An event for makers, wearers, and viewers to celebrate all things contemporary jewellery. Hosting over 30 exhibitions with makers from across Aotearoa, Australia, and the UK. There are numerous workshops and masterclasses aimed at beginners and early career makers as well as experienced jewellers; panel discussions to share current contemporary jewellery discourse; floor talks with makers speaking about their practice; activations and events around the central city including the much-anticipated pin swap, Buildings Need Jewellery, and Pecha Kucha.
Nelson Jewellery Week (NJW) was initiated by Arts Council Nelson in 2021 as a response to a collaboration with Refinery ArtSpace and the Handshake Project, run by Wellington-based Peter Deckers and Hilda Gascard. Handshake Project brought their 10th anniversary exhibition Chain Reaction to the gallery and from this NJW was born.
The aim of NJW was to create a broader context around this exhibition and provide the opportunity for wider participation for the Whakatū and Aotearoa jewellery community. Since then, NJW has grown to become a celebration of contemporary jewellery making - for everybody. The intention remains to invite a wide lens to art jewellery with an array of exhibitions, workshops, public talks, and events for the public to view and participate in.
