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Greetings!
Like many of you this time of year, I attended a commencement ceremony. California College of the Arts president Steve Beal spoke about something common to all art schools--the critique. He talked in a very expansive way about criticism when he said:
 | | Open critique with Steven Beal, Lawerence Rinder, and Jessica Silverman, photo: CCA |
More than just passing judgment on someone's work or analyzing what you're looking at, the critique is a collective experience--a shared reading, if you will.
He also quoted Michel Foucault:
Criticism is absolutely essential to transformation ... the work of deep transformation can only be carried out in a free atmosphere, one constantly agitated by a permanent criticism.
Those words resonated with what I feel is at the core of the values of AJF. It was nice to have them discussed at a commencement as something that will serve the students in many ways in their lives after school.
Our factoid for June--Over the past 12 months, the number of visitors to the AJF website has increased by more than 40 percent. Whoa!
À bientôt,
Susan Cummins
AJF Chair
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THANK YOU NEW YORK!
We are still digesting all the sights and sounds from the AJF trip to New York City. The days were filled with amazingly impressive displays, thoughtful and inspired shows, tempting fairs, and old and new friends. It was a delectable spread. I want to particularly thank Donna Schneier and Jane Adlin, curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for arranging to host all the AJF members at the exclusive opening of Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection and the exhibition walkthrough the following morning. Witnessing a contemporary jewelry collection enter the halls of the Met was a momentous occasion for all of us to celebrate. The other extraordinary show, called Multiple Exposures: Jewelry and Photography, opened the following night at the Museum of Arts and Design. It was curated by Ursula Ilse-Neuman and was a rare attempt to place jewelry in a cultural context outside of our jewelry bubble. A thank you also goes to MAD and Ursula for hosting the AJF members for the panel discussion and for the opening. And finally, one more thank you goes to the Collective 2 Design Fair for issuing VIP passes to us. And I almost forgot to mention that we had 44 people--a really mixed crowd at a get together for dinner at Bottino in Chelsea one night.
We were well taken care of in New York. Thank you to everyone involved.
  
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UPCOMING AUCTIONS
Rago: During the Rago Modern Design auction on June 15, 2014, three jewelers are featured, including Carolyn Kriegman, Sam Kramer, and Ed Weiner (lots 825 to 830). There are also two pieces by June Schwarcz (lot 840 and 841).
Wright Auctions: These four Sam Kramer pieces will be available in the June 12, 2014 auction at Wright. The estimates range from $2000 to $7000.
Happy hunting.
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EDUCATIONAL DISPATCHES: Videos from chp...?
"This one we made earlier"--jewelry brand chp...? offers a video lesson in technical versatility:
 | | Manual: the making of Circle in Circle by Gijs Bakker |
 | | Surgical: the making of Little Mat by Dinie Besems |
 | | Industrial: the making of Global Bracelet by Paolo Ulian |
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GRADUATE PORTFOLIO REMINDER
Are you a student in a metalsmithing program at a degree-granting institution? If your school is a supporter of AJF, you can upload your graduate portfolio to the AJF website by following this link. We want to see what you have been up to!
If your school is not a supporter of AJF, let them know they should be! Tell them about the platform AJF provides students to show their work to a community of people who appreciate contemporary jewelry. It is a great opportunity to promote the students, the program, and the philosophy of your school!
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Kyleigh Garman, MFA 2014, Indiana University
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Agne Visiauskaite, BA 2014, Edinburgh College of Art
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Kelly Marie Novak, MFA 2014, Indiana University
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STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
"Honestly, of course, we cannot speak for students as a whole and can only respond from the voice of RISD Jewelry & Metals, which is an independently run forum and platform for the RISD department, students, and alumni. Our relationship with AJF began with our interest in and enthusiasm for seeing the promotion of schools and specific student work updated and represented each year in a consolidated online format. Now, our relationship to AJF has somewhat expanded in what seems to be a growing forum for articles and interviews as well as a form of call-and-response dialogue circling around fundamental questions surrounding the field of contemporary jewelry.
Of course, we are also excited by and look forward to the emerging artist award each year, both as an opportunity for ourselves and as a promotion for fresh voices in the field, which we firmly believe in encouraging. "
Mariah Tuttle & Kamal Nassif
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STUDENT VOICES: Reviews of the Speakers Tour Lecture Series
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WHAT'S NEW ON THE WEBSITE
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NEW ARTIST INTERVIEWS ON THE BLOG
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FEATURED GALLERIES
 | Taboo Studio
Out of the Blue
May 23-July 26, 2014 |
 | Sienna Gallery
Biba Schutz
June 21-July 13, 2014 |
 | Putti Art Gallery
Amber in Contemporary Art Jewellery
May 23-July 26, 2014 |
 | AME Gallery
Building Jewelry: Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition
May 8-30, 2014 |
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Gallery SO
Bernard Schobinger: Rings of Saturn
June 5-October 19, 2014
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Patina Gallery
Honoring Harold O'Connor
May 2-June 8, 2014
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SUPPORT AJF
Take advantage of Amazon's new feature AmazonSmile.
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Art Jewelry Forum every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price (0.5%) to AJF.
You shop. Amazon gives to Art Jewelry Forum.
To shop at AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to bookmark AmazonSmile to make it even easier to return and start your shopping.
On your first visit to AmazonSmile and before you begin shopping, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation.
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