The Nature of Imperfection: Jewelry and Adornment

The online catalog is here! Please share the link to this page with your community. The print version is available for purchase here.  Thank you again to all the artists who applied, the jurors, and the selected artists. Note: Selected artists will receive a gratis copy as soon as it arrives and can purchase more copies at a discount. Share this link with your community.

 

Recap: Jewelry and Adornment Call for Entry 

Congratulations to all the selected artists! We received many worthy entries across the categories, giving the jury a challenge to select 50 works, including artists of particular mention; Anja Eichler was selected for the Artistic Excellence award ($1,000). The three Honorable Mention awards ($200) were won by Emily Cobb, Yuka Saito, and Helena Sandström. All 50 artists’ works will be highlighted across the SA+C social media and online communications in the coming months. The SA+C was so taken aback by this first juried call for entry that we decided to also create an online and print catalog!

Artistic Excellence

Anja Eichler

Honorable Mention

Emily Cobb	Yuka Saito	Helena Sandström

Selected Works

Melis Agabigum	Efharis Alepedis	Eliana Arenas
Antonia Baafi	Viviana Campoverde	Beatrice Carlson
Kate Caswell	Xiao CHEN	Hannah Craig
Beth Farber	Motoko Furuhashi	Christy Georg
Dawna Gillespie	Jill Baker Gower	Holland Houdek
Xiaodai Huang	Luci Jockel	Lauren Kalman
Katie Kameen	Megan Kerr	Mariambibi Khan
Youngjun Kim	Joshua Kosker	Åsa Lockner
Patcharabhorn Lueraj	Ahmad Majing	Lydia Martin
Märta Mattsson	Rebecca Neely	Ahlam Qaissi
Kendall Reiss	Helena Renner	Jocelyn Solis
Laura Stamper	Rho Tang	Paige Van Doren
Hao Wei	Kristi Wilson	Dongyi Wu
Stephen Yusko	Eighteen (Yihan) Yuan	Isabel Zeng
Renee Zettle-Sterling	Huimin Zhang	Kangyi Zhang
Caterina Zucchi

 

Background: The Nature of Imperfection: Jewelry and Adornment

The Nature of Imperfection: Jewelry and Adornment is a juried call for entries that embraces the concept of imperfections and inconsistencies in works of art.Makers are encouraged to submit examples offering a range of perspectives on this topic. Works that investigate aspects of the human condition, natural phenomena, and pattern disruptions, for example, merely are suggestions for a subject that has many points of entry. The subject of imperfection is a core tenet of the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, which was founded in 1897 to support hand craftsmanship in a rapidly industrializing world. Applicants may be inspired by the art theorist John Ruskin, who first articulated concepts of the arts and crafts movement.**Note to artists/makers: Please do not be discouraged if your ideal materials/methods/mediums are not listed here. Our interpretation of jewelry is wide-ranging, and adornment can be almost anything that rests or is placed on the body. How you interpret that is up to you. Show us something interesting. We hope you will surprise us.**Entrants will select up to two (2) categories for consideration:

• Metalwork: Includes jewelry made primarily from metals such as gold, silver, copper, brass, and others. Entries may range from traditional metalworking techniques to contemporary approaches.
• Mixed Media: Combines different materials in their jewelry creations. This category might include pieces that incorporate metals, polymer clay,  gemstones, beads, fibers, wood, or other nature-based or unconventional materials.
• Enamelwork: Specifically for jewelry that features the art of enameling.
• Upcycled or Recycled Materials: The focus is on sustainable jewelry made from recycled or upcycled materials. This category promotes eco-friendly practices and creativity in repurposing materials.
• Cultural/Traditional: Celebrate jewelry that draws inspiration from specific cultures or traditions. This category may include pieces that reflect the artist’s heritage or explore cultural themes.

*Selected pieces will be shown in the SA+C online gallery. All selected artists will be featured on SA+C social media, on the website and in our eNewsletter (sent to 10,000+ recipients). One artist will be awarded a $1,000 grant to inspire their continued work. Plans for an in-person exhibition will be announced at a later date. Work should have been made within the last five (5) years.

*“No human face is exactly the same in its lines on each side, no leaf perfect in its lobes, no branch in its symmetry. All admit irregularity as they imply change; and to banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality (source).”**Please contact us if the submission fee represents extreme hardship.