Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft | Center for Craft

Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft | Center for Craft
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|  Building a future for craft.
Building a future for craft.
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|  Craft is for everyone
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|  Building a future for craft
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Event & Meeting Space
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Exhibitions
Bresler Family Gallery
Current Exhibition
UPcoming Exhibition
past Exhibition
On View
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
The Center for Craft is excited to present a solo exhibition of patchwork textiles and inflatable sculptures by the Ohio-based fiber artist. Adrian’s volumetric, pneumatic work transports viewers into artifice, desire, and worldbuilding. Drawing from rich legacies of queer fiber art & theory, the exhibition features monumentally scaled works that physically respond to viewers presence by filling with air.
You can still sponsor
RIPSTOP
by contributing before
July 12, 2024.
Donate today for your opportunity to be recognized during the opening reception on August 15, 2024, and on the exhibition's Title Wall. To underwrite this exhibition, please
donate now
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
SPONSOR
Download Sponsorship Kit
On view
February 27, 2026
September 27, 2026
Through
Feb
27
Sep
27
When
Feb 27, 2026
Sep 27, 2026
Photo credit:
Maggie Thompson, process photo of "Hospital Gown," 2025. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Exhibitions
Bresler Family Gallery
Current Exhibition
UPcoming Exhibition
past Exhibition
On View
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
On view
Feb
27
Sep
27
Through
Feb
27
Sep
27
When
Feb 27, 2026
Sep 27, 2026
Photo credit:
Maggie Thompson, process photo of "Hospital Gown," 2025. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Exhibitions
Bresler Family Gallery
Current Exhibition
UPcoming Exhibition
past Exhibition
On View
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
On view
Feb
27
Sep
27
Through
Feb
27
Sep
27
When
Feb 27, 2026
Sep 27, 2026
Photo credit:
Maggie Thompson, process photo of "Hospital Gown," 2025. Photo courtesy of the artist.
FRONT & CENTER
Front & center
craft-itarianism
(craft-uh-TAIR-ee-uh-niz-um)
noun
: the use of craft to add joy, distribute resources, and foster a sense of community in the everyday lives of specific at-risk or marginalized people
Example:
“Using craft as a way to help humans is
craft-itarianism
.”
The word
craft-itarianism
was coined by
2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez
to name artistic projects that generate employment, raise awareness, or offer therapeutic support through craft. These programs provide a space where people affected by addiction, incarceration, and gun violence can find solidarity while learning a skill.
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
celebrates nonprofits and artists who believe in—and actively practice—the power of craft to support and empower individuals and communities.
This exhibition was curated by 2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez. Launched in 2017, the Curatorial Fellowship supports emerging curators exploring new ideas about craft with mentorship, professional development, and a $5,000 honorarium to realize an exhibition.
SUPPORT
North Carolina Arts Council
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts
No items found.
No items found.
OPENING RECEPTION
Fri
Feb
27
5:30 pm
7:30 pm
RSVP here
Where
Bresler Family Gallery
67 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC 28801
ARTISTS
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
People's Pottery Project
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
ARTISTS
EasterN Band Cherokee Exhibiting Artists
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
People's Pottery Project
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
People's Pottery Project
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
CURATed By
Alyssa Velazquez
ORGANIZED BY
Center for Craft
Exhibition management BY
Lisette Gallaher
Installation by
Lauren Roquemore and Konrad Sanders
Exhibition design
Edited by
Mentorship by
M. Rachael Arauz, PhD
Special Thanks
Sarah Darro, Troy Smythe, and Namita Wiggers
Graphic Design by
History of Salad
Photography by
PRESS release
exhibition events
The events for this exhibition have passed.
See our full calendar for upcoming events.
