Battle of the Rings 2023: VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES and Visit the Exhibition!
Battle of the Rings, otherwise known as the Ring Smackdown, is a head-to-head, tournament style, single-elimination juried competition and virtual event with a top prize of $500.
You can view all the amazing rings, HERE and ALL the daily matches HERE
This year we received 138 entries, from around the globe. Our jurors, Sharon Massy and James Thurman, esteemed artists and educators in our field, selected 64 competitors through a blind jury. Selected rings will be paired into matches for competition. Daily matches will be posted for exactly 24 hours, to our Instagram story @danacadesignstudio in the form of a poll, May 1-31 at 9:00am PT.
Each ring can win up to three points in a single match. One is given to the winner of the Instagram poll; the other two points come from the jurors. The ring with the most points advances to the next round. At the end of the month one ring will remain and be crowned, CHAMPION!
All selected rings and three alternates will be posted to our Instagram feed and be on exhibit in our Gallery Showroom near Fremont in Seattle. All rings will be available to purchase beginning May 1, 2023.
Learn more about the history of this event in a recent blog post HERE.
Competition Rules:
- One submission per artist
- The ring must be an original design created by submitting artist
- Rings may not include logos or licensed images.
- The ring must not exceed 4x4x4 inches
- The ring must fit fingers between sizes 5-10
- No restriction on the nature of material used or shape within above parameters.
- All selected rings must be available for purchase through Danaca Design Gallery 50/50 split; for the duration of the tournament.
- All selected rings must be shipped to Danaca Design and the artists will be responsible for return shipping if the ring does not sell.
- The retail price of the ring must not exceed $1,200
- Suggested entry fee of $10-$25
Deadlines:
Submission Deadline: March 24, 2023 / The entry form is now closed.
Competition/Show Dates: May 1-31, 2023
Battle of the Rings/Ring Smackdown 2023 Jurors
Representing Team Shanks: Sharon Massey http://www.sharon-massey.com/
Sharon Massey is a metalsmith, jeweler and enamelist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her artwork has been exhibited in over 100 juried and invitational exhibitions around the world including Schmuck 2014 and 2015 in Munich, Germany. Sharon’s work has been included in numerous publications, including American Craft and Metalsmith magazines, The Art of Enameling, and Art Jewelry Today 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions. Her work is included in eleven public collections including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Yale University Art Gallery. In 2009, Sharon received the Young Artist Award from Art Jewelry Forum.
Sharon has been invited to teach workshops at Penland School of Craft, Haystack Mountain School for Crafts, the 92nd St Y, the Baltimore Jewelry Center and at universities around the US. She serves on the board of trustees of The Enamelist Society and has previously served on the board of directors of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She received a BFA from Winthrop University in 1999, and an MFA from East Carolina University in 2006. Her research interests include historical jewelry and adornment as well as new approaches to education and making with emerging technologies.
Representing Team Mandrels: James Thurman https://www.jamesthurman.com/home.html
James Thurman is an Associate Professor at the University of North Texas’ College of Visual Arts & Design, where he is a Metalsmithing/Jewelry faculty member. He received his MFA in Metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2012 and 2016, he was a Fulbright Specialist Scholar in Istanbul, Turkey. A highly active studio artist for over twenty-five years, he is well-known for ThurmaniteÒ, a recycled paper and bio-resin composite material that he developed and trademarked. His recent work is focused on combining ThurmaniteÒ with metal spinning, pewter, and miniature painting techniques.