Sharon Massey, Hinged bracelet, 2009, iron wire, cotton gauze, rust, wax, silver, 7 x 7 x 2 inches (winner of the AJF Emerging Artist Award, 2009)

Here’s a nice article by AJF member Lindsay Pollock, originally published in Art + Auction, about the growing interest in contemporary jewelry, and a number of important donations to American museums over the past couple of years which have shifted institutional attitudes to contemporary jewelry as a notable (and collectable) practice. (To read the article, click here.)

A number of the people discussed in the article, including Donna Schneier and Helen Drutt English, are members of AJF, which goes to show that it is possible to make a significant impact on behalf of contemporary jewelry in the wider art world. AJF began life as an organization of contemporary jewelry collectors who wanted to make a practical difference to the art jewelry scene through grants and programs that would support makers – and the writers, curators, museums and collectors who support them. AJF has been working hard to expand its activities, and to broaden its membership base. If you would like to get involved, and put your membership donation to work on enhancing the recognition and support for contemporary jewelry, then consider becoming a member of AJF. To find out more about what this involves, click here.