Double Feature: Barbara Paris Gifford & the ACC Present Tense Conference

Jewelry That Makes You Think.

This week we have a little extra content for you!

Read on for this week's two featured articles.

INTERVIEW

IN CONVERSATION WITH BARBARA PARIS GIFFORD

2020 Art Jewelry Forum Young Artist Award Juror

by Chava Krivchenia

"I had the pleasure of asking Barbara Paris Gifford, a juror on this year’s YAA panel, a few questions about her work as a jewelry curator and arts professional. This year’s jury team also includes artist Bifei Cao (who won AJF’s 2018 Artist Award) and collector Jorunn Veiteberg. Gifford is a contributing writer to AJF and an assistant curator at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City."

Image caption: Caroline Broadhead (UK, b. 1950), Veil Collar, 1983, monofilament, paint, dye, 787 x 267 x 267 mm, Museum of Arts and Design, gift of Donna Schneier, 1997, photo: David Ward, courtesy the artist

ARTICLE

REVIEW OF THE ACC PRESENT TENSE CONFERENCE

Craft as a Positive, Guiding Force

by Lena Vigna

The American Craft Council’s 2019 conference, Present Tense , was identified at the outset as a “national conversation on craft in an increasingly tense and complex present.” This theory turned into practice meant an ambitious schedule of lecture hall panels punctuated with “Object Story” interludes; tours to area galleries, art schools, and other places; workshops that encouraged making as a catalyst to action and community-building; and social gatherings. The conference took place October 10–12, 2019.

The 2020 AJF Young Artist Award Guidelines are now available.

Applications will be accepted through January 12, 2020.

Get your applications ready!

NYCJW19!! Were you unable to attend? Maybe there was so much to see that you missed parts of it. Or you might wonder what other people found noteworthy. Well, some of our friends sent in their favorite sightings from the event, and we've posted them on our website.

Check out the slideshows here and here .

What are you thinking about? Submit a proposal with your article idea to be considered for publication on AJF. Be a part of the conversation.

The next submission deadline is January 27, 2020.

FEATURED AJF LIBRARY CONTENT

Brosche or the jewelry without object of Manfred Nisslmüller

A case study of Austrian artist Manfred Nisslmüller's work Taschenrecorder (which was made in eight examples, 1984–1993), highlighting the artist's view of "jewelry as a disruption" using critical, ironic, and subversive modes of art history. Excerpted from AJF's book On and Off.

View the PDF.

SUBMIT TO AJF'S LIBRARY

AJF believes that making information available about jewelry as an art form is an important step in advocating for the field. Our digital library supports the jewelry community by providing online access to jewelry scholarship that would otherwise be impossible to find.

The library has a new feature that prevents PDFs from being downloaded. Just check the appropriate box when you submit—this will allow people to read the texts, but protects you from undesirable access and distribution.

Please share your digital media .