AJF Trips and Events

We currently have two events scheduled. Scroll down for information about each one.

AJF LIVE WITH SULO BEE
October 4, 2023—12 p.m. NYC
Free and open to all. Register here.
Sulo Bee was recently named one of 10 artists in the US for the 2022 Emerging Artist Cohort by the American Craft Council, and was awarded the Marzee Graduate Prize at the International Graduate Show by Galerie Marzee. They earned their MFA from SUNY New Paltz in 2022 and have exhibited their work internationally with various galleries and jewelry weeks in Budapest, Milan, and New York. Bee is a co-founder of Queer Metalsmiths. Their work was featured in the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Learning Lab highlighting LGBTQIA+ artists. During NYCJW 2022 they were a panelist on “Identity Adorned: The Intersection of Jewelry and Queerness,” at the Museum of Arts and Design.

AJF LIVE WITH KHANYA MTHETHWA, WINNER OF THE SUSAN BEECH MID-CAREER GRANT

October 25, 2023—12 p.m. NYC

Free and open to all. Register here.

Mthethwa won a cash grant of $20,000 to support a project that mixes African jewelry with technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. The project will demonstrate the use of 3D-printing to reimagine the designs of indigenous cultural objects. Mthethwa will fabricate highly refined pieces of jewelry and ornaments. She is an award-winning jewelry designer born in Kwa-Zulu Natal who currently works as an academic at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

AJF LIVE GOES TO SOUTH AFRICA

November 1, 2023—12 p.m. NYC
Free and open to all. Register here.
Take a captivating journey of South African jewelry, celebrating the nation’s rich and diverse heritage as the “rainbow nation.” During the event, educators and artists will share their expertise and creations, shedding light on how the different South African cultures have influenced contemporary jewelry designs. The participants will explore traditional techniques, materials, and styles that have shaped South African jewelry, creating a unique contemporary aesthetic. The event will also emphasize the role of educators and contemporary jewelry galleries in promoting this art form, while highlighting specific artists and their contributions to the field.

Captions (left to right)
1. Sulo Bee, FL0WURZ[stretched]&C4$TL32, photo courtesy of the artist
2. Khanya Mthethwa, Umswenko—Izelamani, 2019, necklaces, photopolymer resin, fine silver, photo: Matome, photo editor: Pixel65
3. Samantha Vincent, Gathered, 2022, neckpiece, platinum, glass seed beads, nylon, photo courtesy of PlatAfrica. This piece won the 2022 PlatAfrica competition. “My interpretation of the competition theme—#Hope—is centered on the idea that [hope] can be ‘gathered’ from the past, present, and future, and is a vital concept that ensures meaning in our lives,” says Vincent.