|
This edition of AJFconnection marks a milestone. Last
fall
our members responded to a wide ranging survey.
The AJF board of
directors Pat Rodimer, Elizabeth Shyprett, Jo Lauria
and Rika Mouw invited founding members
Susan Cummins, Sharon Campbell, Donna Briskin
and me, new member Sally von Bargen, to discuss
the AJF survey, goals of the organization
and ways to strengthen the AJF community.
AJFconnection resulted from that conversation. The
plan
was to give the newsletter a try for six months, and
then assess its benefit to members. Your consistently
kind praise and the overwhelming response to our
Boston trip has the board feeling confident that
AJFconnection has deepened your personal
connection to AJF. The newsletter is now a long-term
benefit of AJF
membership.
Thank you for taking the time to open, read and
explore AJFconnection. The purpose of AJFconnection
remains to
strengthen the AJF community and to advocate for the
art form that fuels our passion, contemporary art
jewelry. Remember, when you have an
exhibition, artist, event or idea to share with all of us,
please
send it
along and we'll spread the word.
Sally von Bargen
AJFconnection Editor
| Sharon Campbell Enlightens Artists and Students |
 |
|
Sharon Campbell, one of the founding members of
AJF and formerly an interior designer, dealer, and
currently a collector of contemporary art jewelry, was
asked by the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco to
make a presentation last month at the Academy of
Art auditorium.
Sharon talked about the way she saw jewelry in
relationship to architectural spaces, surfaces and
materials and presented striking imagery in support of
her vision. Since jewelry and interior spaces and the
materiality of both are passions of hers, it was a
wonderful opportunity for her to think out loud about
how she sees.
For Sharon "jewelry and the interiors are
kindred spirits - the originality in the pieces I was
seeing and the interiors that I was creating felt
similar. The intertwining threads that run between the
two fields are the ever-evolving use of materials. The
juxtaposition of textures and materials in relationship
to each other, and the ability of an artist, architect or
designer to create something unique that becomes a
personal expression.”
We all see differently, and her presentation offered
fascinating insight into how contemporary makers and
collectors of all disciplines reflect the visual language
of the time. She visually demonstrated the parallels
between the architecture
of Frank Gehry and the jewelry of Annamaria Zanella,
the architecture of Jim Jennings and the jewelry of
Helen Britton, and the Uyemura residence and the
work
of Florian Weichsberger.
Sharon’s up beat attitude and caring passion served
to encourage jewelry artists to follow their interests
into
making ambitious new and original jewelry. She was
encouraging about the future for contemporary jewelry
in the world wide marketplace as well as enthusiastic
about the exhibitions of major jewelry collections
taking place this year at two major fine
arts museums. All of this exposure to new audiences
who already have an
interest in the arts and who will understand the
aesthetics
of the unusual materials involved in making art jewelry
is good news for the field.
IMAGES: Slides from Sharon's presentation, courtesy
of Sharon Campbell
|
| Our Search for 2007 Emerging Artist Begins |
|
|
AJF has launched the 2007 candidate search for our
Emerging Artist Award. AJF member Nancy Worden
will spearhead
our search as AJF seeks to acknowledge promise,
innovation and individuality in the work of emerging
artists. Harriete Estel Berman, artist and teacher, and
Jean Mandeberg, artist and metals professor have
accepted Nancy’s
invitation to jury the entries.
The Emerging Artist Award consists of a cash award
of $2000 and free registration for the full Visiting
Artist Program at the next Buyers Market of
American Craft, courtesy of
the Rosen Group. The award will be announced at
SOFA Chicago in November.
We thought you would enjoy seeing a recent work by
our first Emerging Artist Award winner Yeonmi Kang.
Yeonmi continues to evolve as an artist and her work
can be found in many notable collections and
galleries.
Image: Yeonmi Kang, The Rumor, brooch,
enamel and sterling silver, 2" x 2.5". Courtesy Facere
Jewelry Art Gallery
|
| Arlene Fisch Honored with USA Fellowship |
|
|
In its inaugural year, United States Artists awarded 50
USA Fellowships to a total of 54 artists, and four
artists’ collaboratives. Expert panels selected the
winners from among 300 applicants representing
every artistic discipline in 43 states. As USA
Fellows, each artist receives an unrestricted grant of
$50,000 to support his or her creative work.
Arline Fisch, who has practiced her craft for more than
50 years, is one of the most respected jewelry
makers in the field and was named a USA Target
Fellow.
Her work melds jewelry, sculpture, and clothing, and
she incorporates the structure of textiles and fiber craft
into metal-based pieces that are often inspired by
ancient cultures and the natural world. Fisch is the
recipient of numerous honors, including an honorary
doctorate from Skidmore, a gold medal from the
American Craft Council, the Lifetime Achievement
Award in Crafts from the National Museum of Women
in the Arts, and multiple Fulbright fellowships to travel
to Uruguay, Austria, and Denmark. She has been a
trustee of the American Craft Council, a founding
member and president of the Society of North
American Goldsmiths, and a trustee of the Haystack
Mountain School of Crafts. She is represented in
numerous collections and exhibitions around the
world.
IMAGE: Portrait courtesy of USA Artist, photography:
Cary Okazaki
|
|
Collectors Take Note |
|
|
|
Boston Trip Filling Up Fast: We are thrilled
that so many AJF members have signed up for our
Boston trip. We are fast approaching our maximum
capacity of 25 and have even had the hotel
increase our room allotment. There is room for only a
few more
members so it's time to decide if you wish to join us
in Boston May 19-21. We urge you to act now by
calling the hotel to book a room before the April 18th
cutoff date and immediately send us your registration
form and check.
SNAG Offering Collector Program at Memphis
Conference: SNAG is introducing the "Friends of
SNAG" program for jewelry advocates at their
conference in Memphis this year. This program offers
access to special programs, conference activities and
social events. Among the many interesting events is a
private tour of The Metal Museum hosted by James
Wallace, the executive director of the museum. Use
the quick link below to visit the
SNAG website for more information.
Anya Kivarkis Honored Three Times: The
work
of
Anya Kivarkis, Assistant Professor of
Jewelry/Metalsmithing at the University of Oregon in
Eugene was selected to be included in the 8th
Northwest Biennial at the Tacoma Museum of Art. The
Biennial is structured to prompt meaningful dialogue
about the Northwest’s artistic strengths and
accomplishments. The exhibit opened in February
and closes on May 6th.
Anya’s work has been acknowledged on both sides of
the pond. She was a recipient of Sienna Gallery's
Emerging Artist Award and is one of only two
Americans included in Schmuck 2007. Thrid time's a
charm.
IMAGE: Anya Kivarkis, untitled, brooch, silver and
enamel paint. Courtesy of the artist.
|
|
