April 2024, Part 2
Art Jewelry Forum is pleased to share the news that members of our community find noteworthy. Is something missing? The success of this compilation of compelling events, news, and items of interest to the jewelry community depends on YOUR participation. If you’re a member of AJF at the Silver level or above, you can add news and ideas to this bi-monthly report by going here. If you aren’t a member, but would like to become one, join AJF here.
Listings gathered with assistance from Carrie Yodanis.
ART JEWELRY FORUM SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As Yvonne Montoya prepares to leave her role, Art Jewelry Forum seeks a new leader. Might it be you? Find all the details here. Apply now!
EVENTS
We have a dedicated page for them. Go here to see the list.
FEEL LIKE SEEING A JEWELRY SHOW?
Find these listings and many, many more on our dedicated exhibition page:
- Violeta Adomaitytė: My Beloved Spring, at Jewelers’Werk Galerie through April 26
- Victoria Bulgakova, at Four Gallery through April 27
- Vera Siemund, at Galerie Rosemarie Jäger through May 5
- Re: Play, at Baltimore Jewelry Center through May 24 (featured photo)
- The Strength It Takes to Be Alone, at Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry through May 26
FROM OUR MEMBERS
KEITH LEWIS | THE SADDEST AISLE, AT THE JEWELRY LIBRARY APRIL 19–MAY 23, 2024
Presented by Gallery Loupe in partnership with The Jewelry Library. Baskets serve as the inspiration for Keith Lewis’s latest series. These are not just any baskets, however, but the humble used (and sometimes abused) vessels that line the dusty shelves of a Goodwill thrift shop. Unlike his earlier work, the pieces in The Saddest Aisle series don’t have specific narratives. Nonetheless, invisibly buried within their tattered weaves, each basket tells a story of usage, ownership, and abandonment, functioning as an inanimate witness to the joy and suffering experienced by the inhabitants of the homes in which they were placed. Such spectral memories, along with their overall aesthetics, pique Lewis’s interest, and the baskets themselves provide the basic elements from which the brooches and pendants in the series are made. Opening reception: April 19, 7:00 p.m. Gallery talks: April 20, 12:00–5:00 p.m. Info.
SEE KĀTAHI ME INĀIANEI / NOW AND THEN: ALAN PRESTON
This exhibition presents a selection of jewelry from Preston’s archive, bringing together a personal record of creative jewelry practice over the past 50 years. His own pieces mingle with those gifted and purchased to create a collection that holds memories, whakapapa, and affiliation to a community of makers across Aotearoa. The installation replicates a wall in Preston’s home that is a catch-all for his collection. At ObjectSpace, in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, through May 19, 2024. More.
FLORA CURIOSA: HANNA LILJENBERG, AT PLATINA APRIL 11–MAY 8, 2024
“For me,” says the maker, “the forest is a mysterious place filled with both darkness and John Bauer magic—inhabited by plants and creatures living together in symbiosis or the brutal reality of nature. I have a strong fascination for the world of flora much like my fascination for the deep sea. It is a realm beyond my understanding, and I both fear it as yearn for it. My pieces of jewelry attempt to capture my ambiguous feelings into wearable pieces in the shape of leafy growth and creepy little bugs.” Folded and hammered steel or brass shapes serve as the foundation for Liljenberg’s pieces, which she covers with hundreds of paper parts as well as dried seed cases to evoke a sense of growth and new imaginary qualities. More.
HEAR MARTA COSTA REIS ON THE JEWELRY JOURNEY PODCAST
Find out what to expect at the second Lisbon Contemporary Jewelry Biennial, and get tips for attending it. Hear how Portugal’s 48-year authoritarian regime and the Carnation Revolution still influence Portuguese artists and jewelers today. Learn why jewelry is so closely linked to power and politics, and much more. Listen here.
A COLLECTOR’S JOURNEY: SUSAN GRANT LEWIN AND THE ART JEWELRY WORLD
This exhibition highlights Susan Grant Lewin’s pivotal role in fostering the growth of art jewelry and showcases her journey as a collector. Presenting almost 90 unique works featuring innovative ideas, non-traditional materials, and masterful techniques, A Collector’s Journey includes pieces by noted artists from around the world. At the Lowe Art Museum, in Coral Gables, FL, US, June 21–September 14, 2024.
APPLY TO PARTICIPATE IN NYC JEWELRY WEEK 2024
The 7th annual NYC Jewelry Week city-wide festival will take place November 18–24, 2024. The jewelry community is invited to be part of this celebration, focusing on consumer education and innovation. The open call welcomes thoughtfully planned proposals from artists, designers, curators, and retailers for exhibitions, talks, pop-up retail events, and other interactive consumer-focused events. Activities will take place both in-person and virtually during NYCJW24. Info.
DESTINATION BIJOUX CAGNES-SUR-MER: MAY 2–5, 2024
The town of Cagnes-sur-Mer, strong in its commitment to contemporary jewelry, will celebrate contemporary jewelry during its very first week dedicated to this art. This major event will take place in various emblematic places in Haut-de-Cagnes, with exhibition curators Juan Riusech, Sébastien Carré, and Isabelle Busnel. With its seaside, its medieval Grimaldi Castle, its lovely Espace Solidor (the only museum solely dedicated to contemporary jewelry), and its scenic medieval old town, Cagnes is the perfect French Riviera location for a four-day event packed with a dozen exhibitions by international collectives and galleries, some lectures (in French and English), a documentary about the famed Helen Britton, open studios of local artists, guided tours, and workshops for kids and family. Info.