Curatorial
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Thank
you to the
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
and
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
for
makng these residencies possible.
close
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
RIPSTOP
is supported, in part, by Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
A special thanks to
North Bennet Street School
close
and the
Foundry Hotel
close
for sponsoring
Handwork and Hope.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
is supported, in part by,
The Foundry Hotel
close
The Center for Craft is supported, in part, by the
the N.C. Arts Council,
close
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
The
Center
for
Craft’s
John
Cram
Partner
Gallery
presented
in
collaboration
with
UNC Asheville
close
UNC Asheville transforms lives through leadership and education. The designated liberal arts and sciences institution for the UNC System and one of the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts universities, UNC Asheville enrolls 3,600 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. UNC Asheville also encourages students to take part in a nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program and participate in interdisciplinary learning. From internships and hands-on projects, to study abroad and community engagement, students experience an education that extends beyond campus into the vibrant City of Asheville, the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the world.
and
Warren Wilson College
close
A liberal arts college grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
Curatorial
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Thank
you to the
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
and
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
for
makng these residencies possible.
close
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
RIPSTOP
is supported, in part, by Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
A special thanks to
North Bennet Street School
close
and the
Foundry Hotel
close
for sponsoring
Handwork and Hope.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
is supported, in part by,
The Foundry Hotel
close
The Center for Craft is supported, in part, by the
the N.C. Arts Council,
close
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
The
Center
for
Craft’s
John
Cram
Partner
Gallery
presented
in
collaboration
with
UNC Asheville
close
UNC Asheville transforms lives through leadership and education. The designated liberal arts and sciences institution for the UNC System and one of the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts universities, UNC Asheville enrolls 3,600 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. UNC Asheville also encourages students to take part in a nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program and participate in interdisciplinary learning. From internships and hands-on projects, to study abroad and community engagement, students experience an education that extends beyond campus into the vibrant City of Asheville, the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the world.
and
Warren Wilson College
close
A liberal arts college grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
exhibition Images
Laura Donefer in collaboration with Anthony Addison, Zoe Bisono, Dantrell Blake, Makaylah Kuffel, Khloe Lewis, Jayleon McGee, Yuridia Padilla, Jacob Tate, and Daniel Thomas at Firebird Community Arts, “If You're Green, You're Growing,” 2025. Glass. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
Cindy Gosselin, “Untitled,” 2022. Fiber and found objects. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
People’s Pottery Project, stoneware plates, bowls, vases, cups, and unique pieces made by CEO Dominique Perkins, cofounder Ilka Perkins, and employee Alice Berman. Courtesy of People’s Pottery Project. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft, installation view, curated by 2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
AMBOS Project, Queer Milagros: Petitions from the Border, 2025, stoneware, approx. 5 x 5 in. each. Courtesy of AMBOS Project. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.
exhibition Images
Beautiful images coming soon!
Meet the artists
ᏚᏍᏓᏯᎫᎾᏱ Gabriel Crow
Cherokee, NC
Visit INSTAGRAM
visit facebook
Faye Junaluska
Cherokee, NC
Lucille Lossiah
Ramon Lose
Cullowhee, NC
ᏯᏗ ᎺᏂ Betty Maney
Cherokee, NC
ᏗᎳᏂ Dylan Morgan
Cherokee, NC
ᎺᎵ ᏔᎻᏏᏂ Mary W. Thompson
ᏎᎳᏂ ᏔᎻᏏᏂ Sarah Thompson
Patricia Welch
Field Building
see our family of past fellows
Meet the artists
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
Los Angeles, CA; Tijuana, México
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Online
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
Wynnewood, PA; Philadelphia, PA
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
Chicago, IL
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
People's Pottery Project
Los Angeles, CA
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
Visit Artist Site
Visit FACEBOOK
Visit INSTAGRAM
Field Building
see our family of past fellows
CRAFT RESEARCH TALK
View the catalog
View the catalog
View the catalog
About
RIPSTOP
The Center for Craft is excited to present a solo exhibition of patchwork textiles and inflatable sculptures by the Ohio-based fiber artist. Adrian’s volumetric, pneumatic work transports viewers into artifice, desire, and worldbuilding. Drawing from rich legacies of queer fiber art & theory, the exhibition features monumentally scaled works that physically respond to viewers presence by filling with air.
You can still sponsor
RIPSTOP
by contributing before
July 12, 2024.
