This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, May 13 – April 22, 2023
Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC, www.americanart.si.edu 
 
Anne Lindberg: what color is divine light? February 4 – July 1
Textile Museum, Washington, DC, www.museum.gwu.edu 

Black Like Me, thru April 15
1111 Gallery, Washington, DC, www.zenithgallery.com 

Nia Alexander Campbell, Josh Berer, Patricia Daher, March 3 – April 2
Hillyer Art Space, Washington, DC, https://athillyer.org 

Determined Women: collectors, artists & designers at Hillwood, Feb. 18 – June 18 Hillwood Museum, Washington, DC, www.hillwoodmuseum.org

Madayin: Bark Painting from Yirrkala, February 4 – May 14
Curated by Rebecca Cross, American University Museum, Washington, DC, www.american.edu/cas/museum/ 

Joan Dreyer: Score, January 14 – April 30
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA, www.workhousearts.org 

Jewel Tones, March 14 – April 16
Sparkles and Iridescence, February 8 – March 12
Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery, Alexandria, VA, www.torpedofactory.org 

Green Madness, March 2 – April 5
Enamelists Gallery, Alexandria, VA, www.torpedofactory.org 

A Cheery Charry Jubilee, March 27 – April 23
Departures, February 27 – March 26
Scope Gallery, Alexandria, VA, www.torpedofactory.org 

Kay Thompson Sumitt, and
Helen Joyce Burroughs, January 17 – February 23
McLean Textile Gallery, McLean, VA, www.themcleantextilegallery.com  

​Annual Black History Month Exhibition,
​January 28 – March 26
Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel, MD, Art Centers | MNCPPC, MD
www.pgparks.com/2893/Exhibitions

2023 Annual Members’ Exhibition, March 31 – April 23
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Hyattsville, MD, www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org 

Freedom, February 6 – April 23
Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD, Art Centers | MNCPPC, MD https://www.pgparks.com/1810/Exhibitions​​

Unfettered, February 11 – March 18
Portico Gallery, Brentwood, MD, https://www.portico3807.com 

Otis Street Arts Project, and
Deborah Reichmann, February 25 – March 26
Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD, www.glenechopark.org 

Gallery Artists
Waverly Street Gallery, Bethesda, MD, www.waverlystreetgallery.com  

Heatworks 3.0, February 15 – April 23
Visarts, Rockville, MD, www.visartscenter.org  

Karin Birch: Surface Tension, March 3-26
NOMA Gallery, Frederick, MD, www.nomagalleryfrederick.com 

Wayman Scott: Earth and Life,
Gerald A. Brown: Care·ful/less, 
Lunar New Year, curated by Adam Chau,
January 14 – March 25
Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD, www.baltimoreclayworks.org 

Arctic Artistry, July 17 – May 4
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, www.artbma.org

Katja Toporski: Meet Me, February 17 – March 31
Baltimore Jewelry Center, Baltimore, MD, www.baltimorejewelrycenter.org 

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Lloyd Herman (1936 - 2023), JRACraft founder and founder of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

As founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in 1972, Lloyd’s dream was to have craft, art, and design join its rightful place among the Smithsonian’s family of museums in the heart of the nation’s capital for all to learn and enjoy.

In the early eighties, Lloyd and a number of frequent visitors to the Renwick Gallery were invited to the home of Charles and Ann Gailis for a get-together. From this meeting, the James Renwick Collector Alliance was founded in 1982, later known as the James Renwick Alliance for Craft. In our most recent communication with Loyd this fall, he had this to say "I’m very proud of what is now the James Renwick Alliance for Craft, and its importance nationally."
​
Lloyd received our One-of-A-Kind award in 2009. He was elected as an honorary fellow by the American Craft Council in 1988. Additionally, he was an Honorary Lifetime Member of Northwest Designer Craftartists, a member of the American Alliance of Museums, an honorary member of the American Society of Interior Designers, and was decorated by the monarchs of Denmark and Belgium for exhibitions that he organized on the crafts of their countries.

WE INVITE JRACRAFT MEMBERS AND FRIENDS TO LEAVE TRIBUTES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF LLOYD HERMAN BELOW.
​

Lloyd was preceded in death by his life partner Dick Wilson who passed away in 2021. Further details including his obituary and any memorial details will be added to this page as they are made available.

LLOYD HERMAN THE ACCIDENTAL CURATOR
In 2021, the Northwest Designer Craftartists released "Lloyd Herman, The Accidental Curator," a film about his life and accomplishments. The Living Treasures Project is an ongoing series of video profiles documenting the Northwest's most important and influential craft professionals. JRACraft was a proud sponsor of the film.

LLOYD HERMAN ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW
In 2010 Lloyd Herman was interviewed by Paul Smith for the Archives of American Art as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America. From 2000 to 2012, the project recorded and transcribed 235 oral history interviews with key figures in American craft. The American Art Archives started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators, including Lloyd Herman. 

Rebecca and Gary Stevens are partners in life and in the arts. These high-school sweethearts have been friends for sixty plus years. They have shared interests in many things including contemporary and ethnic crafts and have both been members of the same organizations for decades. Although they each have their own individual hobbies, their joint interest in collecting art, which was initially started by Rebecca, has resulted in an extensive collection. I had tons of questions about their collection and they had answers for me. Let’s meet The Stevens. 

CN: Can you give us a little background about who you are?
The Stevens: Gary and I [Rebecca] are high school sweethearts from Oklahoma. We met in ninth grade Latin class in 1961 in Tulsa. We have been married for 54 years. The Latin has faded but not our relationship. We are still best friends.  
​

JRACraft thanks J.G. Harrington for his service as Board President and welcomes Rebecca Ravenal! 

