Cranbrook Academy of Art Artists at NYC Jewelry Week 2026
Cranbrook Academy of Art returns to New York City Jewelry Week (NYCJW), back for its ninth edition with more than 175 events from November 16-22 across New York City and online. The theme is Craftsmanship, considering the technical expertise, cultural knowledge, and human expression behind the objects people wear. Founded by curator and journalist Bella Neyman, NYCJW has been held every November since 2018.
You’ll find Cranbrook alumni, students, and Artist-in-Residence, Iris Eichenberg, across NYCJW 2026; see a selection of events below.
November 16 – 22, Hours Vary – Hold Your Pants Up: Belt Buckle Show
The exhibition is on view November 16 to 22 at the Steuben Gallery at Pratt Institute, 200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn. It brings together 61 jewelers, many tied to Cranbrook, and students from Taller Eloi, and it is curated by Eichenberg and Ríos. The belt buckle is a shared typology across cultures and histories, functional, relational, and part of daily life. Each belt is wearable and available for purchase. Viewing hours are:
A shared Pratt and NYCJW opening reception takes place Monday, November 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and RSVP is required.
November 16-22, Hours Vary – HANDLE WITH CARE
Tzu-Ju Chen (MFA Metalsmithing 2006) is among the participating artists in SNAG Metalsmiths’ exhibition. Handle With Care asks what it means to slow down, pay attention, and act with intention. Through material, scale, invisible labor, the human touch, and the nurturing of creativity, the exhibition explores the values embedded in making and how they might also shape the ways we gather, connect, and relate to one another.
A shared Pratt and NYCJW opening reception takes place Monday, November 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and RSVP is required. A panel will take place on Saturday, November 21 from 12 to 1pm.
November 17-19 – Ornamentum Salon, Opening Reception November 17 from 6–8pm
Aaron Decker (MFA Metalsmithing 2015) is among the artists featured in the Ornamentum Jewelry Salon exhibition. Decker had his first solo show at Ornamentum in 2016, and no assembly required (2025) was his third solo exhibition with the gallery.
Thursday, November 19, 2:30-3:30pm – Jewelry in Community: Cranbrook + Taller Eloi
At the Steuben Gallery at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, this conversation explores a decade of exchange between Cranbrook and Taller Eloi, including travels, residencies, exhibitions, and joint publications. It considers how collaboration reshapes the center of jewelry and sustains a discipline through community rather than individual networking. RSVP is required. Iris Eichenberg, Head of Metalsmithing at Cranbrook, Taller Eloi director Jimena Ríos, and alumna Myra Mimlitsch-Gray (MFA Metalsmithing 1986) are listed among the participants.
Saturday, November 21 at 3:30pm – Storytelling: Nurturing the Field
This conversation takes place at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Library for Arts & Culture, 10 Lafayette Avenue. Artists and educators Iris Eichenberg and Jimena Ríos will present “Editing the Unspoken: A Jewelry Book Series” sharing about their two current, and two forth coming titles on what surrounds jewelry—grief, memory, drawing, and labor.
Learn more:
