Who we are...
The Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is a membership based, non-profit organization created to advocate for the field of contemporary art jewelry. We do so by promoting education, appreciation and support for the field. We were established in 1997.Our goals are to:
- Present opportunities for members and the public to build their personal knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of art jewelry.
- Advocate, support and sponsor experts in the field at gatherings of Contemporary Art Jewelry enthusiasts.
- Provide financial support to emerging art jewelers, American institutions organizing exhibitions and publishing catalogs, and commission new critical writing about the issues and practice of contemporary art jewelry.
- Form alliances and partnerships with other organizations that have interests in alignment with the AJF membership.
- Create a forum and community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about contemporary art jewelry, and want to demonstrate their support in a tangible way.
- Expose art jewelry to a broader audience.
- Facilitate the awareness of American contemporary art jewelry within the international jewelry community, and enhance knowledge of international jewelry trends and issues witin America.
Why should you become a member?
The Art Jewelry Forum is a force in the dynamic field of contemporary art jewelry. Your membership donation supports AJF programs that fund emerging art jewelers, writers and institutions that analyze and promote contemporary art jewelry in America and internationally. Your membership makes a tangible difference to the well being of makers and those who support the practice of art jewelry. AJF is a portal to the rich and varied world of contemporary art jewelry and the communities of interest who support it, a guide to the important players in the field, and an opportunity to meet them – on the website and in person.
If you are interested in learning more about contemporary art jewelry, you should join others from across the country who share your enthusiasm. If you want to raise the public’s appreciation of this art form, you should join. If you want to engage in stimulating dialog with other enthusiastic and knowledgeable members, writers, gallerists, art professionals, and curators, then you should join. Your membership support enables us to do the following:
Support AJF Programs
- Fund speakers who are leading voices in the contemporary art jewelry world at major shows and conferences like SOFA and COLLECT.
- Underwrite catalogues and exhibitions that help to build a ‘body of work’ about contemporary art jewelry with annual grants currently up to $5,000.
- Facilitate a sense of community, shared purpose and rich dialog among sponsors, curators, gallerists and writers who share a passion for contemporary art jewelry.
- Sponsorship of a $5,000 juried Emerging Artist Award.
Offer Exclusive Travel Opportunities
- Provide unique opportunities to see collections unavailable to the public-at-large.
- Offer intimate settings that encourage maximum opportunities for dialogue, learning, and networking.
- Open up behind-the-scenes tours of artist studios to hear outstanding jewelers talk about their work.
Publish a Resource Rich Website and Newsletter
- Present information about contemporary art jewelry from a variety of perspectives on our website and blog.
- Commission and publish articles by leading voices in the contemporary art jewelry field that cannot be found anywhere else.
- Offer members an opportunity to submit topics for consideration.
- Distribute AJF News, an E-newsletter on a monthly basis, just to members. To access all our past newsletters click here.
Join us today! All you need to do is click here to visit the membership area of our website and submit your application online.
