2026 AJF Young Artist Award
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Art Jewelry Forum Announces The 2026 AJF Young Artist Award, supported by Karen And Michael Rotenberg
The competition, held every two years, recognizes innovative work created by a jewelry artist early in their career. Through the Young Artist Award, Art Jewelry Forum supports new and exciting work that will inspire future developments in the field.
Ambitious contemporary jewelry artists aged 35 and under are invited to apply for this international prize in contemporary art jewelry, which includes US$7,500 for the winner, as well as an exhibition at Platina during Schmuck—also known as Munich jewelry week—in March 2026, for the winner and four finalists.
The benefits of winning ripple out beyond the financial; past recipients have described the prize as boosting their energy and motivation, and the sense of encouragement and support they received from the field enhanced their confidence. The award has advanced their careers by virtue of increased exposure, networking connections, and exhibition opportunities.
For the fourth cycle in a row, the AJF Young Artist Award competition is generously supported by the collectors Karen and Michael Rotenberg, whose collection focuses on the innovative use of alternative materials by emerging and mid-career artists. AJF is deeply grateful for their commitment, which provides a prize of US$7,500 for the winner; US$1,000 awards for each of the four finalists; and a travel allowance of US$1,000 each for the winner and the finalists who travel to Munich to receive their award. AJF is also grateful to Sofia Björkman, of the Stockholm-based gallery Platina, for providing a venue to display the work of the winner and finalists.
Find the competition guidelines and application form here. Submissions are being accepted now through November 9, 2025.
The jury this year consists of Bryan Parnham (US), Thereza Pedrosa (Italy and Netherlands), and Jimena Ríos (Argentina).
Bryan Parnham won the 2024 AJF Young Artist Award. He is an American artist and jeweler. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, he has been a resident artist and lecturer at various universities and institutions across the US and abroad. Notably, he was awarded the Core Fellowship at Penland School of Craft; was a resident artist in Cortona, Italy, with the University of Georgia; and featured in the Museum of Arts and Design show MAD about Jewelry in 2022. Parnham is currently pursuing new work as a full-time artist.
Thereza Pedrosa is an art historian, independent curator, author, and gallery owner with extensive international experience in contemporary art and jewelry. She is the founder of the Thereza Pedrosa Gallery and the creator of the Orizzonti d’Autore biennial and the Archeometra Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the past 15 years, she has curated exhibitions for museums, galleries, and institutions across Europe, while also contributing essays to key publications in the field. Her background includes both academic research and hands-on design, having worked as a jewelry designer and as scientific coordinator for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s exhibition Revealing Papers. Deeply committed to promoting art jewelry as an art form, she brings a curatorial vision that combines scholarly depth with a drive to open contemporary jewelry to a broader public.
Jimena Ríos lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She studied jewelry at the Escola Massana (Barcelona, Spain). She is finishing an MA in curatorial studies at UNTREF (Buenos Aires). In 2013, Ríos founded Taller Eloi, a jewelry school in Buenos Aires. She works as an educator, curator, and editor. Together with Iris Eichenberg, she organized the Hand Medal Project.
The AJF Young Artist Award, supported by Karen and Michael Rotenberg, is offered through AJF’s award and grant program.
Note: The application fee is waived for members of AJF at a level of US$50 and above. Join by end-of-day on November 7, 2025, to receive the fee waiver code.
About AJF
Art Jewelry Forum is a nonprofit organization spreading awareness and increasing appreciation of art jewelry worldwide since 1997. AJF advocates for international contemporary art jewelry through an ambitious agenda of education, conversation, and financial support. It commissions critical writing that sets the standard for excellence in the field and publishes artjewelryforum.org, an online resource for original content on art jewelry.
