REFINED is a biannual exhibition of jewelry and metalwork hosted by the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) since 1998. The exhibition is held in a 1332 square-foot gallery of the beautifully renovated The Art Center @ The Old Opera House, located at 329 E. Main Street in downtown Nacogdoches, Texas. Past jurors for the event have included L. Brent Kington, Munya Avigail Upin and James Snyder, Jennifer Sholtis and Dr. David A. Lewis, chair, SFA School of Art. The juror for Refined: Abundance is Charon Kransen.

This year’s juried exhibition seeks to demonstrate the wide breadth of originality in the jewelry discipline throughout the world. The juror is seeking innovative responses to the concept of ‘abundance’ and its formal and conceptual manifestations in the medium of jewelry. The theme should be understood in the broadest of terms, seeking to accommodate a range of work--from flamboyant to a more quiet expression--while responding to the theme conceptually or formally.

Charon Kransen (the Netherlands) is an art dealer specializing in contemporary art jewelry and the owner of Charon Kransen Arts (CKA) in New York City. Kransen graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts in Jerusalem, Israel, and the Fachhochschule fuer Gestaltung in Pforzheim, Germany. Before establishing CKA in 1993, Kransen held the position of professor of jewelry design and enamel at the University of Utrecht and was the head of the Jewelry and Enamel Department at the Art College Amersfoort, Holland. Kransen has served as curator and juror of numerous national and international exhibitions; he lectures extensively at universities and colleges worldwide. Most recently, Kransen juried the book 500 Bracelets.

SFA is located three hours from Houston, home of the Helen Williams Drutt Collection of contemporary jewelry. The recent acquisition of the collection by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has created an increasing interest in contemporary jewelry throughout the region.

2007 Award Winners:

1st Prize, $1000
Sharon Massey, Interlochen, Michigan, United States

2nd Prize, $650
Simon Cottrell, Preston, Victoria, Australia

3rd Prize, $350
Ursula Guttmann, Linz, Australia

2005 Award Winners:

Professional category, Best in Show:

Stanley Lechtzin & Daniella Kerner
MagEarrings

Student category:

1st	2nd	3rd
T. J. Lechtenber Folded Bracelet	Eun Mi Kim Sorting	Gary Schott Warning: Soft Material

2005 Participants:

Jessica Calderwood NVK, 2003 Enamel on copper cast glycerin	Yuyen Chang Orifice Series: Untitled Ring, 2004 Sterling, fine silver	Nicole Jaquard Seed, 2002 SLS Nylon
Nicole Jaquard Hybrides, 2004 SLS Nylon, fine silver, wood, rubber, steel	Sergey Jivetin Nest Brooch, 2003 Silver, watchhands	James Obermeier Spring Greens, 2004 Sterling, patina
Jennifer Pollock Clip-On Formality, 2003 Sterling, nickel, plastic	Mark Rooker Sudden Hair Loss, 2003 Sterling, niobium, aluminum