Center for Craft

Center for Craft The Center for Craft believes that craft matters. The Center is offering free unguided visits and affordable tours of its exhibitions to the public.

Guests can reserve a 30-minute visit to see current exhibitions, learn more about the Center’s national impact in their Craft Research Fund Study Collection, and enjoy interactive activities. Open hours are currently on weekdays only, 11am - 6pm.

As part of their residency experience, our 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration artists-in-residence traveled to ...
08/21/2026

As part of their residency experience, our 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration artists-in-residence traveled to Charlotte for a day of visits with organizations and artists working across craft, museums, and creative practice.

The day began at the Industrial Commons () in Morganton, where Savannah Little welcomed the residents for a tour of the organization’s work and spaces. From there, the group headed to Charlotte, where they met Mint Museum () curators Annie Cariano and Rebecca Elliot. The curators led residents through the Mint Museum Uptown, offering a closer look at its collections and exhibitions.

The afternoon continued at McColl Center (), where residents toured the space and met with artist and Center for Craft alum Nastassja Swift (, 2023 Craft Research Fund—Artist Fellowship) to learn more about her practice and experience working within the residency environment.

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful insights and connections!

As part of the 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residency, residents map out field trips to institutions acro...
08/20/2026

As part of the 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residency, residents map out field trips to institutions across the region that engage with craft in different ways. First stops: and —two of WNC's most storied craft institutions.

At John C. Campbell, Program Director Darcy Holdorf welcomed the residents and Executive Director Bethany Chaney shared the school's deep history before a shared meal with staff. Founded on the belief that education works best when rooted in community—a philosophy held for over a century—the school's 270-acre campus still carries the marks of the people who built it. Blacksmithing & Metals Coordinator Elizabeth Belz led residents through the studios, where handmade light fixtures, benches, and sign posts made by students and instructors over the years caught everyone's eye.

Later, residents visited the new artist studio and gallery space in Spruce Pine, NC to spend time with Jamie Karolich and Craft Futures Fund alum Rachel Meginnes.

At Penland, Gallery Director Kathryn Gremley led a tour of their current exhibition, "Now Is the Time to Understand More." Residents also got time in the iron studio before a studio visit in The Barns with current Penland Core Fellow and CFC alum Luis Álvaro Sahagún Nuño.

Field Trips Part II to come later!

We're excited to present the second iteration of "Teaching Artists as Time Benders" at American Craft Connects, the 2026...
08/07/2026

We're excited to present the second iteration of "Teaching Artists as Time Benders" at American Craft Connects, the 2026 ACC Conference and Awards.

This conversation will explore how craft teaching artists are "time benders" who carry memory, material knowledge, and cultural imagination into the spaces where they make and teach. This panel explores archetypes as a framework for understanding how teaching artists collapse boundaries between past, present, and future—clearing pathways for what craft can become.

Moderated by Leia Lewis, the Center's Craft Education Fellow, (), the conversation will feature regional craft teaching artists and Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort alumni Ursula Hargens (, 2023 Teaching Artist Cohort), Elnaz Javani (, 2023 Teaching Artist Cohort), Nicole Havekost (, 2025 Teaching Artist Cohort), David King (, 2025 Teaching Artist Cohort), and Juliane Shibata (2025 Teaching Artist Cohort).

Browse the full conference lineup and get your tickets at the link: https://craftcouncil.org/american-craft-connects-2026-presentations-panels/ -benders_jump

(Part 2) Let's continue to take a closer look at the works on view in our current exhibition, "Craft-itarianism: Communi...
08/06/2026

(Part 2) Let's continue to take a closer look at the works on view in our current exhibition, "Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft," which highlights how craft is used to "add joy, distribute resources, and foster a sense of community in the everyday lives of specific at-risk or marginalized people."

For blind and visually impaired artists Cindy Gosselin and Kelly Brown of the Center for Creative Works (CCW), repetitive twisting and knotting motions help process sensory information while creating fibrous sculptures. These techniques are central to CCW's textile program, where instructors support adults with intellectual and physical disabilities in developing creative practices. Through studio space, workshops, and career-building opportunities, CCW advocates for disabled artists' representation in the arts. CCW has studios in Philadelphia and Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Milagros—small devotional objects made across cultures to represent wishes or prayers—are often displayed collectively, with individual hopes merging into shared stories of struggle, resilience, and connection. In "Q***r Milagros: Petitions from the Border," artists from AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides) use forms rooted in Latin American traditions to raise awareness of the transnational immigrant experience and create a sense of solidarity for LGBTQIA+ youth along the U.S.–Mexico border. This installation features a background image of Casita UT (Unión Trans), Tijuana's only trans-dedicated migrant shelter.

On view through September 27, 2026.
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Slide 1: Cindy Gosselin, “Untitled,” 2022, fiber and found objects. Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.

Slide 2: AMBOS Project, "Q***r 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.

Curated by Alyssa Velazquez ().

(Part 1) Take a closer look at a selection of works on view in our current exhibition, "Craft-itarianism: Community Acti...
08/05/2026

(Part 1) Take a closer look at a selection of works on view in our current exhibition, "Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft." Defined by 2026 Center for Craft Curatorial Fellow Alyssa Velazquez, 'craft-itarianism' uses craft to "add joy, distribute resources, and foster a sense of community in the everyday lives of specific at-risk or marginalized people."

