January 2026, Part 2
Art Jewelry Forum is pleased to share all jewelry news. If you’re a member of AJF, you may add news and ideas to this bi-monthly report by submitting here. If you aren’t a member, but would like to become one, join AJF here.
Some of the news items below have no accompanying images. AJF regrets not having the staff capacity to request imagery and permissions from non-members of AJF. You may send us a high-res image (1 MB or larger) for a news listing that concerns you by emailing our managing editor at nathalie [at] artjewelryforum [dot] org. We will promptly add it to the corresponding newsbyte.
FEEL LIKE SEEING A JEWELRY SHOW?
Find listings from around the world on our dedicated exhibition page.
EVENTS
We have a dedicated page for them. Go here to see the list.
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
CURATOR ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT WUNDERKAMMER: THE COLLECTION OF SUSAN BEECH
In a series of videos posted to IG, Natasha Kleit, of the Museum of Craft and Design, shares about Beech’s collection, explains how the exhibition’s title came about, talks about a piece made from unexpected materials, and more. See episode 1 here; episode 2 here; episode 3 here, and episode 4 here. Beech is a member of AJF, and launched the Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant. The exhibition of her collection is on view at the Museum of Craft and Design through February 8, 2026. Info.
THE RESONANCE RESIDENCY FUNDRAISER FOR BROOKLN METAL WORKS
Brooklyn Metal Works is fundraising to launch the Resonance Residency, its first residency for jewelry artists. The Resonance Residency will offer artists at every level of their career an opportunity to develop their work and studio practice while enjoying the unique advantages of being in NYC and its contemporary jewelry scene. As part of its efforts, BKMW is fundraising through bundled selections of specialty publications—a generous donation from the personal library of Helen Drutt English, renowned art historian, educator, and founder of Helen Drutt Gallery. Help BKMW reach its first-tier goal of $20,000 to support an initial cohort of three jewelry artists! Get more info, check out the book bundles, and purchase one here. Make open donations here. This project is fiscally sponsored by Art Jewelry Forum.
EARRINGS GALORE, ON VIEW AT MUNICH’S JEWELRY WEEK
The annual juried exhibition of a rich and diverse array of earrings made by emerging and established studio jewelers is intended to create more access for the public to engage with art jewelry, cultivate connections with the community, and provide opportunities for people to add to their jewelry collection. The collection will be on view in FRAME, March 4–8, 2026. Info.
CONSTELLATIONS TO TRAVEL TO NORFOLK, VA, US
The exhibition will open at the Chrysler Museum of Art on July 10, 2026. Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art showcases more than 350 wearable works of art, many of which have never been on view before. The exhibition surveys nearly a century of creativity and celebrates the ingenuity of jewelry artists from across the globe. It’s at the Dallas Museum of Art through May 3, 2026. Info. DMA curator Sarah Schleuning is a member of AJF, and collector Deedie Rose, who was highly instrumental in bringing together this show, is a very special supporter of AJF. Info about the exhibition.
MARZEE, THE BOOK, COMING IN MARCH
The name Marzee refers to intertwined identities. There is Marie-José van den Hout (known as Marzee), the dealer whose drive and passion makes everything possible. There is Galerie Marzee, the institution with a rich backstory, a fabulous building, and enviable programs. And there is the Marzee Collection, more than 2,500 objects that track the history of Marzee the individual and Marzee the gallery. This book, with a foreword by Petra Hölscher, chapters by Susan Cummins, Flos Wildschut, and Lizzie Atkins, and photographs by Michiel Heffels, tells the story of the dealer, the gallery, and the collection. In 1978 Marie-José opened the first Galerie Marzee in an old butcher’s shop in Nijmegen, the Netherlands; today the gallery occupies an impressively renovated grain warehouse on the river Waal. Imbued with the powerful minimalism of the building, MARZEE the book presents over 300 pieces from the Marzee Collection that have been chosen and arranged by Marie-José van den Hout herself. More.
JOYCE J. SCOTT AND FRIENDS
This group exhibition, at Mobilia Gallery, February 7–March 21, 2026, will feature the work of renowned bead artist Joyce J. Scott and 12 artists she mentored and influenced. Join Mobilia during Black History Month (February) with work that embodies Scott’s mission to address, educate, inspire, and uplift, reflecting the artist’s narrative of what it means to be Black in America. Scott wields her sharp wit and humor to masterfully create bold, sculptural objects, bringing to light and driving home difficult topics such as racism, sexism, patriarchal structures, and the African diaspora. Participating artists: Tracy Beale, Annet Couwenberg, Linda De Palma, Oletha Devane, Espi Frazier, Grayce Johnson, Pam Li, Randi Reiss McCormack, Karen “Sam” Norgard, William Rhodes, and Teresa Sullivan. Opening reception: February 14, 2026, 12–3 pm. Info.
DOURIEAN FLETCHER: JEWELRY OF THE AFROFUTURE TO TRAVEL
The Walters Art Museum, in Baltimore, MD, US, will present an adaptation of the exhibition originally held at the Museum of Arts and Design. The Walters’s show runs April 18–August 9, 2026. Info. The exhibition explores Fletcher’s jewelry as a powerful narrative tool in art, Black identity, and visual storytelling through 100+ works that span the artist’s life and career, from her formative years to the present day, including a dozen from the Walters Art Museum’s collection, hand-picked by the artist. MAD curator Barabra Paris Gifford is a member of AJF.
BUILT FOR THE BODY: THE INTERSECTION OF ARCHITECTURE & JEWELRY
Exhibition at Pistachios Contemporary Jewelry, in Chicago, January 22–March 29, 2026. Biba Schutz, Emilie Pritchard, Joanne Grimonprez, and Sandra Salaices each explore the point at which architecture and jewelry converge. As we navigate through space, our bodies are constantly surrounded by the language of architecture. But how does jewelry enter this conversation? This exhibition exemplifies how our bodies can become the space that holds this architectural language. Info.
