The Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is delighted to announce this year’s Emerging Artist Award Winner is Natalya Pinchuk. The jury was comprised of retired metals professor Arline Fisch, curator Gail M. Brown and well-known jewelry artist Nancy Worden. The jury chose from thirty-three entries representing all regions of the US as well as the Netherlands and Turkey. The criteria used to evaluate the entries were: originality, quality of craftsmanship and continuity of design. The jury was challenged and inspired by the high percentage of exceptional entries.

Pinchuk submitted a body of work she calls Growth Series. In Growth Series, bright flowers seem to sprout from the wearer in formations suggestive of colorful fungi thriving on a vine-like host. They appear to be indigenous to the steamy tropics and Dr. Suess. Juror Gail M. Brown described these whimsical felt, plastic and enamel creations as “daring and joyful.”

Natalya Pinchuk’s work appears in the new Lark Books publication 500 Necklaces and will be included in the exhibition of the same title at Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco in November 2006. She is also represented by Charon Kransen in New York. Formal announcement of this award will be at SOFA Chicago, on Friday, November 10, at 1 p.m. in conjunction with an AJF-sponsored lecture by artist Mary Preston.2006 marks the seventh year that AJF, an organization that promotes education, appreciation and advocacy for contemporary art jewelry, has given an award to an emerging jewelry artist whose work shows exceptional promise.