September 2026, Part 1
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.
OPEN CALL: AJF’S 2027 SOLO EXHIBITION AWARD
Open to artists of any age and nationality, this $20,000 grant has as its objective to support the creation of a solo exhibition to advance an artist working in the field of art jewelry. The proposed project should be about jewelry, loosely defined. Deadline: November 15, 2026. More.
AJF LIVE WITH GERALDINE FENN—SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
The inaugural recipient of AJF’s 2025 Solo Exhibition Award will take us inside the development of her exhibition, Geraldine Fenn: Dispatch from the Colonies. The show explored the power dynamics of European colonization in Africa. We’ll see highlights from the completed show and hear how the award created opportunities to research, learn new techniques, and make work on a scale that might otherwise not have been possible. With special guests. Register here.
TRAVEL TO HOUSTON WITH AJF: SEPTEMBER 23–26, 2026
Trip now open to all AJF members. Day trips only are an option. We’ll visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to celebrate two important exhibitions: the first US solo presentations of Bernhard Schobinger and Dorothea Prühl, both key figures in avant-garde art jewelry. Also: behind the scenes at MFAH with special guests Helen Williams Drutt English and Susan Cummins; a day-long symposium featuring leading voices in the field, followed by a reception; visits to the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, artist studios, museum collections; and other stops that reflect the breadth of the city’s creative life. Email danielle@artjewelryforum.org for info.
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
METAL MUSEUM REOPENS THIS WEEK
After a major expansion, the institution in Memphis, TN, US, opens its doors to the public on September 11, 2026. It’s the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to metalwork. More.
LESS THAN A WEEK LEFT TO APPLY FOR EARRINGS GALORE 2026
Earrings Galore, organized annually by Heidi Lowe Gallery, is a juried exhibition of a rich and diverse array of earrings made by 60 emerging and established studio jewelers. Each artist’s unique approach to the earring format will be represented in a cohesive grouping of six pairs. The grouping should show that it is made with intention, attention to detail, and that its functionality is considered. The exhibition 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. Deadline: September 13, 2026. Apply here.
WATCH A RECORDING OF A PANEL DISCUSSION AT NYCJW25
Galleries are an important part of the contemporary jewelry world. They offer a space for new talent as well as established designers and artists. They build relationships with collectors, museums and the jewelry-buying public to promote and sell their work. Leading gallerists Esther de Beaucé, Sienna Patti, and Yael Reisner—all AJF members—and Elisabetta Cipriani reveal their own unique approach in a panel discussion hosted by journalist Caroline Palmer. Watch here.
ASAGI MAEDA TO GIVE PRESENTATION OCTOBER 3, 2026
The Fuller Craft Museum, in Brockton, MA, US, is currently showing Stories on the Planet: Asagi Maeda, through November 8, 2026. In conjunction with that, Maeda will come present at the museum. She will also be present there the next day, Sunday, October 4, to share her thoughts, ideas, and inspiration for the exhibition.
MÄRTA MATTSSON WILL PARTICIPATE IN HOMO FABER EXHIBITION
With Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light, explore 15 immersive installations, experience 800+ objects, discover 400+ artisans from 70+ countries. Artistic direction by Es Devlin, curated by the Michelangelo Foundation. September 1–30, 2026. Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice.
GALIELLA ENAMELLUM: NEW WORK BY SARAH PERKINS
Considered one of the best enamelists in the US, Perkins amazes with her superb forms, brilliant colors, and stylistic surprises such as stitched seams, gemstones, and unusual textures. She became fascinated with the form and color of the hairy cup mushrooms that grow prolifically in the Midwest. Her new series of brooches, necklaces, and earrings are all cup-shaped, based on the forms of the fungi. At Mobilia through September 26, 2026.
SURF_: HANSEL TAI—OPENS SOON AT PLATINA
Tai’s work investigates queer culture in the post-internet epoch, where the natural is overshadowed by the body cult, deformation, subcultural signs and high gloss metal. The title refers simultaneously to surfing on open water and surfing the internet. Through this dual entry, Tai revisits adolescent experiences of digital freedom, exhilaration, and sexual liberation while examining the subcultural aesthetics that shaped his own practice in all aspects. The works in the exhibition reconstruct acts of love hunting and queer cruising, reassembling them into tactile forms that question how technology mediates desire, identity, and perception. Through September 17, 2026. More.
TRANSITION, AT PISTACHIOS THROUGH NOVEMBER 8, 2026
Presents a body of work by Mélanie Denis created over three years, crossing three territories, three inner states, and three defining moments of the artist’s life. Through this series, the landscape becomes the reflection of a personal transformation, moving through grief, emancipation, and rebirth. More.
