June 2024, Part 1

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.

AJF LIVE WITH DR. EMILY STOEHRER: JUNE 26, 2024, 12 P.M. EST
As the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Senior Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Stoehrer oversees a collection that spans 6,000 years and includes more than 22,000 objects—including ancient jewelry, a growing collection of 19th and 20th-century high-style jewelry, and the Daphne Farago Collection of contemporary jewelry. At the MFA, she curated Past Is Present: Revival Jewelry, and co-curated Boston Made: Arts & Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork and Hollywood Glamour: Fashion & Jewelry from the Silver Screen. Register here.

AJF TO GIFT MEMBERSHIP TO WINNERS OF JEWELS FOR DEMOCRACY AWARDS
The Jewels for Democracy exhibition is part of the Lisbon Contemporary Jewelry Biennial. The jury—purposefully chosen from outside the field—is composed of artist Joana Vasconcelos, professor Celine Moedas, media executive Monica Balsemão, political journalist Mafalda Anjos, and Adelio Gomes, who comes from a family of goldsmiths. The three winners will be announced June 24, 2024. The prize for first place will be revealed during the ceremony. AJF will give the winners one-year memberships.

JEWELRY 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:

• BETTINA DITTLMANN: M O S T L Y   A I R, at Jewelers’Werk Galerie through June 14
• Julia Maria Künapp: Traveling Light, at Sienna Patti through June 16
• Mass Migrations Seth Michael Carlson, at Gravers Lane Gallery through July 15
• Time and Again, at Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry through August 18

FROM OUR MEMBERS

BRACELETS, BANGLES AND CUFFS: 1948–2024, AT THE METAL MUSEUM JUNE 9–NOVEMBER 17, 2024
This exhibition features a remarkable collection of contemporary bracelets that reveal the wide-ranging creativity of artists working in this timeless form. Over 90 examples by international artists examine cultural, political, and personal meanings wrapped around a wearer’s wrist. The show highlights many works owned by exhibition organizer Helen Drutt, a renowned educator, gallery owner, author, patron of the arts, and advocate of modern and contemporary craft. Drutt adds historic context and scholarly weight to the diverse pieces on display, which illustrate a wide variety of traditional metalsmithing techniques, experimental methods and materials, and contemporary processes. More.

A COLLECTOR’S JOURNEY: SUSAN GRANT LEWIN AND THE ART JEWELRY WORLD OPENS JUNE 21
Preeminent collector Susan Grant Lewin traces her passion for art jewelry back to her work in the 1980s and ’90s as a journalist and communications executive. Lewin has followed the careers of art jewelry practitioners for four decades. At the Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, FL, June 21–September 14, 2024. Info.

GLOWWORM, AT GALERIE DOOR, OPENING JUNE 8, 3–6 P.M.
It’s Moniek Schrijer’s first European solo exhibition, with the artist in attendance for the opening! Schrijer leads us into the ngahere (forest) and ana (caves), exploring elements of our natural world. Cosmic transformations of light and dark take place with the use of glow-in-the-dark spheres; surfaces are embedded with light-reflecting and absorbing sources; stone, porcelain, cubic zirconia, shell and glass are placed alongside natural and engineered gemstones. More.

SQUARING THE CIRCLE AT GALERIE ROSEMARIE JÄGER, OPENING JUNE 2, 11 A.M.–3 P.M.
“Clear, unambiguous compositions that gain a greater inner complexity from this simplicity, a mysterious, tranquil depth—this is my first impression of the works of Giampaolo Babetto,” said Johannes Nagel. “The contrast between our works could hardly be greater in terms of format and expression, yet their genesis is similar in a diametric way: a limitation of means leads to an abundance of ideas and forms, each with its own relations- hip to the body.” June 2–June 14, 2024. Info.

THE JEWELRY JOURNEY INTERVIEWS GABRIELA SIERRA
With a background in industrial design followed by courses at Alchimia, the designer and creator of Gabriela Sierra Jewelry loves color, and she plays with bold shapes, textures, and asymmetry. Originally from Mexico, she produces the collection in her homeland but now manages her business from Montreal. Listen here.

