Meanings and Messages – ACJ’s 25th Anniversary Touring Exhibition

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) is hosting the major touring showcase “Meanings & Messages” visiting six venues throughout the UK – with the final stop at New Brewery Arts. 

Brooches can be subversive and are often used by people in the public eye, by political figures or sovereignty to convey important messages. These messages may be hidden, subtle or occasionally more of an overt protest! 

Showcasing 60 unique brooches created by 60 current ACJ members, the exhibition will explore the meanings and messages behind the ideal jewellery archetype: the brooch.  

Meanings and Messages is curated into six distinct themes; sparking dialogues between the brooches and encouraging conversations and reflections from viewers.  

Exhibiting artists: 

Allison Macleod / Anna Borcsok / Anne Earls Boylan / Anne Morgan / Anne Walker / Anthony Wong / Asimi - Anna Butcher / Caiyang Yin / Caroline Finlay / Catherine Hartley / Catherine Marche / Chien Yu Liu / Christine Johnson / Claire Finlay / Claire Underwood / Dauvit Alexander / Deborah Beck / Drew Markou / Elird / Elizabeth Shaw / Emily Kidson / Emma McGilchrist / Hendrike Barz-Meltzer / Islay Spalding / Jane Moore / Jane Sedgwick / Janine Partington / Jessica Briggs / Jo McAllister / Joanne Haywood / Joel Matthew Smyth / Kate Bajic / Kim Nogueira / Kristy Lewis / Liana Pattihis / Linda Connelly / Lorraine Hitt - Elsiem Jewellery / Lynne Speake / Mandy Nash / Mark Mcleish / Michelle Fernandez / Nina Mannerkoski / Paul Wells / Penelope Burnett / Rachael Colley / Rachel Hearne / Rebecca Ilett / Rebecca Wilson / Sarah Jane Wilmott / Sishi Wang / Sophie Lowe / Sophie Martin-Glinel / Stephanie Johnson / Terry Hunt / Tina MacLeod / Tina Sanderson / Toby Cotterill / Vanessa Sharp / Viktoria Münzker / Yuka Jourdain