Category: Spring Craft Weekend

ANNIVERSARY BRUNCH

5/15/2022

Anniversary brunch
Sunday, May 15 | 11:00am – 1:30pm
11Am, Cocktails | 11:30AM, BRunch served
PER PERSON $205
free for patrons
kimpton HOTEL MONACO
700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004

Join us for brunch in the elegant Paris Room of the Hotel Monaco as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRACraft). The bar will open
for select cocktails at 11:00am. Brunch service will commence at 11:30am. While we eat we will be treated to a special screening of the new documentary, Lloyd Herman: the Accidental Curator, a part of the Living Treasures project of Northwest Design Craftsmen. After learning more about a man who was instrumental in the founding of the JRACraft, we will hear from Nora Atkinson, the Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge for the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nora will highlight some of the many gifts presented to the Renwick Gallery in honor of the 50th Anniversary year. One of these gifts, among others underwritten by the Alliance, is a commissioned piece by our 2021 Chrysalis Awardee, Rachel David, who will share
some of the efforts involved in creating this special work. There will be a few surprises sprinkled throughout the program, including introductions of our 2022 Distinguished
Educators and other special guests. And, this year the JRACraft is honored to present our One of a Kind Award to our own Barbara and Arnold Berlin.

ONE-OF-A-KIND: BARBARA AND ARNOLD BERLIN

Barbara Berlin and her husband Arnold, "Arnie", have been generous contributors and long time arts supporters for over four decades. Barbara and Arnold Berlin joined JRACraft in the early 90s and have served in a number of roles since then. Barbara served as President from 1995 to 1997 and is currently the co-chair of Spring Craft Weekend and of Caucus Membership. They are well known for their quirky, fun and joyful collection of Staffordshire figurines, contemporary craft and Arnold's collection of artist-made canes.

SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE

Anne Wilson, 2022 Distinguished Educator
Janet Koplos, 2022 Distinguished Educator
Che Rhodes, 2022 Distinguished Educator
Rachel David, 2021 Chrysalis Awardee
David Harper Clemons, 2021 Master of the Medium
Wendy Maruyama, 2021 Master of the Medium
Preston Singletary, 2021 Master of the Medium
Consuelo Jiminez Underwood, 2021 Master of the Medium
Mary Savig and/or Nora Atkinson, Renwick Gallery Curators

Additional information

Valet parking available ($25)
Wheelchair accessibility located to right of building entrance at corner of F St. and 8th St. NW (upon arrival let bellman or front desk know you need the lift)
If stairs are an issue, use the carriage way entrance on the 8th St. side of the building near the Dirty Habit DC restaurant at 555 8th St. NW. Walk through the courtyard to access this entrance.

CHEERS TO 40 YEARS! GALA

5/14/2022

Cheers to 40 Years! Spring Craft Weekend Gala
Saturday May 14 | 6:30pm – 9:30pm
PER PERSON $355 | $100 AFTER HOURS
national Museum of THE American Indian
4th St & Independence Ave SW, Washington DC 20560

Cheers to 40 Years of the James Renwick Alliance for Craft at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and join us in an unforgettable evening including trivia, an auction of adventures, and a special viewing of Raven and the Box of Daylight by Preston Singletary, 2021 Master of the Medium.

Patrons and dinner guests are invited for a festive and fabulous sit-down dinner at 6:30pm including an entertaining gameshow style trivia, and an adventures auction. "After hour" guests join us for a buffet of delectable deserts at 8:30pm, along with a toast and talk by Preston Singletary.

Preston Singletary: Raven and the box of daylight

Journey through an immersive, multisensory experience, in the exhibition Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight. The exhibit explores the transformation of darkness into light, following the story of Raven, the creator of the world and giver of the stars, moon, and sun. You will hear Singletary speak about his work and see his striking glass pieces, paired with storytelling, original music, coastal Pacific Northwest soundscapes, and projected images.

Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight is on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2022, through Jan. 29, 2023.

Photos by Matailong Du for the National Museum of the American Indian

SYMPOSIUM

5/14/2022

Forging the Future of Craft Education
Distinguished Educator Symposium & Awards
Saturday, May 14 | 10:30am – 12:00pm
free to the public
SMITHSONIaN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
nan tucker MCEvoy Auditorium
G Street NW, 8th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
METERED STREET PARKING ; PARKING GARAGES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD; METRO STATION (GALLERY PLACE)

The James Renwick Alliance for Craft celebrates 40 years as a champion of American Craft. Forging the Future of Craft Education will award three notable educators: Anne Wilson, international fiber and materials artist, and Professor Emeritus at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Che’ Rhodes, renowned glass artist and professor at the Hite Institute of Art and Design, University of Louisville; and Janet Koplos author of numerous craft books, including the quintessential American craft history book, Makers: A History of American Studio Craft, co-authored with Bruce Metcalf. Enjoy hearing three dynamic craft leaders discuss their own work and share who they see as the next generation of makers, educators, and arts scholars.

anne wilson

Anne Wilson is a Chicago-based visual artist who creates sculpture, drawings, and performances based in a textile language. She was named a United States Artists Distinguished Fellow and is the recipient of awards from the Textile Society of America, the American Craft Council (College of Fellows), the Driehaus Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Wilson’s artwork is represented by Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago and she is currently a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Fiber and Material Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

ché rhodes

Ché Rhodes received his MFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his B.A. from Centre College where he began his career under the mentorship of Stephen Rolfe Powell. Rhodes has demonstrated at the 2006, 2010, and 2015 Glass Art Society Conferences and has been an instructor at various institutions including the Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass. Currently he is an Associate Professor and Head of Studio Glass at the University of Louisville, Allen R. Hite Art Institute.

janet koplos

Janet Koplos is the author of What Makes a Potter: Traditional Pottery in America Today (2019) and co-author of Makers: A History of American Studio Craft (2010). She was editor of Art in America from (1990-2009) and has written numerous catalog essays and thousands of reviews over the last 40 years, focusing on crafts and American, Japanese and Dutch contemporary art. Koplos received a National Endowment for the Arts critic’s grant early on, and in 2010 was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Craft Council. In addition, she was awarded an Art Writers Grant from the Warhol Foundation in 2015.