RIVA LAND: SOFIA BJÖRKMAN, AT NÄÄS KONSTHANTVERK GALLERY
The new works in this exhibition are a continuation of the Landscape series that Björkman has worked on for a few years. She sees herself and the human body as a landscape for jewelry, and the exhibition space as a landscape for the exhibited objects. Portable jewelry can be moved from room to room, from country to country, from city to forest, and from one context to another. Mobility and flexibility can broaden jewelry’s meanings and perspectives. Through June 30, 2024. Info.

CHECK OUT THE ONLINE CATALOG FOR JUNE 12 “ART JEWELRY AND JEWELS” AUCTION
You’ll find work by AJF member Paul Derrez, Kadri Mälk, Karl Fritsch, Giampaolo Babetto, Peter Hoogeboom, and many others. See all the lots on Quittenbaum’s block here. The column on the left allows you to sort by artist.

ANTONELLA VILLANOVA GALLERIA EXTENDS BERNHARD SCHOBINGER EXHIBITION TO JUNE 29, 2024
Read our review here. The gallery’s website is here.

WATCH THE LISBON BIENNIAL’S COLLOQUIUM ONLINE

Three half-days of debate and reflection on political jewelry, jewelry and power, and the politics of jewelry. Speakers from around the world include AJF board member Cindi Strauss (chair of AJF’s Editorial advisory Committee), Monica Gaspar, Vivi Touloumidi, Dionea Rocha Watt, Rosa Maria Mota, Toon Leen, Clementine Edwards, Patricia Domingues, and Benjamin Lignel (former AJF editor). June 27–29, 2024, in English. Register here.

SEE MASIERAAD’S GRADUATION EXHIBITION
The opening takes place Friday, June 14, 19:00–22:00. See the show June 14, starting at 12:00; June 15, 12:00–19:00; June 16, 12:00–18:00. Info.

BELLA NEYMAN MAKES JEWELRY PREDICTIONS
Go here to find out what three themes NYCJW’s founder foresees we’ll see in jewelry for the next few years.

METAL MUSEUM PLANS EXPANSION
The museum has just signed a lease for, and intends to extensively renovate, the aptly named Rust Hall, a four-story mid-century modern building once occupied by the Memphis College of Art. Rust Hall will become a center for metal arts, with exhibitions and educational opportunities for all ages. Watch a news report.

BILL HARPER MONOGRAPH TO RELEASE THIS SUMMER
Bizarre Beauty: The Art of William Harper will be published by Arnoldsche. A 20-year retrospective exhibition with a similar name, William Harper: The Beautiful & the Grotesque, ran April 4–June 14, 2019, at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Whet your appetite for the upcoming book by watching a video about that exhibition here.

WINNERS OF “THE NATURE OF IMPERFECTION: JEWELRY AND ADORNMENT” ANNOUNCED
Anja Eichler took the Artistic Excellence award. Honorable mentions went to AJF board member Emily Cobb, Yuka Saito, and Helena Sandström. A total of 50 artists were selected in the Society of Arts and Crafts’s competition. See their names, and an online catalog of all the works, here. Congrats, all!

DID YOU MISS SU SAN COHN’S TALK IN MUNICH?
Or do you want to hear it again? Earrings Are for Listening was recorded and popped onto YouTube. Watch it here.

MAD FEATURED IN SOCIETY NEWS
A May 5, 2024, luncheon hosted by Barbara Tober, MAD’s Chair Emerita, focused on the museum’s new show, OUT of the Jewelry Box, and kicked off the annual MAD about Jewelry sale taking place that day. AJF board member Barbara Paris Gifford and Tiffany Dubin gave presentations. More.

MORE IS MORE: JUNE 8–JULY 13, 2024
This exhibition will feature new work by 15 established and emerging jewelry artists from around the US, focusing on the transformative powers of wearing bold and engaging jewelry and celebrating work that expresses the experimental and playful side of the artist and the wearer. Featured artists: Sulo Bee, Raissa Bump, Nikki Couppee, Denise Barr, Jo Baxter, Michael Norman Bayes, Simon Gomez, Gabrielle Gould, Hannah Keefe, Michele Lippert, Robert Liu, Maru Lopez, John Luebtow, Julie Shaw, and Storai Stanizai-Rasmussen. At Freehand Gallery, Los Angeles. More.