Donate today for your opportunity to be recognized during the opening reception on July 26, 2024, and on the exhibition's Title Wall. To underwrite this exhibition, please
donate now
BUY TICKETS
RECENT basket NEWS
about the artists
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides) is a femme-led binational artist collaborative working along the US–Mexico border to build migrant support systems. Founded by craft-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga in 2016, the project has grown to include a trauma-informed ceramics program with LGBTQIA+ asylum and refugee shelters in Tijuana. The project aims to raise awareness around anti-immigrant rhetoric and the effects of inhumane policies on people’s lives.
Continue reading...
AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides)
is a femme-led binational artist collaborative working along the US–Mexico border to build migrant support systems. Founded by craft-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga in 2016, the project has grown to include a trauma-informed ceramics program with LGBTQIA+ asylum and refugee shelters in Tijuana. The project aims to raise awareness around anti-immigrant rhetoric and the effects of inhumane policies on people’s lives.
Visit Artist Site
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Tiffany Momon, public historian and Assistant Professor of History at Sewanee: The University of the South, the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA) is a digital resource that highlights contemporary craft scholarship by historians, academics, and scholars who illustrate the perceptions of Black craftspeople and their trades in the past.
Continue reading...
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Tiffany Momon, public historian and Assistant Professor of History at Sewanee: The University of the South, the
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA)
is a digital resource that highlights contemporary craft scholarship by historians, academics, and scholars who illustrate the perceptions of Black craftspeople and their trades in the past.
Visit Artist Site
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
Since 2010, the Center for Creative Works (CCW) has been a professional arts program serving adults with intellectual disabilities. CCW has studios with day-service programs in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia that provide materials, equipment, and open spaces for neurodiverse artists to explore their craft—a place to call an artistic home.
Continue reading...
Since 2010, the
Center for Creative Works (CCW)
has been a professional arts program serving adults with intellectual disabilities. CCW has studios with day-service programs in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia that provide materials, equipment, and open spaces for neurodiverse artists to explore their craft—a place to call an artistic home.
Visit Artist Site
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park, Firebird Community Arts is a nonprofit glass studio and community arts center founded by Artistic Director Pearl Dick for youth to be physically creative in a supportive community space. ProjectFIRE is Firebird’s flagship glassblowing venture. Beginning in 2015, with the partnership of Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma, Dick created a program that combines healing and glass art training with national and international artists.
Continue reading...
Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park,
Firebird Community Arts
is a nonprofit glass studio and community arts center founded by Artistic Director Pearl Dick for youth to be physically creative in a supportive community space. ProjectFIRE is Firebird’s flagship glassblowing venture. Beginning in 2015, with the partnership of Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma, Dick created a program that combines healing and glass art training with national and international artists.
Visit Artist Site
People's Pottery Project
The People’s Pottery Project’s (PPP) established its mission in 2019 to employ and empower formerly incarcerated women and trans and nonbinary individuals through paid job training, access to a healing community, and meaningful employment in a collective nonprofit business. One of the first steps in joining this artistic community is learning the ins and outs of ceramic fabrication—both wheel throwing and hand building. Through their studio, PPP connects participants to others to share their stories and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration.
Continue reading...
The
People’s Pottery Project’s (PPP)
established its mission in 2019 to employ and empower formerly incarcerated women and trans and nonbinary individuals through paid job training, access to a healing community, and meaningful employment in a collective nonprofit business. One of the first steps in joining this artistic community is learning the ins and outs of ceramic fabrication—both wheel throwing and hand building. Through their studio, PPP connects participants to others to share their stories and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration.
Visit Artist Site
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe; born Minneapolis, 1989; resides St. Paul, Minnesota) is a multimedia artist who incorporates textile techniques, including beadwork, into large-scale and fine art wearables inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and contemporary Native American experiences. Her most recent visual projects transform familiar garments into participatory works with community members.
Continue reading...
Maggie Thompson
(Fond du Lac Ojibwe; born Minneapolis, 1989; resides St. Paul, Minnesota) is a multimedia artist who incorporates textile techniques, including beadwork, into large-scale and fine art wearables inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and contemporary Native American experiences. Her most recent visual projects transform familiar garments into participatory works with community members.
