ENTRY FORM IS NOW LIVE! Enter HERE.
Description:
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. 64 rings will be selected by two jurors and drafted into teams as selected by the jurors. Selected rings will be paired into matches for competition. Matches will be posted daily for exactly 24 hours, to our Instagram story for public vote, April 4-29 at 9:00am PST. 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. All selected rings will be posted to our Instagram feed and available to purchase through our online gallery and Danaca Design Showroom.
Rules:
- One submission per artist
- The ring must be an original design created by submitting artist
- 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 $5-$25
Deadlines:
Submission Deadline: February 21, 2022 (Enter HERE)
Artist Notification Date: February 28, 2022
Rings Due to Gallery: March 15, 2022
Competition/Show Dates: April 4-29, 2022
Jurors: Elizabeth Shypertt and Jim Dailing
FAQ
Q: Can I submit and older ring?
A: Sure! Just not a ring that has previously been entered in the battle.
Q: Can I submit a ring from overseas?
A: Yes!
Q: Can I submit a multiple finger ring?
A: Yes! As long as it fit fingers 5-10.
Battle of the Rings: Ring Smackdown 2022 Jury
The jury has been selected for the Ring Smackdown 2022 and we couldn’t be more pleased! As always, we handpick a well-balanced jury to ensure an exciting and diverse mix of excellent rings for the competition. Representing Team Shanks will be Elizabeth Shypertt, long time gallerist, curator and collector of contemporary jewelry. Jim Dailing, a seasoned teacher and maker of exquisite fine jewelry especially rings, will head team Mandrels.
Read more about our jurors below!
Team Shanks – Elizabeth Shypertt
Elizabeth co-founded and ran Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco for 23 years. During that time, she organized more than 80 exhibitions including one-person and group shows. Working with other galleries and organizations including the British Crafts Council and the National Museums of Scotland, she curated and organized many traveling exhibitions, including Chess, Rings, and Anti-War Medals. The last show she curated at Velvet da Vinci was La Frontera, an exhibition about the Mexico/US border which opened at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City. It was later on display at Velvet da Vinci, and at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.
Since leaving the gallery, Elizabeth has curated jewelry shows for the Petaluma Arts Center in Petaluma, California, the Center for Enamel Arts in Berkely, California and for Shibumi Gallery, also in Berkeley. 2019 she curated a show of SNAG Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Tex Gieling for the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco.
She has been a juror for the Emeryville Celebration of the Arts in Emeryville, California, for the Academy of Art in San Francisco among other venues and also for the publication, 500 Pendants and Lockets by Lark Books.
Elizabeth is a long-standing member of the local Metal Arts Guild and the Art Jewelry Forum and was a board member for both organizations. She is currently on the board of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
She has recently taken a new position at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco as Jewelry Manager for the Museum Store.
Team Mandrels – Jim Dailing
Jim Dailing has been designing and creating mostly one-of-a-kind engagement and wedding rings for clients from around the world for nearly 40 years. He specializes in creating rings. Jim writes, “I love hands and how each hand is unique and because of all that hands can do, express and create. I choose to create mostly engagement and wedding rings because of their importance to my clients and I’m drawn to the fact that my rings will be around long after I am gone.”
Jim holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and MFA from the Tyler School of Art. He has taught at the University of Oregon, Oregon College of Art and Crafts, University of Portland, Central Oregon Community College as well as classes and workshops at schools and craft centers around the country. Currently, he teaches virtually and in-person workshops in stone setting, gold alloying and fabrication and wax carving.