FOUR TALKS AT GOLDSMITHS FAIR
The last week of September 2026, AJF member Bella Neyman brings together Castro Smith, Megan Brown, Joy BC, and Alice Biolo to explore the ideas, influences, and creative exchanges shaping contemporary jewelry today. Other talks: Alex Monroe joins journalist and author Rachael Taylor for an intimate conversation reflecting on his time in the creative industries. Dr. Frances Parton, curator at The Goldsmiths’ Company, in conversation with Morvarid Alavifard and Makila Nsika. Hilton Ingram explores platinum’s place in jewelry today. Info.
ART AUREA REPORTS ON VERONIKA FABIAN
In May, Fabian—who serves on AJ’s Editorial Advisory Committee—won the Friedrich Becker Prize, worth 10,000 euros. Her work is on view at the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau through October 18, 2026. Read the article here.
MÄRTA MATTSSON & CARINA SHOSHTARY: BRIGHT WINGS, SILENT WAVES
Through work inspired by nature, both artists metaphorically address contemporary societal issues: self-assertion expressed through brilliantly colored jewelry in Mattsson’s work, and the concept of protection in Shoshtary’s. At Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h, September 12–October 31, 2026. See the work.
APPLY FOR 2027 RESONANCE RESIDENCY AT BKMW
Brooklyn Metal Works’s residency offers jewelry artists an opportunity to develop their studio practice while utilizing the unique advantages that come from being in New York City, an important hub of the contemporary jewelry scene. This three-month residency will enable jewelers at every level of their career to expand their practice or create a new body of work. Semi-private studio space on the educational floor of BKMW; resident artist reception; unrestricted stipend of $300 per month; $300 credit for use in the BKMW Tool Shop; $600 credit for coursework at BKMW; $500 stipend for an artist lecture; paid opportunity to instruct or assist a BKMW workshop; professional review of work created during the residency; and more. Opens September 9, deadline October 9, 2026. Get info here.
ART JEWELRY WEEK GUADALAJARA: SEPTEMBER 7–12, 2026
Mexico boasts a rich tradition of materials, craftsmanship, and jewelry-making, yet there are still few spaces where art jewelry can be found, discussed, exhibited, and engaged with other contemporary practices. The week brings together artists, students, educators, institutions, galleries, collectors, and the public. It also fosters something that a single exhibition cannot build: continuity, dialogue, and community. Art Jewelry Week emerged to help shape this ecosystem. More.
NOEL GUYOMARC’H TO GIVE TALK AT MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS, PARIS
The talk will take place on October 1, 2026, at 6:30 pm, in the museum’s auditorium, in conjunction with Parcours Bijoux. His exhibition in the triennial, Couleur Matière, runs October 2–10, with an opening reception on October 3.
ONHOLD | KARL FRITSCH & JAIME JENKINS
Jaime Jenkins is a Tauranga Moana-based artist who creates hand-built ceramic works and installations. Fritsch probably needs no introduction. At AJF member gallery The National, in Christchurch, New Zealand, through September 12, 2026. More.
3RD LISBON CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY BIENNIAL STARTS SOON
With the theme of “Coexistences,” the program includes exhibitions, a colloquium, a gallery expo, and master classes. Takes place September 19–27, 2026, with many of the shows lasting beyond those dates. Info.
JURY FOR VDW JEWELRY SELECTION 2026 ANNOUNCED
For I Don’t Shine, I Have something to say, six international names from the world of contemporary jewelry, art, and design—Pistachios Gallery and Thereza Pedrosa Gallery (both AJF members) and Revista AtelieruL, Adoc Asociacion, Galleria Carlo Lucidi, and Alice Floriano Gallery—will select the winning pieces for special awards and opportunities beyond the exhibition itself. The exhibition takes place as part of Venice Design Week. October 9–18, 2026, at Wonder Q Room – Libreria Giovanni, Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice, Italy.
PERSPECTIVES ON CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY: AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, scholars, curators, and artists will present a day-long symposium accompanying Going Underground: The Jewels of Bernhard Schobinger and The Jewelry of Dorothea Prühl. Dynamic talks and curator-led tours will bring new perspectives to each artist’s practice as well as greater insights into the dialogue between contemporary jewelry, political and cultural history, and contemporary art. Speakers: Renate Luckner-Bien, Iris Eichenberg, Claudia Schmuckli, and Cindi Strauss. A reception follows. September 26, 2026, 11 am–4:30 pm. Free; registration required. Unable to attend in person? Attend the livestream.
JULIA TURNER TO PARTICIPATE IN SMYKKERNES BY
Her work will be on view at Formwerk, in Copenhagen, for the exhibition City of Jewelry: Wood, part of the citywide celebration of jewelry that takes place October 1–3, 2026. Smykkernes By website. Info in English.
NEWS FROM ALL AROUND
OPEN CALL: SCHMUCK SPECIAL SHOW 2027
Applications are now being accepted for undoubtedly the best-known annual exhibition of contemporary jewelry. The next edition will be on view in March 2027, during Munich’s jewelry week. Each year, approximately 65 international artists are chosen for the exhibition. Selected participants become eligible for awards that recognize excellence in contemporary jewelry, including the Herbert Hofmann Prize and the Bavarian State Prize. Deadline: October 1, 2026. More.
