Norwegian jewelry artist Liv Blåvarp’s career started three decades ago with the challenge of increasing functionality in her work, resulting in the dynamic wooden forms for which she has achieved international renown. In this interview, Blåvarp details her investigation of form and function, and the process and inspirations behind her sinuous, sculptural necklaces. Liv Blåvarp, […]
Two years ago, jewelry collector Susan Beech took the bold step of creating an unprecedented $20,000 grant opportunity for a mid-career artist to pursue a dream project without the financial or time pressures that artists often feel. Out of her passion and desire to give back, the Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant was born. In its
Susan Beech, Founder of the Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant Read More »
Jorunn Veiteberg To call Jorunn Veiteberg a collector seems to dismiss the enormous influence she has in the art jewelry world. With a PhD in art history from the University of Bergen, Norway, she has been head of exhibitions at Hordaland Kunstsenter in Bergen, Galleri F 15 in Moss, Norway, and head of arts at
In Conversation with Jorunn Veiteberg Read More »
Christine Clark, Give, 2017, installation, cast concrete, steel, flock, room dimensions 6.1 x 4.6 m, photo: Stephen Funk Christine Clark, a force of nature in the metal arts field, is known for her voluminous sculptures constructed from steel wire. Currently the head of the metals department at Oregon College of Art and Craft, Clark
An influential and passionate advocate of art jewelry, Toni Greenbaum is an art historian who specializes in modern and contemporary jewelry. Not only does she lecture internationally and teach Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Jewelry at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, she has also written many articles and books, including Messengers of Modernism: American
Toni Greenbaum: 20th-Century American Jewelry Read More »
Lin Cheung, Delayed Reactions—Confused, Speechless, Fallen, 2017, brooches, lapis lazuli, gold, each 51 x 9 mm, photo: artist Lin Cheung’s work is certain to spark discussions. From her Friend or Foe necklace, the Room Temperature object, her published books, and installations to her latest Delayed Reactions brooches and Keep series, Lin’s work is a commentary
Newly opened in 2017, Galerie Door showcases international art jewelry by artists whose works invoke a sense of wonder through their craftsmanship, materials, and subject matter. In this interview, gallerist Doreen Timmers discusses her approach to presenting and contextualizing art jewelry to new audiences in her region. Valérie Wagner, Temps, 2017, necklace, dripstone from the
Margit Hart and Jonathan Wahl met in the SUNY New Paltz graduate program in 1992 while she was in her second year and he was in his first. After Margit graduated, they lost touch until 2016, when Jonathan took a group of collectors and students from 92Y on a tour of Prague and Vienna, where
If you’re a regular reader of AJF’s website, or a member of AJF, Susan Cummins probably doesn’t need much introduction. You might have met her on an AJF trip, heard her talk on a panel, or read one of the many interviews she has done with jewelers on the AJF website. Susan is a collector
Collector Susan Cummins in Conversation Read More »
Mia McEldowney was an influential gallerist, curator, and champion of Northwest arts who ran Mia Gallery, in Seattle, WA, from 1984 to 1997.She collected and wore art jewelry; after her death, in 2013, 35 pieces from her collection were bequeathed to Tacoma Art Museum (TAM). This jewelry was featured in the exhibit Well-Worn Narratives: The
In Conversation with Meg Shiffler and Nancy Worden Read More »
Two projects supporting women who are both artists and mothers have been evolving on two different continents with a shared purpose. The Mother Load is a US–based initiative started by Lesli Robertson and Natalie Macellaio, while Mother Makers, started by Laura Bradshaw-Heap and Laurie Schram, is based in the UK and Europe. Both projects, however,
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Descriptors like innovative, funny, beautiful, masterful, cool, challenging, refined, and eye-catching are just some key words that describe Kim Buck’s work. In this interview, his thoughtful answers reveal much about what has sustained him over a long career; there is much to learn here. Ever evolving, Kim is a maker fully engaged and enmeshed in