"If You're Green, You're Growing" was created by youth artists at Firebird Community Arts (Chicago) in collaboration with Laura Donefer, an award-winning visionary dedicated to fostering the next generation. At Firebird, youth who have experienced gun violence are encouraged to bond and heal through fire-based art forms in a communal setting under the mentorship of local, national, and international artisans.

The teapot in slide two features a signature sky-blue glaze, known as Abolition Blue. People's Pottery Project (PPP) is a ceramics collective in Los Angeles led by formerly incarcerated artists who use clay as a tool for healing, skill-building, and collective empowerment. Through collaborative making, shared design language, and accessible techniques, the project creates pathways for creative practice beyond incarceration while challenging systems of exclusion through craft.

On view through September 27, 2026.

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Slide 1: 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.

Slide 2: People’s Pottery Project, teapot made by CEO Dominique Perkins, cofounder Ilka Perkins, and employee Alice Berman, 2025, stoneware.

Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro/Center for Craft.

On April 24, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jim Rumbough to the Center for Craft. As the grandson of John Baker Rumbou...
07/30/2026

On April 24, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jim Rumbough to the Center for Craft. As the grandson of John Baker Rumbough, who designed our building at 67 Broadway in 1912 at just 20 years old, Jim shared family photographs and stories that offered valuable insight into the building's remarkable history.

Constructed during Asheville's early 20th-century building boom, 67 Broadway was built as one of the Southeast's first fireproof automobile garages and machine shops. Its innovative brick-and-concrete construction, monumental basket-arch façade, and vertically organized industrial design reflected a city embracing the automobile age while showcasing the extraordinary skill of the craftspeople who brought it to life.

Jim's generous visit has helped us deepen our understanding of this space as we prepare a new hallway exhibit, opening the first week of August. The exhibit explores the many histories held within these walls—from the Rumbough family and the building's early purpose to the Black masons and laborers whose craftsmanship shaped both this building and downtown Asheville.

We're excited to share more soon!

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Images courtesy of Jim Rumbough.

Thank you to the many artists and suppliers who contributed material samples for the Materials Collection.Exciting new s...
07/29/2026

Thank you to the many artists and suppliers who contributed material samples for the Materials Collection.

Exciting new samples have been added to include Bio-glass by Amira Chowyuk , H**p & Algae films by Emily Gordin , Reslin®, StoneRoxx, Reslin Glass Beads, Reslin Eco Glitters by Reslin , Milk Paint by Real Milk Paint Co. , Shellf Life Hard Shell by Shellf Life .life, Savian by Bio-Fluff INC .bio, Metal Waste Ceramic Glazed Tile by Ignorance Is Bliss , Mo. Na. Gems .gems, Chrome-Tanned Bison Leather and Vegetable-Tanned Cowhide Leather from Stitch Walker Leather , a variety of samples used in chair caning from Silver River Center For Chair Caning .

Explore bio-based alternatives and a range of mediums—from clay, wood, glass, fiber, and metal—in person in the Center for Craft galleries.

Thank you to the 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents—Lauren Grossman, Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, Kitty Wales,...
07/28/2026

Thank you to the 2026 Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residents—Lauren Grossman, Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, Kitty Wales, and Sarita Westrup—for welcoming us into your studios and sharing a glimpse into your ideas, experiments, and processes! It was such a treat to experience your work up close and see how your explorations into new materials are taking shape during your time at the Center for Craft.

As part of the this unique residency, each artist is paired with a partner to learn and expand their practice using a new material. Lauren Grossman is exploring industrial felt with STEAM Studio; Kwadwo Som-Pimpong and Sarita Westrup are working in metal alongside Torched AVL; and Kitty Wales is exploring basketry and paper with Alyssa Sacora.

We’re so grateful to everyone who joined us for last week's Open House! And a huge thank you to the Virginia A. Groot Foundation for making this residency possible and supporting artists as they push their practices in new directions. We can’t wait to see where these explorations lead!

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Photography by Darrell Cassell ()

2026 Windgate–Lamar Fellow Helena Garzotto explores the tensions and stories embedded in materials through furniture mak...
07/25/2026

2026 Windgate–Lamar Fellow Helena Garzotto explores the tensions and stories embedded in materials through furniture making.

Garzotto is a San Francisco–based furniture maker and interdisciplinary artist from Portland, Oregon. She earned her BFA in Furniture Design from California College of the Arts. First introduced to woodworking during a gap year in Denmark, her mother's homeland, she was deeply influenced by Danish folkcraft and mid-century modern design. Bringing those influences to California, she found inspiration in the intuitive treatment of wood by makers such as JB Blunk and Ido Yoshimoto.

Her practice exists at the junction of these and many other influences. Through her work, Garzotto mediates contrasts and tensions while inviting viewers to consider the processes that happen behind the curtain of making.



https://www.centerforcraft.org/recipient/helena-garzotto

The Materials Collection has been reimagined as an artist-centered resource that expands understanding of—and access to—...
07/21/2026

The Materials Collection has been reimagined as an artist-centered resource that expands understanding of—and access to—a wide range of materials, particularly bio-materials.

The update includes new material sample categories and the addition of keywords that empahsize the origin and properties of materials. The collection also features video installations of artists Felicia Neuhof, Founder and CEO of Shellf Life, and Emily Gordin, an industrial designer, and their work with biomaterials.

The Materials Collection is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Maxwell | Hanrahan Foundation, and is supported in part by the Center for Native Health.

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Exhibition photography by Emmanuel E. Figaro.

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67 Broadway Street
Asheville, NC
28801

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Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
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