GOT QUESTIONS FOR KARL FRITSCH?
Fritsch will be at the DIVA museum September 24, 2026, 7:30–9 pm. He’ll talk about his work at the casting bench, about rings, diamonds, and gemstones, and about why he continues to seek out experimentation. Do you have a question for him? Send it to publiek@divaantwerp.be before September 14. A selection of questions will be addressed during the conversation. More.
40TH MARZEE INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE SHOW
Galerie Marzee celebrates a new generation of international jewelry artists, bringing together recent graduates from academies and universities around the world and presenting fresh and individual perspectives on contemporary jewelry. All are invited to the opening, on September 12, 2026, at 16:00. The show will run through November 17, 2026. More.
SAN FRANCISCO METAL ARTS GUILD CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
On October 17, 2026, the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild gathers at the Brower Center, in Berkeley, CA, US. Its symposium offers presentations and discussions with Jennifer Altmann, Victoria Lansford, and Doug Bucci, moderated by Curtis Arima. Information and tickets here. On October 18, Victoria Lansford offers a Great Granulation Workshop at Silvera Jewelry School in Berkeley; reserve your spot here. On October 19, 6–8:30 pm, City College of San Francisco opens its doors for a tour of its new Jewelry and Metal Arts Lab, located at 50 Frida Kahlo Way in Rm 114 of the STEAM Building.
BONGANI MASHANGE WRITES ABOUT HIS JOURNEY IN JEWELRY
The Zimbabwean artist carries his Shona and Ndebele inheritance into pieces made of blackwood, silver, and resin, turning an accidental spill into an Afropolitan language of materials. Read here.
DANIEL KRUGER: FRAGMENTS OF THE FUTURE
Across jewelry and ceramics, Kruger brings historical forms, natural specimens, and ordinary materials into new constellations. The works operate as autonomous objects, while the jewelry acquires a further life through the body, movement, and use. At Gallery GAo ShAn, in Helsinki, Finland, August 21–October 24, 2026.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND JEWELLERY OPENS IN BANGKOK: SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
“Jewelry helps you to be seen. Nothing does more to frame the face and give expression to the body and accentuate your personality,” writes Andreas Kronthaler, creative director at Vivienne Westwood. “Jewelry is powerful, and it can be loaded with meaning. It marks life, and it gives importance to it.” Through October 23, 2026. More.
PROVING JEWELRY IS MORE THAN JUST PRETTY BAUBLES
The NYT reported on author Sloane Crosley, professor Theaster Gates, and Hermès Americas chief executive Diane Mahady, who are holding master classes organized by the Jewelry Edit Foundation, which mentors next-gen jewelry talent. They’re pointing out jewelry’s profound role in culture. The idea is to change the appreciation and understanding of what’s still thought of merely as adornment. More.
A DAY WITH ARTIST KELLY KOUMALATSOS
Maya Hodge interviews Wergaia and Wemba Wemba artist, activist, and educator Kelly Koumalatsos, who works in both across jewelry and possum skin cloak-making. Here.
PAGES SPOTLIGHTING JEWELRY
EVA EISLER: TAMED INFINITI
Eisler’s work spans artistic disciplines, form, and meaning. Moving seamlessly between jewelry, design, architecture, and fine art, she approaches them as part of one continuous creative process. Her works range from rigorously structured, geometric compositions to organic shapes infused with archetypal echoes. The book explores the ideas embedded in Eisler’s work through conversations with architect Pavla Melková, complemented by the artist’s own writings and texts by leading curators and historians. From Arnoldsche. More.
JEWELRY ON THE WILD SIDE, BY ELENA AGOSTINIS
While traveling afar, Agostinis realized that people in the most far-flung places in the world all have a powerful urge to self-adorn. Although not a jeweler, she found it fascinating that the materials used by these artists and artisans are often simply what the earth yields. She tried to include works that illustrate these remarkable innovations and the materials used in this book. More.
THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF JEWELLERY IN ART, BY STELLA GRACE LYONS
Why does a dead weasel wear a jewel-encrusted mask? Why do diamonds appear again and again in Medici portraits? And what does an eight-minute hourglass have to do with an accountant? Uncover the secret meanings behind jewelry in art—from symbols of power, wealth and lineage to signs of desire, fertility, virtue and private anxiety. You’ll discover the hidden language woven into portraits of queens and courtesans, merchants and lovers, and even enslaved children. More.
JOURNAL OF JEWELLERY RESEARCH VOLUME 9 HAS PUBLISHED
This year’s volume is the largest edition published so far. Dive into it here.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND JEWELLERY, BY ALEXANDER FURY AND ANDREAS KRONTHALER
Oops, this is not a new publication, but our radar only now picked it up. The first book dedicated to Westwood’s jewelry creations, published in close collaboration with the house. More.
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