Blog Archives

CRAFT MUSEUMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

6/4/2025

CRAFT IN THE MUSEUM
4 WEEK ONLINE ZOOM COURSE
JUNE 4 - JUNE 25
WEDNESDAYs 7PM - 8:30pm ET | 4PM - 5:30PM PT
$109 JRACRAFT MEMBERS | $139 NON-MEMBERS

Explore the dynamic interplay between artists, institutions, and curators in shaping the craft field over the last 25 years in this engaging four-week seminar led by Namita Wiggers. Through in-depth analysis of significant craft exhibitions and institutions, the course invites participants to critically examine the evolving roles of curators and institutions in platforming artists, preserving craft legacies, and fostering public discourse. Designed as a collaborative and generative learning environment, the seminar encourages students to actively participate in discussions that challenge traditional narratives, expand perspectives, and reimagine the future of craft in institutional contexts.

In celebration of the the 20th Anniversary of its foundation grant program in craft scholarship, the Center for Craft is offering free memberships to anyone who signs up for JRACraft classes.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR: NAMITA GUPTA WIGGERS

Namita Gupta Wiggers is an educator, writer, curator, and artist based in Portland, OR. Wiggers founded and directed the MA in Critical Craft Studies, Warren Wilson College, the first and only low residency program focused on critical craft histories and theory from 2017 - 2023. She was a Paul J. Smith Fields of the Future Fellow at Bard Graduate Center, NYC in the Fall of 2023, and a Senior Fellow, Smithsonian Institution in the Spring of 2024. Her most recent publications are co-editor of the Journal of Modern Craft Special Issue on the MA in Critical Craft Studies (Vol. 17, Issue 1, 2024) and This is not a Retreat, co-edited with Ben Lignel for The MACR Papers. Wiggers serves on the Board of Trustees at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and began serving as President in the Fall of 2023. She is an editor-at-large for Crafts magazine, and on the Advisory Board of The Journal of Modern Craft.

Wiggers directs and co-founded Critical Craft Forum (since 2008), and served as the Director and Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland OR from 2004 - 2014.

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APPALACHIAN CRAFT: THEN AND NOW

6/3/2025

APPALACHIAN CRAFT: THEN AND NOW
6 WEEK ONLINE ZOOM COURSE
JUNE 3 - JULY 8
TUESDAYS 12:30PM - 2pm ET
$149 JRACRAFT MEMBERS | $189 NON-MEMBERS

Discover the true story of craft in Appalachia in this six-week online course led by artist-scholar Michael Hatch. Through guest speakers, oral histories, and enriching presentations, explore the complex ways in which craft has been a part of Appalachian identity, and how makers past and present have defined the region on their own terms. Encompassing Cherokee artists, Black potters, and studio craft pioneers, this is a rich, nuanced look at a vibrant cultural legacy.

Topics will include:

What is Appalachian Craft?
Cherokee craft
Evolution of Asheville as a center for craft, especially from 1995-2025 and beyond
Black Mountain College and Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center
Hurricane Helene and its aftermath

In celebration of the the 20th Anniversary of its foundation grant program in craft scholarship, the Center for Craft is offering free memberships to anyone who signs up for JRACraft classes.

meet your instructor: Mike Hatch

Michael Hatch is a maker and a scholar. He has worked with molten glass for over thirty five years, and has run his studio/gallery Crucible Glassworks in the Asheville area since 1998. He received a BA Sociology & Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University where he was first introduced to glassworking. He received an MA in Critical Craft Studies from Warren Wilson College, and has since added independent researcher, curator, adjunct professor, and conference organizer, as well as other accolades to his resume. He has presented his grant-funded research through exhibitions, writing, conference presentations, and sound and video projects. His glass work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country. Mike became a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild in 2005 and has served on numerous committees, two terms on the Board of Trustees (with two years as vice-president), and currently manages the organization’s archives when he is not working in his studio.

Michael Hatch

Wade Martin: Wood Carver (SHCG Member) Mountain Figures

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HISTORY OF CRAFT IN THE U.S.

6/1/2025

history of craft in the u.s.
6 WEEK ONLINE ZOOM COURSE
JUNE 3 - JULY 8
TUESDAYS 7PM - 8:15PM ET
$109 JRACRAFT MEMBERS | $139 NON-MEMBERS

Explore the rich, multifaceted history of craft in the United States—an ever-evolving story full of complexity and creativity. Lectures will trace themes such as Craft and Tradition, Craft and Activism, Craft in Contemporary Art, and Craft and the Market, following their threads from the past to the present. Class discussions will delve into the tensions, contradictions, and diverse perspectives that shape these histories, sparking fresh insights into the world of craft.

In celebration of the the 20th Anniversary of its foundation grant program in craft scholarship, the Center for Craft is offering free memberships to anyone who signs up for JRACraft classes.

meet your instructor: jennifer scanlan

Jennifer Scanlan is the Executive Director at JRACraft. Prior to joining JRACraft, Jennifer served as the Deputy Director at Craft Alliance in St. Louis, MO, where she made substantial contributions to the organization's growth and outreach efforts. Her career includes pivotal positions such as Curatorial and Exhibitions Director at Oklahoma Contemporary in Oklahoma City, and Associate Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. Jennifer has also worked internationally as an independent curator and consultant on exhibitions, public art projects, and publications.

She has taught courses in Contemporary Craft and Craft History at Courtauld Institute of Art Summer School in London, England, and at Parsons The New School for Design in New York. She has a BA in art history and Italian from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, and an MA in the history of decorative arts, design, and culture from the Bard Graduate Center, New York, New York.

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Jennifer Scanlan. Photograph by Erin Baiano

46th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival CREATIVITY AND CRISIS: UNFOLDING THE AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT Program on the National Mall in Washington DC on Sunday afternoon, 8 July 2012 by Elvert Barnes Photography

Stained glass window by John Scott Bradstreet, 1906–8

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Archives

CRAFT MUSEUMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

APPALACHIAN CRAFT: THEN AND NOW

HISTORY OF CRAFT IN THE U.S.

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