THE JEWELRY LIBRARY HOSTS “PUT A BROOCH ON IT”
Guest curator Danielle deCongé’s cheeky take on the brooch is part Instagram diary, part performance art, and part jewelry exhibition, inviting jewelry lovers to give something familiar a new life. “The brooch is the only adornment with a mind of its own,” says deCongé. “Unlike necklaces, earrings, and rings, it’s migratory and can travel to whatever needs doing up.” Is your guest towel for decoration only? Put a brooch on it! Is that moth-bait sweater at the back of your closet your only option on laundry day? Put a brooch on it! Want your swimsuit to sparkle like the water? You know what to do! June 12, 5 p.m. Info.

OTHER NEWS

BEYOND ADORNMENT, ON VIEW AT SEMOCA
This exhibition, at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA) May 28—July 28, 2024, marks the first large-scale art jewelry exchange exhibition since Korea and Austria established diplomatic relations in 1892. See 675 representative works from 111 artists from both countries in three sections: Avant-garde Jewellery (historical works starting in the 1970s); Contemporary Jewellery Now (works created since the 2000s with the body, nature, and narrative as themes); and Crafting the Future (explores new production methods and attitudes). More.

SEE THE CATALOG OF TANEL VEENRE’S LATEST EXHIBITION
The show was at Galerie Biro and the pieces focused on lips. Like parures, many of the works in Luul can be dismantled—you might wear one in its entirety as a necklace, or wear one element from it as a brooch. See the catalog (with snapshots of the opening) here.

WORKSHOP: BLOW IT UP WITH KIM BUCK, AUGUST 23–25, 2024
This workshop, in Zurich, will investigate how inside pressure gives shape and meaning to materials. Forget about ending up with a result and focus more on the process and the experiment. Bring something you need to reshape by blowing it up, or bring just your curiosity, a creative mind, and perhaps a pump that will give you pressure to work with, any size, any type: a ball pump, a small compressor, a syringe—anything. Info.

COREEN SIMPSON FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES
Although this article focuses on photographers, Simpson was also a jewelry designer, especially known for her Black Cameo collection. Due to its success with consumers, Avon signed a licensing deal with Simpson in 1994. Stay tuned—Sebastian Grant is researching a biographical article on Simpson that AJF will publish later this year. Read the NYT article.

OTHERS & ME—A NEW JEWELRY PODCAST
Host Sarah Cossham has interviewed Elena Karpilova, Sebastien Carré, and Gabi Veit, among other. Sometimes it’s in English, other times in German. Listen here.

JEWELERS CELEBRATE WORLD BEE DAY (MAY 20)
He-lloooo?! There’s just not enough buzz in this article because JCK didn’t include Luci Jockel. To make up for this stinging oversight, AJF is featuring her photo instead of one from the original article.

CRUSHED JEWELRY—IT’S A THING
Among all the bling in Christie’s June 11 “Magnificent Jewels” auction is a pendant by César (aka César Baldaccini, 1921–1998), who in the 60s compressed cars, scrap metal, and assorted junk into giant sculptures. In the following decades, the French sculptor crushed together multiple jewelry pieces brought to him by clients. With experience, he was able to somewhat control which items remained recognizable—note the little dog here. More. This brings to mind MJ Tyson‘s work, although the 2020 Young Artist Award winner does something altogether different with jewelry.

GER XIONG FEATURED IN THE QUEUE
The Minneapolis-based artist illuminates the Hmong American experience through evocative jewelry and textiles that riff on traditional forms and patterns. Here, he shares the family connections forged through embroidery, his plans for an upcoming residency, and outstanding contemporary Hmong artists.

CHARLOTTE DE SYLLAS’S CARVES UNIQUE GEMSTONES
A reporter visits the 78-year-old British jeweler’s studio. Nice, but let’s hope the paper covers an American stone carver next, since it is an American newspaper! More.

POLICE RECOVER TWO DIAMONDS STOLEN DURING TEFAF
A diamond that was part of a stolen necklace surfaced in Israel. A second diamond from the same stolen necklace was traced to Hong Kong. The police have seized both diamonds for investigation.Jewelry worth tens of millions of euros was taken in the heist at Maastricht’s The European Fine Art Fair on June 29, 2022. The suspects, still at large, are believed to be from Serbia. More.

