50TH RENWICK ANNIVERSARY FUND

THE jracraft 50TH ANNIVERSARY ACQUISITIONS FUND supportS the renwick gallery of the smithsonian museum of american art

​​In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the James Renwick Alliance for Craft renewed its commitment to expanding the museum’s collection with the Renwick Gallery 50th Anniversary Acquisitions Fund. The fund was part of JRACraft’s long history of supporting acquisitions, including iconic pieces like Karen LaMonte’s Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery, Judy McKie’s Monkey Settee, and Game Fish by Larry Fuentes. 
 
Thanks to the generosity of the donors listed on this page and others, the Fund raised more than $157,000 in contributions and direct donations to the museum to purchase works identified by the Renwick Gallery curators as part of the campaign.  This was the second-largest fundraising campaign in JRACraft’s history, exceeded only by the campaign to support the renovation of the Renwick Gallery.
 
In the end, the fund supported the acquisition of seven new works, including four by BIPOC artists and three by women.  Pieces by David Harper Clemons, Susie Ganch, Mariko Kusumoto, Roberto Lugo, and Paul Scott are the first pieces by these artists to enter the museum’s permanent collection, and the seventh piece, by Rachel David is her first work to join any major collection.  The campaign also facilitated direct donations to the museum for the acquisitions of four other works. We are delighted to be able to support this original and exciting art. The pieces JRACraft supported are:
 
David Harper Clemons, The Weight of Deferred Gratification. Clemons was a 2021 JRACraft Master of the Medium.
 
Susie Ganch, Drag. This piece was donated in honor of Robyn Kennedy, former head administrator of the Renwick Gallery.
 
Mariko Kusomoto, Seascape 1.
 
Roberto Lugo, Juicy.
 
Preston Singletary, Safe Journey. Singletary was a 2021 JRACraft Master of the Medium.
 
Paul Scott, Cumbrian Blue(s), from the New America series.
 
Rachel David, new commissioned work. David was the winner of the JRACraft 2021 Chrysalis Award for emerging artists.
 
The works by Roberto Lugo, Preston Singletary, Susie Ganch, and David Harper Clemons are on view now at the Renwick Gallery as part of its 50th anniversary exhibition, This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, running through April 2, 2023, along with many other works donated by JRACraft and its members.

We thank the donors listed below for being a part of this historic and unprecedented moment in craft history.
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JAMES RENWICK CIRCLE

​DIAMOND ($10,000 or more)
Nedra & Peter Agnew
Fleur Bresler
Michele Manatt & Wolfram Anders
Gwen & Jerry Paulson
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GOLD ($5,000 to $7,499)
Janice & Harvey Berger
Jere Gibber & J.G. Harrington
Sharon Karmazin
Chris Rifkin
Irene & Bob Sinclair

SILVER ($2,500 to $4,999)
Sharon & Bob Buchanan
Miriam & Leon Ellsworth
​Brenda Erickson
​Anne Mehringer
​& Terry Beaty
Bonnie & Gil Schwartz
Bobbie Van Haeften
Mikki Van Wyk
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BRONZE ($1,000 to $2,499)
Char Beales
​Barbara & Arnold* Berlin
Susan & Steven Bralove
​Diane Charnov
Elizabeth Doyle
Marilyn Falik
Jan & Carl Fisher
Marsha Gold
Carol and Joe Green
Marsha Gold
Jaimianne Jacobin
Mickey & Stephen Kurzbard
Sandy & Norman Mitchell
Michael Monroe
Karen & Michael Rotenberg
Susan & Fred Sanders
​Jeffrey Spahn
Lenel Srochi-Meyerhoff & John Meyerhoff
​​Jackie Urow
Pati Young

DONORS

PARTNER ($500 to $999)
Susan Buffone
Rebecca Cross
​Leslie Ferrin
​Betsy Holland
Randi Jacobs*
Clemmer Montague
Carol Terris
​​Andrea & Joe Uravitch
Barbara Wolanin​

​SUPPORTER ($250 to $499)
Eileen Doughty
​​Leslie & Bruce Lane
Nikki O'Neill
Lynda & Gary Slayen​
 
FRIEND ($100 to $249)
​Rody Baron
Paddy Benson
Lynn Chadwick
Christie Davis
Tina Heller
Michael Janis
Aletta Schaap
Anne Swanson
Tim Tate

Gail Tremblay (Mi’kmaq and Onondaga), When Will the Red Leader Overshadow Images of the 19th-Century Noble Savage in Hollywood Films that Some Think Are Sympathetic to American Indians, 2018, 35mm film from Windwalker (1981), red and white leader, and silver braid, overall: 15 1/2 x diam. 14 7/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Ms. Brenda Erickson in honor of the James Renwick Alliance, 2021.11 © 2018, Gail E. Tremblay, Photo Courtesy of Froelick Gallery

​Susie Ganch, Drag, 2012–13, collected detritus and steel, 32 x 32 x 132 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in honor of Robyn Kennedy, 2021.81 © 2014, Susie Ganch, Photo by David Hale, Courtesy of Sienna Patti Contemporary

Roberto Lugo, Juicy, 2021, glazed stoneware with enamel paint and luster, 19 7/8 x 13 3/8 x 9 3/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery and the 40th anniversary of the Alliance, 2021.68 ©2020, Roberto Lugo, Image by Dominic Episcopo courtesy of Wexler Gallery

Chawne Kimber, still not, 2019, machine-pieced, hand-quilted, hand-bound mid-century fabric, quilting cotton, and denim with cotton sashiko thread, 71 ¼ x 69 1/8 in., Museum purchase made possible by Nedra and Peter Agnew in honor of the James Renwick Alliance, 2021.83 ©2019, Chawne Kimber, Photo by Lee Stalsworth – Fine Art Through Photography

Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Safe Journey, 2021, cast and sand-carved glass on wooden pedestal, chest: 14 7/8 x 27 1/8 x 16 3/8 in., lid: 3 7/8 x 27 1/2 x 16 7/8 in., pedestal: 45 5/8 x 28 3/8 x 17 1/2 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery and the 40th anniversary of the Alliance, and museum purchase through the Kenneth R. Trapp Acquisition Fund, 2021.82A-C © Preston Singletary Studio, photography by Russell Johnson

Aram Han Sifuentes, Otro Mundo Es Posible, 2017, felt and fusible web on cotton; checkout card, banner: 42 7/8 x 42 1/2 in., card: 4 x 6 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible through Jaimianne and Anthony Jacobin in honor of the James Renwick Alliance, 2021.36 © 2017, Aram Han Sifuentes, Photo by Lee Stalsworth – Fine Art Through Photography

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ARTIST TALK WITH MARIKO KUSOMOTO

As a thank you, our donors were invited to a private artist talk with artist Mariko Kusomoto, whose work was purchased by JRACraft for the Renwick Gallery's permanent collection. In this talk, Kusomoto gives an overview of her career, shares in-progress works and does a step by step demonstration of her process.
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