WAM! SELECTED FOR PARIS FASHION WEEK
The Wearable Art Museum will serve as the jewelry curator/style advisor for Paris Fashion Week at the Grande Palais in Paris for March 3, 2026, for featured designers: Max Alexander, the world’s youngest fashion designer (serves as ambassador to the UN for Sustainability and WAM Advisory Board) and designer Niki Khojandi from Iran. Lisa M. Berman, founding director is collaborating with select international artists to create one of a kind, bespoke jewelry and accessories created from sustainable materials and practices for this iconic stage. Donations and Sponsorships are needed by Jan. 31, 2026 to cover participation fees, artist materials, travel, hotel, visa’s, production fee, etc. Help WAM be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity! Please contact Director@wearableartmuseum.org.
THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE METAL MUSEUM HAS PASSED AWAY
In 1979, James “Wally” Wallace transformed three ramshackle buildings into what became the Metal Museum. For nearly 30 years, he led with passion, ingenuity, and an unwavering belief in artists and community. Wallace will be remembered as a visionary leader, devoted maker, and the heart of this community. His legacy lives on in the museum’s studios, exhibits, and programs. He passed away after a battle with cancer, on November 30, 2025, at home in Seattle with his partner, Mary Lee Hu, by his side.
AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
This book, by AJF member Elizabeth Parks, recounts the story of her family’s five generations as jewelers, as told by a clock. Not just any clock, but a timepiece that had followed the family’s departure from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1871. After creating a watch commissioned by Queen Victoria for her eldest son, family patriarch Daniel Buchanan was awarded a coveted Royal Warrant that made him official watchmaker to the queen. Seeking challenges and opportunities for his 12 children, Daniel sold his business and arrived with his family in NYC. Shortly thereafter, he settled in and opened his first store in Petersburg, VA. The story follows 175 years of the family’s expansion, success, and occasional setbacks. More.
OPEN CALL: SPARKLE/ECLAT
Exhibition theme: Sparkle/Eclat. Each artist may submit their own vision of this multifaceted subject. Often associated with brilliance, glamour, or the gleam of precious stones, sparkle can also be subtle, conceptual, emotional, or metaphorical. Artists are encouraged to push beyond the obvious and investigate every possible resonance of the word, visible or invisible, literal or symbolic. The exhibition will open during Destination Bijou Cagnes jewelry week (June 4–7, 2026) and continue till September 20, 2026. Each artist may apply with only a single piece. Info.
ORNAMENTA AUCTION
The Baltimore Jewelry Center’s annual Ornamenta auction will go live on January 27, 2026, and close on February 7, 2026. Auction bidding begins on January 27 at 5:00 pm EST and ends on February 7 at 10:30 pm EST. This year’s auction will feature over 30 artworks by over 25 artists, as well as an incredible selection of non-artwork items. Proceeds will support the BJC’s work as an educational nonprofit building a vibrant creative community for the study and practice of metalsmithing and art jewelry. More info.
BRYAN PARNHAM TO TEACH AT 92Y: FEBRUARY 7–8, 2026
This spring, the winner of the 2024 AJF Young Artist Award is traveling to schools across the northeastern US doing a demo tour and lecture series called Synthesis Project. In this workshop, Parnham will demonstrate the use of photopolymer as an etching resist for metalsmiths, printmakers, and photographers. The demos will focus on etching photographic images on sterling silver in ferric nitrate. But the versatility of UV-sensitive polymer has applications across creative fields, so students with backgrounds in fields other than metalsmithing are encouraged to attend. The workshop will be demo-heavy but allow interested students time to make a lapel pin to practice this process’s unique finishing techniques. Info. For additional events, see Parnham’s IG, here.
TANYA CRANE: EMBODIED HISTORIES—EXPLORING THE LEGACY OF AFRICAN JEWELRY
Exhibition at Racine Art Museum, January 21, 2026 – January 9, 2027. Responding to her own biracial background, Crane imbues her enamel, metal, and found object jewelry with reflections on history, resiliency, migration, community, adornment, humanity, identity, family, and heritage. This exhibition features jewelry inspired by historical adornment in RAM’s permanent collection—specifically, incised metal bracelets and neckpieces from West Africa that were used as currency. Info.
NEWS FROM ALL AROUND
HELEN BRITTON: THE STORY SO FAR TRAVELS
The exhibition will run February 7–April 24, 2026, at Watts Gallery, in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. It’s part of Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft, a series of solo exhibitions honoring eminent Australian craftspeople, celebrating their mastery of skill, their achievements, and the unique place they occupy in the national design culture. Britton, an exceptional Australian artist of international reputation, is the tenth artist in this exhibition series. Info.
TE PUNA WHAKARĀKEI: JEWELLERY AS STATEMENT
This exhibition, at the Auckland Museum through spring 2027, features a range of contemporary jewellery pieces from the Museum’s applied arts collection, including work from local and international makers. These artists use jewellery as more than decoration and consider how adornment can engage with challenging conversations; protest, feminism, climate change, and more. More.
NEW JEWELRY WEEK IN MANCHESTER
Manchester Jewellery Week will take place for the first time September 11–20, 2026. Stay tuned for news on their IG feed.
OPPORTUNITIES
MAKE YOUR PROPOSALS FOR RADIANT PAVILION
Proposals for participating in the 2026 program will open January 24, 2026, and close February 22. The festival takes place in Melbourne, Australia, October 24—November 1, 2026. Info.
“JEWELRY IN VENICE” COMPETITION
Apply for Venice Design Week’s VDW Jewelry Selection, an international competition. Info.
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