Once every other year, the Masters of the Medium award recognizes artists for excellence in their body of work in the five craft mediums of ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood.​

Masters of the Medium

• Demonstrate excellence in craftsmanship
• Influence the designated medium
• Contribute to the craft field ​

Join us October 30 at 2pm eastern in this free online event to celebrate the lives, work, and influence of our 2021 Masters of the Medium: David Harper Clemons, Sergei Isupov, Wendy Maruyama, Preston Singletary, and Consuelo Jimenez Underwood. The awardees will discuss their inspirations, influences, and the artworks that have defined their careers in this engaging presentation.

Click below to register for the Symposium & Awards or to take out a congratulatory listing in honor of one or more of the Masters of the Medium.
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David was born in El Paso, Texas and spent much of his life in Austin, Texas.  Initially he began his undergraduate career attending Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, pursuing a degree program for Biology Art.  He attended the program for two years before returning to Austin to complete his BFA at the University of Texas in Austin, with a primary emphasis in painting. He earned his MFA in Metalsmithing in 2007 from San Diego State University. David taught in the art department at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, Arkansas for 10 years. During 8 of those years he was responsible for creating and heading the Metalsmithing and Jewelry Department. In 2018 he relocated to Penland, North Carolina to dedicate his time to be an independent artist and workshop instructor.  Much of his work embraces the craft of Metalsmithing and it’s collected history of techniques and objects. The resulting works rendered in metal, mixed media, and hand made artist books are vehicles to communicate ideas surrounding identity, narrative, and forays into material and process-based work.  He has exhibited in numerous exhibitions including: Craft in America: Expanding Traditions, Different Tempers: Jewelry & Blacksmithing, RE/ACTIONS, and has work in the permanent collection of the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock, National Ornamental Metal Museum. Yale Contemporary Craft Museum, Ollie Trout Collection at the University of Texas in Austin. ​

​Sergei Isupov is an Estonian-American sculptor internationally known for his highly detailed, narrative works. Isupov explores painterly figure-ground relationships, creating surreal sculptures with a complex artistic vocabulary that combines two- and three-dimensional narratives and animal/human hybrids. He works in ceramic using traditional hand building and sculpting techniques to combine surface and form with narrative painting using stains and clear glaze.  Isupov has a long international resume with work included in numerous collections and exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Racine Art Museum (WI), Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MA), and the Erie Art Museum (PA), at which he presented selected works in a 20-year career survey Hidden Messages in 2017 and Surreal Promenade in 2019 at the Russian Museum of Art (MN). In addition to be being a working artist Isupov teaches workshops and lectures internationally at conferences, universities, museums and art centers. Important to his career have been the short and long-term artist residences at Archie Bray Foundation (Helena, MT), The International Ceramics Studio (Kecskemét, Hungary), and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center (Skælskør, Denmark). ​

The art of Preston Singletary has become synonymous with the relationship between European glass blowing traditions and Northwest Native art. His artworks feature themes of transformation, animal spirits and shamanism through elegant blown glass forms and mystical sand carved Tlingit designs. Singletary learned the art of glass blowing by working with artists in the Seattle area including Benjamin Moore and Dante Marioni. As a student and assistant, he initially focused on mastering the techniques of the European tradition. His work took him to Kosta Boda (Sweden) where he studied Scandinavian design and met his future wife. Throughout his 30+ years of glass blowing experience, he has also had opportunities to learn the secrets of the Venetian glass masters by working with Italian legends Lino Tagliapietra, Cecco Ongaro, and Pino Signoretto. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Puget Sound. Recognized internationally, Singletary’s artworks are included in museum collections such as The British Museum (London, UK), The Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), The Seattle Art Museum (Seattle WA), the Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY), the Mint Museum of Art and Design (Charlotte, NC), the Heard Museum (Phoenix,  AZ), and the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC).

Three local collectors open their homes across the DMV to host intimate cocktail parties. See wonderful craft art and enjoy the company of friends and fellow craft enthusiasts. The evening will end with a virtual “Toast of 100 Stars” with craft luminaries.

​Each home will be have limited guests. Proof of vaccination is required. We will follow up with you about your preference of home.
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The words quirky, fun and joyful come to mind when talking about the home of Barbara and Arnold Berlin. Enjoy their extensive collection of Staffordshire figurines and Arnold's collection of artist-made canes in addition to the other fun works in their home. 

In this beautifully curated home, the Mitchells have thoughtfully crafted a place for each piece in their collection to best show the artwork and their passion for craft art, and studio ceramics. 

As you walk up the outdoor stairs, past the outdoor sculptures, you will be greeted by the stunning glass collection and home of Gwen and Jerry Paulson. 

With Glenstone’s limited capacity and coveted timed ticketing, this event will only be open to Patrons and priority will be given for out-of-town guests.  Masks required

This informal get-together will allow you to roam the beauty of Glenstone on your own or with fellow JRACraft members.  
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This tour will be one of the last opportunities to see a survey exhibition by Faith Ringgold organized by Serpentine Galleries (London). More than 70 works on view highlight the artist’s range and include paintings, story quilts, and political posters, and feature nine works from Glenstone’s collection.

Glenstone is the only US museum to display this exhibition and it will end on October 24.

Over the course of six decades, American artist, author, and activist Faith Ringgold (b. 1930) has worked in a variety of media and modes—from quilts and paintings to performance and children’s books—to depict the beauty and complexity of the African American experience.
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Chris Rifkin (Massachusetts): 

The private collection of Chris Rifkin is renowned for its extensive collection of American Craft, with a specialty in contemporary glass. Her home was purpose built to showcase her growing collection and now serves as a repository of some of the most significant craft artists in America. "Collecting, to me, is about passionately wanting to live with a particular work of art; that if I never saw it again, there would be a small empty space inside me." Quoted in the book International Glass Art by Richard Wilfred Yelle​

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Richard and Alita Rogers (Ohio): 

The Richard and Alita Rogers Family Foundation established an online gallery in 2014 called Hieronymus Object to showcase their collection. The name and aesthetic were inspired by the Renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch, whose stirring paintings depict fantastical scenes that instill both delight and terror. Like Bosch's paintings, the collection, encompassing ceramics, paintings, prints, sculpture, and other curiosities. It is built around an appreciation for experimentation; sensuous, biomorphic forms; refined, carefully wrought materials; a sense of humor and whimsy. While the collection spans both time and geography, contemporary ceramics and twentieth-century design are among its strengths.
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Be the first to see New Glass Now at the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery with curator Mary Savig and special guests from the Corning Museum of Glass. This unique opportunity will be a private one-hour preview of the exhibition for Renwick Alliance members only before the exhibition opens to the public. Masks and vaccination required.​

Bid high and bid often in our online auction featuring over 20 unique works of craft art and experiences with proceeds going to support the James Renwick Alliance for Craft.

Throughout the 10 day long Craft Week celebration you can bid on beautiful craft items and experiences directly from the JRACraft website. This auction features items from the collections of JRACraft members by artists such as famed ceramicist Michael Lucero and our 2021 Master of the Medium, Sergei Isupov. Bidding will end on Saturday, October 30th at 5pm ET, so make sure to get your bids in early.

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