Visit Artist Site
about the artists
AMBOS Project and students at Jardin de las Mariposas, Casa Arcoíris, and Casa Unión Trans in Tijuana, Mexico
WEBSITE
AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides) is a femme-led binational artist collaborative working along the US–Mexico border to build migrant support systems. Founded by craft-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga in 2016, the project has grown to include a trauma-informed ceramics program with LGBTQIA+ asylum and refugee shelters in Tijuana. The project aims to raise awareness around anti-immigrant rhetoric and the effects of inhumane policies on people’s lives.
ARTIST BIO
AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides)
is a femme-led binational artist collaborative working along the US–Mexico border to build migrant support systems. Founded by craft-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga in 2016, the project has grown to include a trauma-informed ceramics program with LGBTQIA+ asylum and refugee shelters in Tijuana. The project aims to raise awareness around anti-immigrant rhetoric and the effects of inhumane policies on people’s lives.
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
WEBSITE
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Tiffany Momon, public historian and Assistant Professor of History at Sewanee: The University of the South, the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA) is a digital resource that highlights contemporary craft scholarship by historians, academics, and scholars who illustrate the perceptions of Black craftspeople and their trades in the past.
ARTIST BIO
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Tiffany Momon, public historian and Assistant Professor of History at Sewanee: The University of the South, the
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA)
is a digital resource that highlights contemporary craft scholarship by historians, academics, and scholars who illustrate the perceptions of Black craftspeople and their trades in the past.
Center for Creative Works with Kelly Brown, Cindy Gosselin, and Ania Lattie
WEBSITE
Since 2010, the Center for Creative Works (CCW) has been a professional arts program serving adults with intellectual disabilities. CCW has studios with day-service programs in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia that provide materials, equipment, and open spaces for neurodiverse artists to explore their craft—a place to call an artistic home.
ARTIST BIO
Since 2010, the
Center for Creative Works (CCW)
has been a professional arts program serving adults with intellectual disabilities. CCW has studios with day-service programs in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia that provide materials, equipment, and open spaces for neurodiverse artists to explore their craft—a place to call an artistic home.
Firebird Community Arts with Laura Donefer and Firebird youth artists
WEBSITE
Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park, Firebird Community Arts is a nonprofit glass studio and community arts center founded by Artistic Director Pearl Dick for youth to be physically creative in a supportive community space. ProjectFIRE is Firebird’s flagship glassblowing venture. Beginning in 2015, with the partnership of Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma, Dick created a program that combines healing and glass art training with national and international artists.
ARTIST BIO
Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park,
Firebird Community Arts
is a nonprofit glass studio and community arts center founded by Artistic Director Pearl Dick for youth to be physically creative in a supportive community space. ProjectFIRE is Firebird’s flagship glassblowing venture. Beginning in 2015, with the partnership of Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma, Dick created a program that combines healing and glass art training with national and international artists.
People's Pottery Project
WEBSITE
The People’s Pottery Project’s (PPP) established its mission in 2019 to employ and empower formerly incarcerated women and trans and nonbinary individuals through paid job training, access to a healing community, and meaningful employment in a collective nonprofit business. One of the first steps in joining this artistic community is learning the ins and outs of ceramic fabrication—both wheel throwing and hand building. Through their studio, PPP connects participants to others to share their stories and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration.
ARTIST BIO
The
People’s Pottery Project’s (PPP)
established its mission in 2019 to employ and empower formerly incarcerated women and trans and nonbinary individuals through paid job training, access to a healing community, and meaningful employment in a collective nonprofit business. One of the first steps in joining this artistic community is learning the ins and outs of ceramic fabrication—both wheel throwing and hand building. Through their studio, PPP connects participants to others to share their stories and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration.
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
WEBSITE
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe; born Minneapolis, 1989; resides St. Paul, Minnesota) is a multimedia artist who incorporates textile techniques, including beadwork, into large-scale and fine art wearables inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and contemporary Native American experiences. Her most recent visual projects transform familiar garments into participatory works with community members.
ARTIST BIO
Maggie Thompson
(Fond du Lac Ojibwe; born Minneapolis, 1989; resides St. Paul, Minnesota) is a multimedia artist who incorporates textile techniques, including beadwork, into large-scale and fine art wearables inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and contemporary Native American experiences. Her most recent visual projects transform familiar garments into participatory works with community members.
