The theme of this year's competition is upcycling. We're asking you to make a piece of wearable jewelry with items that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.
'Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.' - Wikipedia
50% of the piece must be made from post-consumer (not bought new to make the piece) post-industrial, post-agricultural waste and/or recycled materials. Non-ferrous metal including gold, silver, brass or copper is counted as one component and should be recycled, but will not count toward the 50%.
You can use found or recycled objects, vintage or antique items, objects made from metal, wood, paper, plastic, or mixed media to create a piece of wearable jewelry. Recycled items must be identifiable and visibly count-able. Submission must include a photo of the original re-used object(s).
You may submit up to three pieces for judging.
Material Suggestions
You may use any of the following in your design:
Ideas for Finding Materials
These are some starter ideas, but the possibilities are endless!
Judging Criteria
The BoMA board of directors will act as jury to review designs and choose finalists according to the following criteria:
Our judge will review the finalists chosen by the BoMA board and select the final three winners.
Our Judge
Our judge this year is Carla M Fox. Carla is a metalsmith living in Bend, Oregon. She sells her work online and in shows across the country. Her jewelry is often made from wood and hollow forms. When not making jewelry, you might find her walking her dog, Lucy in the woods outside her home. Carla was the producer of 'Art in the High Desert' for 20 years and now sits on their board of directors. She's also one of our favorite teachers at BoMA.
The Prizes
There will be three winners:
Timeline
This year's timeline is as follows:
Submitting Photographs
The only thing the jury will see when they are making their deliberations is the photograph of your submission. It is vitally important that your photograph represents your work in the very best way possible. Here are the rules for submitting your photographs.
Participant Q&A
Q: Who can enter, and who can’t?
A: Anyone can enter, except BoMA board members and anyone who teaches at BoMA. You just need to become a member of BoMA before entering and can join anytime right up to the entry deadline.
Q: I can’t afford a professional photographer. How can I get a good image of my piece?
A: There are many free online tutorials about taking jewelry photographs; try Googling “taking jewelry photos” to find one. One key thing is lighting; it’s not all about the camera you’re using. Good images are possible with the newer phones, but you do need to use good lighting to get a clear picture and remember to save the image at the largest possible size.
Q: I can’t upload my image, it’s telling me the size is wrong. How do I resize my image?
A: There are a number of free image resizing programs online which can help. Try Googling “resize photos” or try one of these free sites: resizeimage.net, pixlr.com, or paint.net. If your computer uses Windows 10, your Paint application is also a good resource. Tip: It’s best to upload your photo a few days before the deadline so you can submit another photo if the first one isn’t sized correctly or is in the wrong format.
Q: I don’t understand the image size requirements. What is 1000px?
A: Px means pixels; your photo should be between 1000 pixels and 4000 pixels in size. Most photo resizing applications allow you to adjust the pixel size, as well as save it in a .jpeg format.
Q: Can I enter now and join BoMA later?
A: Please make sure you’re a member of BoMA before submitting your entry so it won’t be rejected and cause you to have to resubmit it. Tip: you can start your free entry as soon as you’re a member so that part of the submission is verified, then just upload the remainder of your information and your photo when your piece is made.
Q: I always wait until the last minute! Can I enter on the last day?
A: Yes, but if anything is wrong with your entry, such as the photo, you won’t have time to resubmit it. Don’t risk it! We know time is always tight for artists, so go ahead and start the entry process with your basic information at your earliest convenience; your info will wait safely in the system until you’re ready to upload your photo.
Q: What happens if my piece is rejected for some reason – can I resubmit?
A: Yes. If anything doesn’t meet the guidelines, you will be sent an email saying your entry has been rejected, giving you details of why (for example, photo isn’t clear enough). You can then correct and resubmit it, but keep in mind that your resubmitted entry must be received by the deadline. Anything received after the February 28, 2023 deadline can’t be accepted.
Q: Help! I think I’m a member of BoMA but none of my emails or passwords are being recognized online.
A: Just send an email to info@bouldermetalsmiths.com and we will help you.