WORKSHOP WITH ROSEANNE BARTLEY: “WRITING PRACTICE/PRACTICE WRITING”
Are you an artist or maker looking to build confidence and vitality in your writing practice? Do you want to enhance your skills or develop more productive habits? This two-hour workshop will examine the value of writing on creative practice through playful, easy-to-do exercises supported by exploratory making, reading, and group discussion. At Alta Forma, in Melbourne, Australia, June 15, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. More.

LAURA LAU KLEIN WINS $15,000 WINDGATE-LAMAR FELLOWSHIP
As a jewelry artist,” states Lau Klein, “I merge recycled metals, repurposed wood, and responsibly harvested plants with fabrication and casting. By combining carefully considered materials and traditional jewelry techniques, I create adornments that speak to how intertwined we are with our surroundings, the land, and our past.” Congratulations! More.

HANA FOO ALSO WINS $15,000 WINDGATE-LAMAR FELLOWSHIP
“As a first-gen Chinese American …” states Foo, “my work reflects the Chinese Diaspora’s deep history. Inspired by ancient Chinese art and folklore, I explore themes of assimilation and alienation within my American upbringing … My aim is to create contemporary pieces using ancient multicultural techniques, preserving and educating about the past while challenging cultural narratives.” Congrats! More.

SECRET MESSAGE JEWELRY RETURNS
The engraved words are too small to read with the naked eye. Find out more. Our message is: buy more art jewelry and avoid the conventional stuff!

OPPORTUNITIES

OPEN CALL: ENJOIA’T – CON-X-ION CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY AWARDS 2024
This call, drawing inspiration from the networked interaction of mycelia underground or the synaptic functioning of neurons in the human brain, focuses on sustainability, traceability, and the resignification of the materials used in contemporary jewelry. Open to students and professional jewelers. Deadline: July 15, 2024. Guidelines. Registration form.

CALL FOR ENTRY: $3,000 CRAFT INNOVATION JUMPSTARTER GRANT
This program aims to support two craft artists pursuing ideas in their studio practice that represent something new for them. Examples: introducing a different craft medium; incorporating a new tool into your practice or using an old tool in new ways; taking a new approach to craft education; etc. Applicants must reside in the US. Deadline: June 15, 2024. Info.

PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFT RESIDENT ARTIST PROGRAM
Designed for professional craft artists at a pivotal moment in their creative practice or career, the residency is an opportunity to pursue objectives that will have a lasting effect on their work and their lives. There are two options: a one-year project-based residency or a three-year career transition residency. Deadline: July 2, 2024. Info.

OPEN CALL: PREZIOSA YOUNG DESIGN COMPETITION 2024
This contest/exhibition falls under the umbrella of the vast PREZIOSA – Florence Jewellery Week project, entirely supported and organized by LAO – Le Arti Orafe, the Jewellery School in Florence. Open only to candidates born after December 31, 1988. Deadline: 30 November 30, 2024. Info.

OPEN CALL: BUDAPEST JEWELRY WEEK
Theme: Attention. Our lives are increasingly influenced by our ability to capture and maintain attention, both our own and that of others. The limits of human information processing mean that our age is characterized by a race for attention as the amount of information increases, so concentration, focus, interest, listening, awareness, mindfulness, become more limited and therefore more valuable. Deadline: June 25, 2024. Info.

OPEN CALL: CRAFTFORMS 2024
Wayne Art Center’s 29th annual international juried exhibition of contemporary craft. Entries across all craft mediums welcome, including jewelry, metal, basketry, ceramics, fiber, furniture, glass, and more. Juror: Jo Lauria. Deadline: September 10, 2024. Info.

PAGES

DECODING THE JEWELS: RENAISSANCE JEWELLERY IN SCOTLAND
National Museums Scotland’s important collection of Renaissance jewelry from Scotland is considered together in this fully illustrated volume alongside significant items from the Royal Collection. Renaissance jewelry in Scotland is particularly notable given the rare survival of jewels from the 16th century. More.

LOVER’S EYES JEWELRY INSPIRES ROMANCE NOVEL
The plot of M. J. Rose’s Forgetting to Remember follows Jeannine Maycroft, the Keeper of the Metalworks at the V&A after World War II. While curating a show, she stumbles upon a collection of jewel-framed miniature eye portraits. One piece most intrigues her: a man’s eye framed by opals shimmering with enchanting flashes of fiery color. Not only is the painting a self-portrait of one of her favorite Pre-Raphaelite artists, but the brooch is a portal into the past. More.

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