Winners of the 2006 NICHE Awards were honored recently in a ceremony at the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia. The awards were presented to artists in 38 categories including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, and wood.

The Jewelry category is divided into six sections: Fashion, Gold, Gold with Stones, Sculpture to Wear, Silver and Silver with Stones. The winners are:

Fashion
Kimberly Winkle
Kimberly Winkle Designs
Smithville, Tenn.
Faceted Bracelet

Gold
Todd Reed
Boulder, Colo.
Diamond Brooch

Gold with Stones
Michelle Krespi
Krespi Studios
Oakland, Calif.
18k Gold Cuff Bracelet

Sculpture to Wear
J. Carlos Caballero-Perez
Henrietta, N.Y.
Levitation III

Silver
Thomas McGurrin
Sanbornton, N.H.
Quilted Cuff

Silver with Stones
Janine DeCresenzo
Jenkintown, Pa.
Cell Necklace

Sponsored by NICHE magazine, the trade publication for retailers of American craft, the NICHE Awards program recognizes excellence and innovation in the American and Canadian craft industry.

American and Canadian craft artists submitted more than 1,000 entries for the 2006 competition. In Nov. 2005, NICHE magazine announced the 191 finalists, who were invited to display their work in the NICHE Awards exhibit at the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, Feb. 17-20, 2006. Winners will be featured in the spring 2006 issue of NICHE magazine.

Entries were judged on three main criteria:

* technical excellence, both in surface design and form

* market viability

* a distinct quality of unique, original and creative thought

Jurors for the awards were: Mary Benjamin, co-owner of Bluestem Missouri Crafts, Columbia, Mo.; Dawn Bennett, executive director of UrbanGlass, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Albert LeCoff, executive director of the Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia; Sam Shaw, president of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), Naperville, Ill.; and Trudi Van Dyke, executive director of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, Va.

Applications for the 2007 NICHE Awards will be available in early spring 2006 at www.AmericanCraft.com.

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