Exhibiting organizations & Artists
AMBOS Project
AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides) is a femme-led binational artist collaborative working along the US–Mexico border to build migrant support systems. Founded by craft-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga in 2016, the project has grown to include a trauma-informed ceramics program with LGBTQIA+ asylum and refugee shelters in Tijuana. The project aims to raise awareness around anti-immigrant rhetoric and the effects of inhumane policies on people’s lives.
Website
Black Craftspeople Digital Archive
Founded in 2019 by Dr. Tiffany Momon, public historian and Assistant Professor of History at Sewanee: The University of the South, the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive (BCDA) is a digital resource that highlights contemporary craft scholarship by historians, academics, and scholars who illustrate the perceptions of Black craftspeople and their trades in the past.
Website
Center for Creative Works
Since 2010, the Center for Creative Works (CCW) has been a professional arts program serving adults with intellectual disabilities. CCW has studios with day-service programs in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia that provide materials, equipment, and open spaces for neurodiverse artists to explore their craft—a place to call an artistic home.
Website
Firebird Community Arts
Located in Chicago’s East Garfield Park, Firebird Community Arts is a nonprofit glass studio and community arts center founded by Artistic Director Pearl Dick for youth to be physically creative in a supportive community space. ProjectFIRE is Firebird’s flagship glassblowing venture. Beginning in 2015, with the partnership of Dr. Brad Stolbach, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma, Dick created a program that combines healing and glass art training with national and international artists.
Website
People's Pottery Project
The People’s Pottery Project’s (PPP) established its mission in 2019 to employ and empower formerly incarcerated women and trans and nonbinary individuals through paid job training, access to a healing community, and meaningful employment in a collective nonprofit business. One of the first steps in joining this artistic community is learning the ins and outs of ceramic fabrication—both wheel throwing and hand building. Through their studio, PPP connects participants to others to share their stories and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration.
Website
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe)
Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe; born Minneapolis, 1989; resides St. Paul, Minnesota) is a multimedia artist who incorporates textile techniques, including beadwork, into large-scale and fine art wearables inspired by her Ojibwe heritage and contemporary Native American experiences. Her most recent visual projects transform familiar garments into participatory works with community members.
Website
about the curator
Alyssa Velazquez
Alyssa Velazquez, writer, curator, and creative director, was awarded the Center for Craft’s 2026 Curatorial Fellowship for her exhibition titled
Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft
. The exhibition celebrates nonprofits and artists who believe in—and actively practice—the power of craft to support and empower individuals and communities.
The Center for Craft Curatorial Fellowship supports emerging craft curators in their areas of research—promoting experimentation, collaboration, and engagement across the curatorial field. The 2026 Fellowship welcomed proposals exploring themes of craft and community vitality.
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources
division
and
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
close
Curatorial
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Thank
you to the
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
and
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
for
makng these residencies possible.
close
The Center for Craft Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund. This exhibition was funded, in part, by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Center for Craft receives funding from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. Support also comes from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
RIPSTOP
is supported, in part, by Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
This exhibition was supported, in part, by the John W. and Anna H. Hanes Foundation,
ArtsAVL
close
and Buncombe County Government.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources
division
and
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
close
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
A special thanks to
North Bennet Street School
close
and the
Foundry Hotel
close
for sponsoring
Handwork and Hope.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
is supported, in part by,
The Foundry Hotel
close
The Center for Craft is supported, in part, by the
the N.C. Arts Council,
close
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
The
Center
for
Craft’s
John
Cram
Partner
Gallery
presented
in
collaboration
with
UNC Asheville
close
UNC Asheville transforms lives through leadership and education. The designated liberal arts and sciences institution for the UNC System and one of the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts universities, UNC Asheville enrolls 3,600 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. UNC Asheville also encourages students to take part in a nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program and participate in interdisciplinary learning. From internships and hands-on projects, to study abroad and community engagement, students experience an education that extends beyond campus into the vibrant City of Asheville, the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the world.
and
Warren Wilson College
close
A liberal arts college grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
Curatorial
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Thank
you to the
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
and
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
for
makng these residencies possible.
