Leslie William LePere was a rare golden soul. He was 24 karat. He was grade “A.” He had a solid #2 lead spirit, woven with originality, wit, and pure magic. One of the great creative forces of his time, Les left behind a legacy that runs deep in the soils of eastern Washington and spreads […]
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When collector Lois Boardman wore her gold nosepiece, by German jeweler Gerd Rothmann, to the supermarket, customers averted their gaze. It was strange and, she supposed, may have appeared to be a prosthetic. The piece was not a false appendage. It was made using an impression of Boardman’s real nose taken with the help of
Betty Cooke, who lived until her centennial year, was one of the last living links to mid-century modern design. A jeweler and artist of note, Cooke was also a purveyor of well-crafted objects. In this, she influenced the status of good design throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Cooke’s artisanry and signature streamlined
Betty Cooke, 1924–2024 Read More »
Rob Koudijs’s recent passing also brought an immediate end to the eponymous gallery’s 17-year existence. Yet another gallery for contemporary jewelry has disappeared. Some of the gallery’s artists who knew him well helped me paint a picture. The last pop-up In 2022 Koudijs had already bid farewell, as a consequence of the COVID years, to
The End of an Institution Read More »
Jeweler Jesse Monongye was known for the technical excellence and beauty of the intricate inlay jewelry he created. He began making jewelry in 1975, having learned some of the basic metalworking skills by observing his father, Preston Monongye, and lapidary skills by watching Lee Yazzie. Monongye, his brother, and sister were raised by Navajo relatives
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Arline Fisch is best known for combining textile techniques into jewelry. This fusion came about serendipitously. She had been making jewelry but began working with textiles in a serious way after Skidmore College asked her to take on their weaving program. (They had no opening to teach jewelry.) A subsequent trip to Peru opened her
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It is with great sadness—and joy—that we at AJF fondly remember our friend, AJF member and passionate jewelry collector Sharon Berman. Sharon passed away recently, on August 16, 2024, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. I can safely say that for everyone who knew Sharon she was an inspiration, with her dogged determination,
It is with immense sadness for her death and abundant gratitude for her life that I write this appreciation for Janice “Jan” Yager. Her death, after 12 years with breast cancer, will not extinguish the importance and quality of her jewelry. It will not diminish her meaningful advocacy for the field of jewelry. Her work
Jan Yager: October 9, 1951–August 14, 2024 Read More »
Awards College of Fellows – American Craft Council Lifetime Achievement Award – Society of North American Goldsmiths Master Metalsmith – Metal Museum Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship – American Craft Council National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships (1971 and 1977) Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award – University of Wisconsin—Madison Distinguished Educators Award – James Renwick
Nobody ever thought it would be possible for Willem Hoogstede to not be with us any longer. He was always there, in the jewelryverse, like a steady beacon. Not only will his humor and his characteristic voice be missed by many, but his keen eye as well. But his warm attention will be missed most
Willem Hoogstede, 1947–2024 Read More »
Oslo, Norway, March 31, 2024 Tone Vigeland is widely considered a pioneer within the field of art jewelry. Born in 1938 into one of Norway’s most prominent artist families, Tone entered Statens Håndverks- og Kunstindustriskole (today called Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, the Oslo National Academy of the Arts) in 1955. In 1957 she began her goldsmith
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Peter Skubic, the great jeweler/sculptor, had a fine, large, high-ceilinged apartment in Vienna, as well as a farmhouse in the village of Gamischdorf, Austria. Peter and I were born on the same day, August 11. Peter was one year older than I. Astrologically speaking, we are Leos. Partly because of this coincidence of nature, the
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