Center for Craft

Vision We envision a culture where communities celebrate and embrace the centrality of craft in everyday life. Mission We resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. Our values Best Practice Our work is concentrated on the most creative and original artists and ambitious research in order to fortify the field with rigorous standards of making and intellectual inquiry. Emerging Voices The future of the craft field is in the hands of the next generation. We support the ideas, voices, and the professional development of emerging craft makers, curators, scholars, and critics. Cross-Disciplinary We understand craft as relevant and meaningful to a broad spectrum of disciplines. We invite “cross pollination” through collaborations, discussions, and sharing across subjects. Diversity We respect, value, and celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. We foster open communication of diverse perspectives and bring a broad range of individuals together to enrich and support programming. Efficiency We intentionally work both lean and efficiently, expanding and contracting our resources to fit the needs of each project. Learning We value the importance of higher education to train both makers and researchers. We also recognize that learning happens outside of formal educational systems, including studios, galleries, and other alternative spaces. Collaboration By joining forces we can build audiences, and increase capacity. Partnerships allow us to strengthen the craft community and leverage shared resources. Critical Thinking We encourage and stimulate inquiry and dialogue. This allows the craft field space to dance with a concept – to clarify, examine, and document a complexity that allows for growth and deeper understanding. We work to address the scarcity of intellectual engagement with craft in higher education and museums by supporting research and scholarship.