October 2026—The Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) has released its comprehensive bi-monthly news report for October 2026, highlighting a dynamic season of international exhibitions, major grants, institutional acquisitions, and critical conversations shaping the contemporary art jewelry field. Designed to connect artists, collectors, curators, and enthusiasts worldwide, the report compiles vital updates from across the globe, providing a centralized resource for community news.
Open Calls and Major Grants
The global contemporary jewelry community has several significant funding and exhibition opportunities currently underway. AJF has officially opened applications for its prestigious 2027 Solo Exhibition Award. Open to jewelry artists of any age and nationality, the $20,000 grant aims to support the creation of a substantial solo exhibition to advance an artist working in the field of art jewelry, broadly defined. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2026.
International platforms are also calling for participation. The deadline for the Schmuck Special Show—the oldest continuous exhibition of contemporary jewelry in the world, founded in 1959 by Dr. Herbert Hofmann—falls on October 31, 2026, with approximately 65 pieces slated for selection. Meanwhile, the Cluster remote one-month jewelry artist residency offers makers a chance to create from their own studios with professional mentorship, guaranteed press, and a guaranteed solo exhibition in London complete with covered shipping, travel, and accommodation.
Other notable open calls include the Israel Biennale of Contemporary Jewelry, which invites international artists to explore the theme "Silent Resonance—Between Independent Thought and the Movement of the Masses" by November 1, 2026. Pforzheim’s "Designers in Residence" program is accepting applications through November 2, 2026, offering young creators free studio space, housing, and a monthly stipend to develop projects in Germany. Additionally, KORU9 has set a November 15, 2026 deadline for its upcoming exhibition exploring the theme "Traces of Labour."
Upcoming AJF Live and Virtual Discourse
Engaging with the theoretical and practical decisions behind museum acquisitions, the next installment of AJF Live is scheduled for October 23, 2026. The virtual session features jeweler and enamelist Aaron Decker in conversation with Emily Banas, associate curator of decorative arts and design at the RISD Museum. The discussion will explore how institutional purchases shape artists’ careers, build robust collections, and introduce fresh perspectives into museum holdings, offering valuable insights into the relationship between creators and cultural institutions.
Virtual programming extends to technical education as well, with AJF member Kristin Shiga leading a specialized virtual class titled “Melting with Purpose: Developing Rich Textures with Torch-Fusing Techniques” through Metalwerx on November 3 and 10, 2026. The course instructs participants on utilizing torch heat to selectively fuse surfaces and create organic textures for one-of-a-kind metalwork.
News from Our Members
As the autumn season unfolds, AJF members are actively contributing to exhibitions, publications, and gallery transformations across the globe.
In New York City, preparations are entering the final month for NYC Jewelry Week 2026, which promises a dense schedule of educational events, community connections, and exhibitions. Among the highlights is Earrings Galore, an annual juried exhibition hosted by the Heidi Lowe Gallery featuring works by 60 emerging and established studio jewelers designed to expand public access to art jewelry.
In Santa Fe, Patina Gallery recently spotlighted the work of Brooke Marks-Swanson through her exhibition Where the Land Meets the Sky, which closed on October 31, 2026. The showcase brought together clay, stone, shell, pearl, and precious metals into tactile landscapes rooted in a lifelong connection to nature. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s Gravers Lane Gallery launched a newly redesigned website to streamline inventory management while offering collectors improved artist pages and browsing tools. The gallery has also scheduled an exclusive private preview of Barbara Heinrich Fine Jewelry by appointment on November 4, 2026.
Literary contributions from members highlight historical and modern practices. Bodyworks: The Jewelry of Art Smith, authored by Joanne Hyppolite and AJF member Toni Greenbaum with a foreword by Joyce J. Scott, examines the wearable modern art of mid-century modernist Art Smith through 160 images, including previously unpublished design sketches.
International member activities include the group exhibition Everything’s Under Control at Espace Borax in Vevey, Switzerland, running across select weekends in November and December 2026, featuring a diverse roster of international contemporary makers. In Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum will host the annual Marjan Unger Lecture on November 2, 2026, featuring goldsmith Eva van Kempen and archaeologist Maikel Kuijpers examining the relevance of traditional craft techniques like filigree in the age of artificial intelligence.
News from All Around
Museums and galleries worldwide are mounting ambitious exhibitions that push the boundaries of wearable art. In Brussels, Hectare Gallery is presenting Trouble Parfait (Perfect Trouble) through November 28, 2026, featuring works by 2026 Young Artist Award winner Benedict Haener and Jiro Kamata. The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Oak Brook, Illinois, is preparing for The Art of Transformation: The Jewelry of Mark Schneider, guest-curated by Elyse Zorn Karlin, running from November 7, 2026, to March 28, 2027.
In Germany, the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau will exhibit On Friday. Vivi Touloumidi from November 1, 2026, to April 11, 2027, focusing on jewelry as an expression of social and political issues, resistance, and historical memory. In Japan, The National Museum of Art, Kyoto, is launching Reflections in Jewellery: Memory and Identity on October 24, 2026, showcasing approximately 350 post-war masterworks from the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry collection alongside German acquisitions.
Additional international highlights include Hand to Form at the Turkish House in New York, presenting works by eight contemporary Turkish artists from November 16 to 22, 2026; L’Art de la Citation at the Musée du Bijou Contemporain in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, running through January 31, 2027; and a career retrospective celebrating over 50 years of innovation by Ruudt Peters at Museum Arnhem in the Netherlands from November 21, 2026, to February 7, 2027.
Jewelry Events
Live gatherings continue to draw practitioners and collectors together. The Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference is celebrating its 10th annual gathering on October 23–24, 2026, addressing critical industry issues ranging from mining community impacts and mercury reduction to the social implications of artificial intelligence.
In the UK, the Silver + Form Contemporary Jewellery and Silverware Fair returns to the Turner Contemporary on November 21–22, 2026, featuring 26 metalsmiths and silversmiths. Furthermore, preparations are underway for the inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial, scheduled for May 1–30, 2027, across the historic Jewellery Quarter and the wider city of Birmingham. Radiant Pavilion has also commenced its ongoing programming as of October 24, 2026, with updated schedules available on its official website.
Pages Spotlighting Jewelry
Recent publications added to the scholarly and collector landscape include Sammlung Bollmann, the first comprehensive book documenting the private collection assembled by the late Vienna-based lawyer Dr. Karl Bollmann and his wife, Heidi. Comprising 1,748 one-off avant-garde pieces, the collection represents a cornerstone of post-20th-century art jewelry history. Additionally, Thames & Hudson has published The Portrait Miniature: A New History by Damiët Schneeweisz, Rosalind McKever, and Adriana Concin, tracing the intersection of intimate portraiture, fashion, and identity with contributions from the V&A.
Detailed exhibition listings, event schedules, and submission forms for future reports remain accessible directly through the Art Jewelry Forum platform.
