Open Call for the Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant 2021

In support of their willingness to make outside the box jewelry, Art Jewelry Forum provides resources to artists who have chosen this alternative art practice. We offer two generous awards and grants, made possible by our membership, to aid jewelry artists in their research and practice: the AJF Young Artist Award and the Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant. 

These programs provide recognition for artists at different stages in their lives along with substantial financial support to help them achieve their creative goals. The AJF Young Artist Award comes with an unrestricted cash prize of $7,500. The Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant provides $20,000 toward the completion of a significant jewlery-related project.

The awards are offered on alternate years, the AJF Young Artist Award on even-numbered years, and the Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant on odd-numbered years.

The Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant is open to makers between the ages of 35 and 55 at the time of the proposal deadline. The proposed project should be about jewelry, loosely defined. The grant recipient will receive an unrestricted cash grant of $20,000, to be paid over the two years in which the project will be implemented.


Entry Criteria:

• The artist must be 35 - 55 years of age on January 10, 2021.
• The artist must have an active and ongoing record of activity in the field, which may include exhibitions, shows, gallery activity, published work, and other activities.
• Staff and board members of AJF are not eligible to apply.

Proposal Guidelines:

• The proposed project must be about jewelry, loosely defined as:

               - Worn on the body or enhances the body in some way.
               - May utilize jewelry frms and/or history.
               - May consist of any manner of materials.

• There must be a specific and concrete outcome to the project, and the proposed project must be completed within a two-year time frame.
• Examples of projects could include (but are not limited to):

               - The creation of a new body of work.
               - A book, catalog, or other publication.
               - Research and develpment, including travel study.
               - Performance art involving jewelry.
               - An educational or social initiative involving jewelry.

• A proposal that was submitted previously may be submitted again.

Application Requiements:

• Artist bio: One-page artist bigraphy (Note: The format of the artist biography is up to the applicant and can be narrative, résumé, or CV format).
• Project proposal: Two-page description outlining the project and how the grant will help support your work and career, and how it would enhance the field.
• Proposal budget: One-page budget detailing how the monies would be used to implement the project, including materials, estimates from outside vendors, travel costs, and other expenses.
• Project proposal portfolio:

               - Five to 10 images that support/define/clarify the project proposal (Images could be storyboard-style images to clarify the proposal; images that inspired the project; images of past work that support the new project proposal; etc).
               - Each image must include a detailed captin that provides information about the image. Information could include: title of piece, year produced, dimensions, materials, photo credit (if a piece of jewelry); or an explanation of how the image supports or clarifies the proposal, including a photo credit.
               - All images submitted should be available in high-resolution (300 dpi or higher TIFF file) and available to AJF for use in print media and/or on its website. (Note: High resolution images must be available to be used in promotional materials IF you are selected; they do not need to be submitted in the application).

• Project proposal must be submitted in English.

Application Instructions:
* Applications will be accepted starting November 1, 2020.
The following information must be submitted via the CaFE website: Call for Entry.

• One-page artist biography.
• Two-page project proposal.
• One-page detailed budget.
• Five to 10 images that support the proposal.
• The following information must also be included: 

               - Date of birth—applicants younger than 35 years or older than 55 at time of application deadline (January 10, 2021) are not eligible.
               - Contact information, including name, email, and phone number.
               - Country of origin—for information purposes only.
               - Website (if applicable).

Deadline: 11:59 PM, MST, on Sunday, January 10, 2021.
More information and complete guidelines can be found here.


About the Jury:
The jury of distinguished professionals for this grant cycle will be: grant founder and collector Susan Beech (United States); internationally recognized maker and academic Daniel Kruger (Germany); and curator Emily Stoehrer (United States). 

Susan Beech was introduced to studio jewelry in 1989 and over the years has assembled a major and important collection of international art jewelry. She was instrumental in helping the Mint Museum start its international jewelry collection and received the 2008 McColl Award, which recognizes the gifted vision, extraordinary generosity, and endless energy that are pivotal forces in assuring the success of the museum. Susan created the Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant in 2017 to provide a way to ease some of the financial pressure that hinders a mid-career artist from thinking, being creative, and developing wonderful ideas. This is the third grant competition.
 
Daniel Kruger was born in South Africa and studied under Professor Hermann Jünger at the Academy of Fine Arts, receiving his diploma in 1980. He recently retired from the University for Art and Design, in Halle, Germany, where he was professor for jewelry for almost 15 years. He has exhibited internationally in galleries and museums, and won the prestigious Herbert Hofmann Prize in 1987 and 2005. His work is in the collections of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Montreal; Pforzheim Schmuckmuseum, Germany; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry, Tokyo; and the Power House Museum, Sydney.

Dr. Emily Stoehrer is the Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she oversees a collection that spans 6,000 years and holds more than 22,000 objects—including the Daphne Farago Collection of contemporary jewelry. During her tenure, Dr. Stoehrer has expanded the contemporary jewelry collection and added important work by women artists. She recently organized Boston Made: Arts & Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork. She has taught and lectured widely on jewelry, fashion, and design-related topics. Dr. Stoehrer served on the board of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (2017–2020), and serves as the spokesperson on the jewelry vetting committee of all three of The European Fine Art Fairs. She holds a PhD in Humanities from Salve Regina University and an MA in Fashion & Textile Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology.