2023 American Medal of the Year Award
By Jon Radel
The American Medallic Sculptors Association (AMSA) has announced that Jim Licaretz has won the 2023 American Medal of the Year (AMY) award, for medals created in 2022, for his timely work in honor of Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Volodymyr Zelensky” by Jim Licaretz.
This is the second medal in a series honoring world icons. The first honored civil rights leader John Lewis, a runner-up in the 2022 AMY competition. The original is made with a 3-D printer, then a mold is made and the 3” medals are cast in bonded bronze; finally, Jim applies a wax patina by hand. The edition is limited to 200 pieces. They can be ordered for $165 from the non-profit Jewish-American Hall of Fame by calling 818-225-1348. 100% of the profits will be contributed to charities helping Ukrainian victims.
“Days of Silence – Nights of Song,” by Jeremiah D. Welsh. Image: J. D. Welsh Fine Arts.
“Hydroponic” by Jeffrey Briggs.
This year the jurors honored two other medals as finalists: “Days of Silence – Nights of Song,” by Jeremiah D. Welsh, the 2022 Brookgreen Medal, struck in bronze, in the long-running series issued by Brookgreen Gardens as a membership benefit, and “Hydroponic” by Jeffrey Briggs, a uniface 5” by 23⁄4” medal cast in marble with a bronze patina. The latter is available from Jeffrey for $90, contact him via email.
All 42 AMY entries, by 26 artists, will be pictured in the next full color issue of AMSA’s Members Exchange. Art medal collectors and designers are invited to learn about and join the American Medallic Sculpture Association.
The new chair of the AMY committee, Jon Radel, is honored to be taking over for the founding chair, Mel Wacks, who has stewarded the award since its founding in 2014. He remarked, “I’m thrilled at the broad representation by artists this year, both those well known to all who collect American medals, as I do, but also relative newcomers who deserve broader exposure.”
