusual.
Applications will be accepted August 6–November 6, 2023. The competition guidelines are here. Apply here.
The AJF Young Artist Award is offered through AJF’s award and grant program and celebrates innovation in jewelry by a young artist. Through the AJF Young Artist Award, AJF hopes to recognize new and exciting work that will direct the future development of art jewelry.
About AJF
Art Jewelry Forum is a nonprofit organization spreading awareness and increasing appreciation of art jewelry worldwide since 1997. AJF advocates for international contemporary art jewelry through an ambitious agenda of education, conversation, and financial support. It commissions critical writing that sets the standard for excellence in the field and publishes artjewelryforum.org, an online resource for original content on art jewelry.
