Step right up and celebrate with fellow craft lovers at a lively brunch to cap off Spring Craft Weekend in grand style!
 
Enjoy a delicious meal while taking in the wondrous Washington skyline—an inspiring setting for this special gathering. Be captivated by exclusive insights from JRACraft’s Executive Director, Jennifer Scanlan, as she shares an exciting glimpse into the future of our craft community. Hear inspiring stories from those whose careers and lives have been influenced and profoundly impacted by our esteemed Spring Craft Weekend honorees.
 
It’s a feast for the senses and the perfect way to wrap up a weekend filled with creativity, community, and wonder!

Luncheon attire recommended. 

Parking garage instructions: The Tower Club is located at 8000 Towers Crescent Drive on the 17th floor in Vienna, right next to Tysons Corner mall. The building's multi-level garage is located adjacent to the Club building and is marked “Towers Crescent Parking.” The Plaza level of the garage is ground level & weekend event guests must park on this level or higher, as the elevators below are not running on weekends.

From the main lobby of the building, you will take two elevators to reach the Club. The first set will be from the first to the 14th floor, at which point you will switch elevators. You’ll proceed around the corner and take the second set from the 14th to 17th floor.  

​Are you traveling to join us in DC? Reach out to us at [email protected] to receive information on discounted accommodation options with our travel partners.

Come one! Come all! for an unforgettable evening at our Carnival of Wonders! The air will be buzzing with excitement as you prepare to immerse yourself in a world of death-defying feats, delectable treats, and a magical atmosphere.

Our honorees and awardees will be on full display--here is your chance to meet them, greet them, and applaud them! Enjoy dinner and an awards ceremony for our four honorees. 

But wait—there’s more! Our dazzling Ringmaster will guide you through an Auction of Experiences, where you can take home one-of-a-kind adventures from here, there, and everywhere. So, come for the thrills, stay for the magic, and leave with memories that’ll have you smiling for days!

Self-pay valet parking, street meters, and parking garages are all available. Use Metro Center stop on the red, orange, and blue lines. Carnival-inspired, colorful chic attire recommended! 

Are you traveling to join us in DC? Reach out to us at [email protected] to receive information on discounted accommodation options with our travel partners.
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Join us as we celebrate this year’s Master of the Medium award honorees—Four visionary artists who have shaped contemporary craft.  Hear dazzling presentations from each of them as they discuss their careers and creative process. Guiding this experience is JRACraft Board President Rebecca Ravenal, who will lead a roundtable discussion with our honorees followed by an opportunity for questions from the audience. 

Casual attire. Limited on-street parking at meters; several paid parking garages are available in the neighborhood. Since the Symposium starts before SAAM opens to the public, you must enter on G Street to access McEvoy Auditorium. A JRACraft staff member will be there to greet you.

HONOREE SPEAKERS

 For 45 years, Michael Lucero has been creating dynamic, surrealist works that comment on the broad history of ceramics while pushing that medium beyond its perceived limitations. With a career that has redefined ceramic art, Lucero continues to inspire and provoke.

Xenobia Bailey is a cultural activist and visionary artist renowned for her kaleidoscopic crochet mandalas and hats, which draw inspiration from ancient African aesthetics and the ethos of funk.  Bailey’s practice reclaims erased cultural histories while envisioning a sustainable, nature-inspired future.

Renowned for his exquisite hand-carved spoons, Norm Sartorius has spent over 30 years transforming the humble wooden spoon into an art form. Working with rare and exceptional woods, he creates sculptural pieces that blend natural forms, abstract designs, and rich textures. Sartorius draws inspiration from spoon-making traditions across the world, as well as the inherent beauty of his materials. Each spoon he creates is a unique dialogue between the artist and the wood, celebrating the interplay of color, form, and texture.

Lola Brooks is a metalsmith whose work explores the rich symbolism of jewelry as a cultural artifact. With training at Pratt Institute and SUNY New Paltz, where she studied under Jamie Bennett and Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Brooks combines traditional craft with contemporary innovation. Her pieces challenge conventional notions of value by juxtaposing stainless steel with gold, transforming sentimental motifs into profound artistic statements. ​

Top left to right: Michael Lucero, Xenobia Bailey, Norm Sartorius, Lola Brooks. 

Step right up, visionaries and dreamers! Prepare to be dazzled as we peer into the looking glass of time and unravel The Future of Craft – 10 Years Ahead.

In this thrilling forum, our panel of ‘futurists’—a daring gallerist, Leslie Ferrin, a boundary-pushing artist educator, Shane Prada, and a curator with an eye on the horizon, Marilyn Zapf—will conjure their most compelling insights into the transformation of craft. Will technology weave its way deeper into handmade traditions? Will cultural shifts reshape what we cherish and collect? Will the extraordinary become the everyday?

From the whimsical to the profound, expect a lively discussion brimming with bold ideas and electrifying predictions. This is your chance to witness the unfolding of craft’s destiny—a place where innovation meets imagination, and the impossible becomes reality!

Valet parking and parking lot available. Luncheon attire recommended. 

​Are you traveling to join us in DC? Reach out to us at [email protected] to receive information on discounted accommodation options with our travel partners.
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