close
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
RIPSTOP
is supported, in part, by Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
This exhibition was supported, in part, by the John W. and Anna H. Hanes Foundation,
ArtsAVL
close
and Buncombe County Government.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources
division
and
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
close
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
A special thanks to
North Bennet Street School
close
and the
Foundry Hotel
close
for sponsoring
Handwork and Hope.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
is supported, in part by,
The Foundry Hotel
close
The Center for Craft is supported, in part, by the
the N.C. Arts Council,
close
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
The
Center
for
Craft’s
John
Cram
Partner
Gallery
presented
in
collaboration
with
UNC Asheville
close
UNC Asheville transforms lives through leadership and education. The designated liberal arts and sciences institution for the UNC System and one of the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts universities, UNC Asheville enrolls 3,600 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. UNC Asheville also encourages students to take part in a nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program and participate in interdisciplinary learning. From internships and hands-on projects, to study abroad and community engagement, students experience an education that extends beyond campus into the vibrant City of Asheville, the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the world.
and
Warren Wilson College
close
A liberal arts college grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
Curatorial
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Thank
you to the
Virginia A. Groot Foundation
and
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
for
makng these residencies possible.
close
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
RIPSTOP
is supported, in part, by Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
This exhibition was supported, in part, by the John W. and Anna H. Hanes Foundation,
ArtsAVL
close
and Buncombe County Government.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources
division
and
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
close
2023
Curatorial
Fellow
A special thanks to
North Bennet Street School
close
and the
Foundry Hotel
close
for sponsoring
Handwork and Hope.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
The
Center
for
Craft
is
supported
in
part
by
the
N.C. Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
The 2023 Curatorial Fellowship is supported, in part, by the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund.
Thank you to
Phillips
the leading auction house in art and design, for sponsoring the Curatorial Fellowship show.
Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas
is supported, in part by,
The Foundry Hotel
close
The Center for Craft is supported, in part, by the
the N.C. Arts Council,
close
Aram Han Sifuentes is a recipient of the Center for Craft’s 2022 Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship. This substantial mid-career grant is awarded to two artists to support research projects that advance, expand, and support the creation of new research and knowledge through craft practice.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
the
North Carolina Arts Council
close
division
of
the
Department
of
Natural
and
Cultural
Resources.
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
The
Center
for
Craft’s
John
Cram
Partner
Gallery
presented
in
collaboration
with
UNC Asheville
close
UNC Asheville transforms lives through leadership and education. The designated liberal arts and sciences institution for the UNC System and one of the nation’s top 10 public liberal arts universities, UNC Asheville enrolls 3,600 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. UNC Asheville also encourages students to take part in a nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program and participate in interdisciplinary learning. From internships and hands-on projects, to study abroad and community engagement, students experience an education that extends beyond campus into the vibrant City of Asheville, the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the world.
and
Warren Wilson College
close
A liberal arts college grounded in social responsibility, where hard work and community are more than just words.
This
exhibition
is
supported
in
part
by
the
Cherokee Preservation Foundation,
close
the
National Endowment for the Arts,
close
and
AARP, Mountain Region North Carolina.
close
For a full listing of the generous funders supporting the Center for Craft and our programming visit
centerforcraft.org/support
More On View
Exhibition
Connections in the Making
Through
Nov
17
Oct
31
We are building a future for craft. We serve makers, museums, academics, and the local community by investing in
creative placekeeping
and
field building
We
believe
that
craft
matters.
We
are
here
to
activate
resources,
catalyze
craft
communities,
and
amplify
craft's
impact
in
the
United
States.
To learn more, please download
Craft Matters
, the Center for Craft’s strategic direction for 2023-2027.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
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67 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 785-1357
info@centerforcraft.org
Gallery Hours:
Mon–Sat, 10 am–6 pm
Get more info >>
Center for Craft is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
EIN: 56-2096677
Vimeo
SoundCloud
67 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 785-1357
info@centerforcraft.org
Gallery Hours: Tues–Sat, 10–6
get more info
Gallery Hours: Closed —
Reopening Fall 2019
Vimeo
SoundCloud
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