JOIN MAD FOR AN ARTISTS TALK FOR IN OUT OF THE JEWELRY BOX: APRIL 19, 2024
Jeweler Keith Lewis will begin the evening with a lecture about his groundbreaking series memorializing lives lost to AIDS and about his recent work. Artists Sulo Bee, Andrew Kuebeck, and Cheryl R. Riley will follow with a conversation moderated by fellow OUT artist Rebekah Frank. They will discuss how queer artists making contemporary art jewelry use different materials and visual languages to explore and communicate their identities. At the Museum of Arts and Design, NYC, $20. Tickets.
THE ENAMELIST SOCIETY CONFERENCE: JULY 24–31, 2024
The conference, workshops, and exhibitions will take place in Little Rock, AR, US. Most of the events will be held at the Windgate Center of Art + Design on the University of Arkansas – Little Rock campus. Two workshops may be scheduled at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Registration is open. Info. Prospectus.
NEW ZEALAND’S OBJECTSPACE IS HOSTING A MONTH OF JEWELRY EVENTS
Besides exhibitions, you can enjoy a party to celebrate big milestones for Fingers—50 years!!—and Workshop6 (April 19), a Taonga workshop and a lecture by Neke Moa (April 21), a lecture by Marina Elenskaya called “Jewellery Is What You Make of It” (April 22), and a badge-making workshop with Judy Darragh (April 27). More (once on that page, scroll to bottom to see events).
OTHER NEWS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR MUNICH NEXT YEAR
The whirlwind of an event will take place March 12–16, 2025.
NOON PASSAMA WON THE FRANÇOISE VAN DEN BOSCH AWARD 2024
Congratulations! Passama (born in Bangkok, 1983) is a jewelry designer based in the Netherlands, where she graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie (2010) and ArtEZ University of the Arts (2013). At the core of Passama’s practice is a continual reworking of jewelry archetypes. The jury was unanimous in its decision, deeming Passama a role model for younger generations and a great example of how collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach can strengthen the field. Passama won AJF’s 2012 Emerging Artist Award. More.
LILY GLADSTONE WEARS EARRINGS BY ELIAS NOT AFRAID
The star of Killers of the Flower Moon wore Not Afraid’s giant dangles at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Although they’re not identified in this Elle article full of juicy photos, they were credited in The Adventurine.
EXHIBITION ILLUSTRATES THE EVOLUTION OF HIP-HOP JEWELRY
Opening May 9, 2024, at the American Museum of Natural History, Ice Cold will highlight hip-hop’s cultural influence through five decades of jewelry sported by popular musicians. More.
WHO PULLS THE STRINGS BEHIND THE MEMES?
I’ll take that slice to go! Beneath the meme there lies a creator. Rick Dick’s work focuses on pop culture, with a special focus on fashion. Just a few hours after an event happens, he has already generated a series of memes, from Miley Cyrus at the Grammys to fashion shows in Paris or Milan. You won’t see only jewelry in this article, but all the images are great fun. More.
JEWELRY GOES TO THE DOGS
If you read this news report regularly, you know that your editor here at AJF really enjoys Dearest’s very funny Substack. The latest issue featured this clever brooch that transforms the natural shape of a pearl into a kinda wacky-looking pooch. It had an auction estimate of $700–$900 but ended up selling for a lot more: $2,413. More.
THE THINKER-MAKER IN IRANIAN CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
Atefe Mirsane is an Iranian jeweler who specializes in wood. She, along with Narges Marandi, Farhang Parsikia, and Zahra Mottaghi, write about the changing meaning of “craft” in Iran. Read it in Garland.
ROYALS—THEY’RE JUST LIKE US!
Like many an art jewelry lover, Queen Camilla is deeply enthralled with her brooches. She frequently accessorizes with an on-theme brooch, says this article. Whether it’s a ballerina to see a ballet, or a horseshoe to attend a race, Camilla chooses her brooches very intentionally. Despite the article’s claims, it mainly shows the same royal jewelry that’s been passed down through the generations.
OPPORTUNITIES
OPEN CALL: THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION ARTS WRITERS GRANT 2024
This grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. Open to US citizens, permanent residents of the US, and holders of O-1 visas. Deadline: May 15, 2024. More info.
CALL FOR ENTRY: GORGEOUS JEWELRY 1.0
A unique opportunity to represent contemporary artistic jewelry to collectors, art/design lovers, admirers, and quality audiences. Held at the Asian Contemporary Modern Design Fair Design Shanghai (19 – 22 June 2024). JCC Center (International Center for Contemporary Jewellery) in Shanghai and Hangzhou (25 June – 25 Sept). Deadline: April 30, 2024. Info.
Image: Shanghai
EVENTS
KORU8 STARTS NEXT MONTH
The forest-themed event includes exhibitions in two locations: The Finnish Forest Museum Lusto May 17–December 1, 2024, and Oulu Art Museum in winter 2025. Workshops June 4–6, 2024, in Lappeenranta: Listening And Making Yourself Heard, taught by Urmas Lüüs and Timo Tähkänen; Nose-to-Tail Approach, taught by Katharina Dettar; Into Wood, taught by Sanna Lindholm. Seminar June 7 (at LAB University of Applied Sciences, in Lappeenranta) and 8 (at the Finnish Forest Museum Lusto, in Punkaharju); speakers will include Katharina Dettar, Åsa Elmstam, Maria Kiialainen, Sanna Lindholm, Sarah Powell, Jenna Purhonen, Nora Schuurman, Manami Aoki, Reetta Karhunkorva, Inni Pärnänen, Maria Ignacia Walker. Info.
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