Seeing New York City or the jewelry that’s made there on a screen is one thing. Living there for a month and luxuriating in the style, culture, and attitude of the city? That’s what can change an artist for life.
For the 92Y Jewelry Center, having an artist in residence is not only a luxury afforded to it by a generous patron, but it’s also is a way to bring new jewelry ideas and innovations to life. This summer, after a two-year hiatus, the International Jewelry Artist Residency is back, and the 92Y is accepting applications through April 15.
The residency runs from Aug. 17 through Sept. 18, arguably one of the most beautiful times to be in New York. Open to new and established jewelry artists, the residency includes a studio apartment with a private bathroom and kitchenette within the 92Y residence, 24-hour access to a private studio working space, and travel expenses to and from New York.
The ask is simple, says 92Y Jewelry Center director Jonathan Wahl: Come, enjoy the city, make jewelry, and share your story and expertise. The 2022 jewelry resident will give a two-day lecture and workshop at the 92Y Jewelry Center during the last weekend of the residency, a chance to highlight their “distinct aesthetic, technical, or design style with the NYC design community,” Wahl says.
There was a two-year pause because of the coronavirus, but the residency is back on for 2022 as a way to bring new vibrancy to an individual artist and the jewelry community as a whole, Wahl says, noting that this is the only New York–based residency devoted to jewelry artists. Applications are open to creators worldwide.
The 92Y’s most recent jewelry artist in residence was 2019’s Claudia Lepik from Estonia.
“We’re hoping for a great pool of applicants,” Wahl says. “This is their time to do research, walk around, take pictures, to see what’s happening that’s new, and to respond to that environment. A good application will make a case for why they should be in New York and how that perspective shift will help them bring about work that’s never been seen before.”
The end-of-residency lecture and workshop are open to the public, providing another chance for the artist to connect with people as well as potential clients. The residency also includes professional meetings with participating cultural institutions, allowing the resident selected to work on their artistic and professional development during their month’s stay, Wahl says.
To apply, artists must submit 10–20 digital images of work completed in the past two years. A rotating panel of experts and professionals in the arts and humanities will independently review applications and materials, and the selected jeweler or metalsmith will be notified by May 9. Past years’ juries included esteemed artists, curators, and museum professionals from major cultural institutions and auction houses in New York.
Proposals for the self-directed residencies must be compatible with available working studio spaces, facilities, and resources. Artistic merit and promise are the basis for selections, but the relevancy of how the NYC environment will affect or progress the artist’s work is weighed heavily in the selection process.
The 92Y Jewelry Center serves 1,400 students each year through more than 60 classes weekly and technical workshops in four fully equipped studios. It is the oldest open studio in New York City and the largest program of its kind in the country.
Top: Claudia Lepik of Estonia was the 2019 jewelry artist in residence at the 92Y. The 2022 application is now open for the monthlong jewelry residency at the famous educational institution in New York (photo courtesy of 92Y and Kristiin Elmat).
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