We didn't even know that the The Gift Itself had a High School Jewelry Art Competition; and now that we do we kind of wish that we had one too. In honor of this year's competitors The Gift Itself is hosting a reception tomorrow evening from 6pm to 9pm. They're at 125 N. Broadway, just down the street from Kavarna. Refreshments will be served.

Here's the press release (courtesy of On Broadway, Inc.):

To celebrate Youth Art Month, The Gift Itself hosted a jewelry art competition for area high school students from the ten local districts. Students were encouraged to enter one or two pieces of jewelry they created during the 2005-2006 school year. Judges Ned Cain, Steven Haas, Michelle Zjala Winter, and Allen Buch judged the works and determined the winners for outstanding works of metal design. Twenty-Five entries were received, and all participating students will have their art pieces displayed at The Gift Itself for two weeks, with the option of selling their jewelry. Winners will receive a monetary prize, and the grand prize winner will receive a mentorship in the jewelry-making field. The purpose of the competition was to show students that jewelry-making is a viable option as a career. This speaks to the heart of Winter and Buch, hosts of the competition, and skilled jewelry artisans. “We wanted to give students the opportunity Al and I never had,” said Winter. “Currently there are many art competitions, but nothing geared towards jewelry specifically. We want to show that this is something that students can do and turn into a successful career like Al and I have.” Winter and Buch own The Gift Itself, a store and gallery known for its unique gifts, custom jewelry and jewelry repair. Any jewelry materials and techniques were allowed. The use of epoxy was forbidden, except to be used to hold in a stone, and any soldering was to be completed with a torch (no soft soldering). “We wanted the students to use traditional jewelry-making methods,” said Winter. “No shortcuts.” Other guidelines for this competition included the fact that all pieces had to be wearable, and students could only submit a maximum of two pieces.