The competition was intense! AKS held its First Annual Juried Exhibit, “Braids Not to Wear”.  A competition of contemporary non-jewelry original artworks during the 2020 Virtual Gathering. The goal was for artists to explore the many possibilities for using braids outside of jewelry and personal adornment.

The winners are:

  • Diverse materials: Five or more different materials were used – Carolyn Kerr
  • Playful: Humorous or silly – Barb Gores
  • Fiber only: Contained no beads, wire, metal, or other materials – Phyllis Strauss
  • Totally Kumihimo: Artwork made completely out of braids – Shawnee Holmberg
  • Plant and animals: The artwork evokes/suggests an animal or plant – Shirley Berlin

In addition, an award was given to the piece that best showed the Spirit of AKS. The winner was Susan Basch. Her winning piece is also featured on the cover of Gathering Threads 2020.

Guidelines and entry form for the 2021 Braids Not to Wear contest:
http://amksoc.org/braids-not-to-wear-contest/