At a celebration dinner held during the Santa Fe Symposium® in Albuquerque, NM, Rio Grande announced the winners of the 15th annual Saul Bell Design Award competition. Through rigorous judging, a panel of judges chose first- and second-place winners in each of six competitive categories, as well as in the Emerging Jewelry Artist category for designers 21 years and younger. Prizes, awards and congratulations were presented to each winning designer at the gala dinner. The winning designs, as well as all finalist pieces, are featured online at saulbellaward.com.
The competition challenges jewelry designers to reach for that moment in all great design when a brilliant idea meets a keen set of skills. The competition recognizes the power of design to elevate common elements to a higher purpose and encourages designers to release that power in any of seven categories: Gold/Platinum; Silver/Argentium® Silver; Metal Clay; Enamel; Hollowware/Art Objects; Alternative Metals/Materials; Emerging Jewelry Artist (reserved for designers 21 years or younger, this category places no limitations on the media used and requires only that the finished piece is wearable jewelry adornment and fabricated by the entrant).
2015 Gold/Platinum Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“From The Deep”
Kent Raible
Mossyrock, Washington
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Starstruck”
Susan Blennerhassett
Nedlands, Australia
2015 Silver/Argentium® Silver Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“constrained timelessness”
Andy Lucas
Klamath Falls, Oregon
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“MagiSphere Concept”
Kate Hubley
Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
2015 Metal Clay Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Good Fortune”
Ivy Solomon
Oak Park, Michigan, USA
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Je T’aime - Dual Flame”
Holly Gage
Bowmansville, Pennsylvania
2015 Enamel Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Streaming Turquoise”
Jennifer Park
Budd Lake, New Jersey
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Empress Theodora”
Sandra McEwen
Raleigh, North Carolina
2015 Hollowware/Art Objects Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“The Pregnant Chalice”
Kent Raible
Mossyrock, Washington
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Ssssssumtuous Tea”
Genevieve Flynn
Kansas City, Missouri
2015 Alternative Metals/Materials Category
1st Place - $2,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“The Hummingbird Necklace”
Kathleen Nowak Tucci
Atmore, Alabama
2nd Place - $1,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Moonstruck”
Sandy Mikel
Hawthorne, Florida
2015 Emerging Jewelry Artist Category
1st Place - $500 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Hollow Brooch”
Lisa Krulasik
Glendale, New York
2nd Place - $250 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“The Pinnacles of Ha Long Bay”
Elly Cernohorsky
Halls Head, Western Australia
3rd Place - $100 Rio Grande Gift Certificate
“Windows”
Ella Calas
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Finalists
Gold/Platinum: Mandy Morris, York, England, UK; Gentry Buckner, Oakland, California; Annie Koenig, Louisville, Kentucky
Silver/Argentium® Silver: Liam Powers, Brooklyn, New York; Larry Stark, Sacramento, California; Alicia Dib, San Antonio de los Altos, Miranda, Venezuela
Metal Clay: Janet Alexander, Ruidoso, New Mexico; Terry Kovalcik, Haledon, New Jersey; Anna Mazon, Krakow, Poland
Enamel: Gill Cordiner, Perth, Australia; Kristin Holeman, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Lessley Burke, Ridgefield, Connecticut
Hollowware/Art Objects: Nanz Aalund, Poulsbo, Washington; Lynn Occhiuzzo, Hillsborough, North Carolina, Philip Peck, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Alternative Metals/Materials: Una Barrett, Portland, Oregon; Pat Pruitt, Paguate, New Mexico; Jimin Jung, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Emerging Jewelry Artist: Christian Hitzelberger, Huntsville, Texas; Ari Cohen, Wellesley, Massachusetts; Chloe Henderson, Eskbank, Midlothian, UK; Juliana Benez, Los Angeles, California
For information about the 2016 Saul Bell Design Award competition, designers are invited to call 800-952-6222 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Visit saulbellaward.com for general information about the Saul Bell Design Award competition.
