PAID PARTNER CONTENT
Jewelry That Makes You Think.
ARTICLE
How an Enamel Artist from Pasadena Brought Whimsy to Costume Jewelry

After studying the Limoges technique under Thomas Usher, Curtis Tann worked as a designer and supervisor for costume jewelry company Matisse Ltd from 1952–1963. His designs captured his whimsical style and use of bright colors. The work depicted both abstract geometrical shapes and figurative images, including fish, paint palettes, or musical notes. He then worked for Sascha Brastoff, a large mid-century ceramics design studio, for a year. In his oral history, Tann often mentioned his struggles working as a black man in a predominantly white field.

Tann mingled with African American artists such as Charles White, Doyle Lane, and Dale B. Davis, and introduced Betye Saar to the LA art scene before she became a legendary artist. He became a founding member of Eleven Artists Associated. In 1967, he co-founded Watts Towers Arts Center.

Part of the Black Jewelers: A History Revealed series
Caption: Curtis Tann, Pendant Featuring Two Birds, date unknown (most likely late 60s–early 70s), enamel on copper, photo courtesy of The Jewelry Library
WHO WILL WIN AJF'S $7,500 AWARD???
Wednesday, March 2, 12 p.m. EST

Since we can't be on the Internationale Handwerksmesse Main Stage to reveal the winner and finalists of the Young Artist Award (YAA), the next best thing is to make the announcement on AJF Live. The jurors—collector and gallerist Karen Rotenberg, curator Chequita Nahar, and 2020 YAA winner MJ Tyson—will announce their names. The four finalists and the winner will then present their work. Please join us in celebrating their achievements—let's raise our glasses to them!

The biennial YAA competition offers a prize of US$7,500 for the winner and US$1,000 for each of the four finalists, as well as an exhibition at Schmuck—art jewelry's biggest and most prestigious annual event—in July 2022.

This event is free, and open to members and non-members alike. For more information and to register, follow this link.

What time?
9 a.m. PST: San Francisco
10 a.m. MST: Denver
11 a.m. CST: San Antonio, Mexico City
12 p.m. EST: Toronto, NYC
2 p.m.: Buenos Aires, Santiago
5 p.m.: London
6 p.m.: Brussels, Paris, Oslo
7 p.m.: Bucharest, Athens, Tallinn, Capetown, Tel Aviv
12 a.m. on March 3: Bangkok
2 a.m. on March 3: Seoul, Tokyo
4 a.m. on March 3: Sydney
6 a.m. on March 3: Auckland
AJF has the largest international audience of art jewelry buyers, collectors, makers, gallerists, and institutions in the world. We reach more art jewelry buyers worldwide than any other organization.
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