Left to right: Janet Koplos, Ché Rhodes, and Anne Wilson

CAUCUS & PATRON DAY

5/13/2022

CAUCUS & PATRON DAY: "the luxurY of clay: porcelain past and present"
Friday, May 13 | 10:00am – 2:00pm
$155 PER caucus member | FREE FOR PATRONS
HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS
4155 Linnean Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
CAUCUS AND PATRONS MEMBERS ONLY; space is limited; Comfortable walking shoes recommended

Enter a world of spring elegance and reinvention at the exhibition, The Luxury of Clay: Porcelain Past and Present at Hillwood Museum and Gardens, featuring artists Chris Antemann, Roberto Lugo and others. Arrive at the gate at 10am to check in at the Visitor’s Center, then at 10:30am be ready to immerse yourself in a wonderful afternoon. The program will include a lecture by Rebecca Tilles, Hillwood’s Curator of 18th Century Western European Art, and Leslie Ferrin, Director of Ferrin Contemporary, who has over 30 years of experience with contemporary ceramic art, sculpture, design and studio pottery. Then be sure to don your comfy shoes to stroll down to the Dacha, and the main house to view the exhibits on your own. At 12:30pm, we will meet under the tented Merriweather Courtyard to enjoy a lovely three-course seated luncheon, after which you are invited to wander through Hillwood’s famous gardens which will be at their spring peak. You are welcome to stay until closing time at 5pm. Perhaps the orchid house will be on your agenda, or the gift shop, or a return visit to the Dacha, if you wish.

RENWICK GALLERY OPEN HOUSE

5/13/2022

RENWICK GALLERY OPEN HOUSE
Friday, May 13 | 10:30am – 3:00pm
Renwick Gallery OF THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

Experience American craft like never before during this in-person open house at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery. Be one of the first to see the newest exhibition, This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, which activates both floors of gallery space with artworks that honor the history of studio craft while also introducing progressive contemporary narratives.

Featuring artists like Bisa Butler, Sonya Clark, Sharon Kerry-Harlan, Preston Singletary, and Wanxin Zhang, this exhibition highlights the role that artists play in our world to spark essential conversations, stories of resilience, and methods of activism —showing us a more relational and empathetic world.

Join Nora Atkinson, the Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge, and Mary Savig, the Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft, for special gallery talks about the exhibition and the history of the Renwick Gallery, as the nation's preeminent center for the enjoyment of American craft. Discover more than 100 new artworks, never before seen at the Renwick Gallery, including several purchased by the James Renwick Alliance for Craft.

Gallery Talk Schedule:
11 a.m. Tour with Mary Savig
1:30 p.m. Tour with Nora Atkinson

JRACRAFT WEEK: SYMPOSIUM AND AWARDS

10/30/2021

OCTOBER 30 | 2PM - 3:30PM ET
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
VIRTUAL EVENT

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.

david harper clemons

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

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).

wendy maruyama

Furniture maker, artist and educator Wendy Maruyama has been making innovative work for 40 years. While her early work combined ideologies of feminism and traditional craft objects, her newer work moves beyond the boundaries of traditional studio craft and into the realm of social practice. Contemporary bodies of work focuses public attention on wildlife poaching, and commentary as her experience as a Japanese-American. Maruyama is one of the first two women to receive a Masters of Fine Arts in Furniture Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology, NY and has been a professor of woodworking and furniture design for over thirty years, serving as the head of the Furniture Design department at San Diego State University. Her work can be found in the collections of Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Dallas Art Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Craft and Design, Mint Museum of Art, Fuller Craft Museum, and more.

preston singletary

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).

consuelo jimenez underwood

Consuelo Jimenez Underwood was born in Sacramento, California, the daughter of migrant agricultural workers, a Chicano mother and a father of Huichol Indian descent. Crossing borders and negotiating between three perspectives has always been fundamental to her identity and the basis of her creative process. Consuelo’s work ranges from delicate miniature tapestries to monumental fiber and mixed media installations juxtaposing the natural beauty and ecological destruction along the US/Mexico border. Consuelo has exhibited and lectured nationally and internationally for more than twenty-five years. Her work is part of the permanent collections of museums such as the Smithsonian American Museum of Art, Museum of Art & Design in New York, the National Hispanic Center for the Arts, New Mexico, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco and the Oakland Museum of California. She was awarded the 2017 Master Artist Grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture and was elected to the Council of Fellows of the American Craft Council in 2018. Consuelo received her BA and MA from San Diego State University. She began teaching fiber art at San Jose State University in 1987, where she received her MFA. For more than twenty years, Underwood worked to develop a vibrant fiber program, and inspire young artists to embrace thread.

JRACRAFT WEEK: COLLECTOR DINNER PARTIES

10/23/2021

october 23 | 6:30pm - 9:30pm
vaccination required

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.

MEET THE COLLECTORS

Barbara and arnold berlin
potomac, Md

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.

sandy and norman mitchell
potomac, md

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.

gwen and jerry paulson
alexandria, va

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.

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