"As President for the last two years, I am very proud of the commitment that our members and friends made to helping build the Renwick Gallery's collection for the 21st century through our acquisitions fund and of how well JRACraft responded to the pandemic, bringing programs online and reaching audiences around the country and the world. I'm excited by the possibilities for JRACraft to match the evolution and innovation of the world of craft going forward." says J.G.

During his time as President, J.G. led JRACraft's efforts to provide over $157,000 in contributions and direct donations to the Renwick Gallery to purchase works primarily from women artists and artists of color. He also led the organization through a transition to online programs during the pandemic and oversaw new efforts for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. 

"I’m thrilled to be the new President of JRACraft. Thanks to the efforts of the outgoing President, the Executive Director and other hard-working members, we’ve maintained a high level of engagement in our wonderful programs over the past few years, despite having to pivot to mostly online events. I hope to continue growing our national presence in that virtual sphere while also reviving the valuable in-person community that is the heart of JRACraft. I look forward to seeing many of you at a JRACraft event soon!" says Rebecca.

Rebecca Ravenal is an artist, businessperson and long-time member of JRACraft. As a studio artist, Rebecca works in ceramics and mixed media. She has exhibited in galleries and shows across the country and has taught in several schools and art centers in the DC area. She splits her time between the studio and running her family’s commercial real estate business. Rebecca is a longtime resident of the DC area and supporter of many art organizations, most significantly JRACraft.

Welcome Rebecca at President@jra.org.

JRACraft welcomes new full-time staff member, Lila Stone as Programs and Operations Coordinator. 

Lila holds a master's degree in Art History and her research focuses on Modern & Contemporary fiber arts practices. In addition to her position at the Alliance, she also is an Adjunct Professor of Art History at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). "I am thrilled to be joining the Alliance at this very exciting time in the craft world" says Lila "and I am very much looking forward to connecting with you all."

As part of her position at the Alliance, members will be able to rely on Lila as a source of help with membership and information about upcoming events. Her interest in craft and strong nonprofit skills makes her a welcome addition to JRACraft.

​Question and warm welcomes for Lila can be sent to Lila@jra.org.

Thank you to all of those who joined us for our JRACraft Open Studio Block Party + Annual Meeting in honor of our 40th anniversary. Over 100 guests enjoyed 7 open studios, demonstrations by the Mobile Woodshop, live mural painting by Muoro and nourishment from Luv Plates. Special thanks to Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Erwin Timmers and Christina Helowicz at the Washington Glass School and Nobody who made the event possible. 

Architect, master jeweler, art dealer, and collector, Sloan Schaffer, started collecting art as a young boy at the age of 15 years. His emotional connection with objects first manifested itself in music. As a way to extend the memories and experiences he had at musical concerts, he started collecting music posters. Over the years, he’s come to center his love for collecting more around 3D objects rather than wall-hung art. He ONLY collects what he loves and loves what he collects. Art has always been a part of Sloan’s life. It’s influenced his life and career in many ways, taking him from Miami to New York, and to Los Angeles and now back to New York again.

I caught up with Sloan to learn more about his passion as an art collector.
​

CN: Sloan, can you give us a little background about who you are and how you got started in collecting?
SS: I’m an architect by training. Before that I was a master jeweler. I’ve always been drawn to the arts in many different ways. My love for art and collecting began at a very early age with exposure to great collections that I was lucky enough to be around and to spend intimate time with. After graduating with my masters in Architecture, I practiced as an architect in Florida for about a dozen years and began to hone in on my love for ceramics, sculpture and design and more specifically figural and narrative painting. And that’s when I really started to collect extensively. 
​

CN: So, was art something your parents encouraged growing up?
SS: Both of my parents were collectors. My stepfather was a significant collector in ceramics and had a pretty notable collection in the metro Detroit area. So, I was privileged enough to grow up living and surrounded by a world-class collection such as the one he had built.
​

CN: How long then have you been building your own personal collection and what specifically do you collect?
​

CN: That’s really nice to hear. As an artist, I love to meet collectors who collect art based on the work itself and not simply on the perceived value of the art.
SS: Never have I done that. It’s not how I’m wired. It’s not how I want art to be in my life. We are stewards for these objects. We are the caretaker or the lucky person who gets to live with this thing and I think there’s a responsibility to connect to that object and connect to that thing in a really intimate way, same way we would form a bond or connection to another human being. I think that art is in a lot of ways synonymous with that kind of connection. At least for me it is. So, I’ve never been interested in something for its value, or for its potential for it to be some sort of commodity or in any form of speculation.

CN: Since this is how you feel about art, will you ever consider exhibiting your collection?
SS: Absolutely. The mindset that I have as a collector is these things are meant to be seen, to be enjoyed, and to be experienced. It’ll be selfish for me to think that these things are just meant for me. Or are just meant for my eyes only.  I think that we are meant to hold on to these things for a moment. I’m all for showing the collection, letting people see the collection, bringing people into my home and showing folks work that they might not have seen or a side of me as a collector that they may not have seen.
​

CN: Do you have any favorites in your collection?
SS: No. I don’t. Everything that I have is meaningful and significant in some way. And so the only thing that I could potentially say is what’s made it the newest thing that’s come into my collection. But even then, that is unfair. Because that will give priority or importance to something based on a timeline and that’s really not how it works.

​No. I don’t really have a favorite. Everything that I own or is exhibited in my home is done so because it has its own inherent qualities and special characteristics to me, that’s why it’s there. And I also move things around. I’m constantly changing paintings and bringing sculptures in and out. I want it to be fluid and dynamic. I don’t want things to be stiff and stale. So I’m always trying to adjust and modify my environment so I’m stimulated in new ways.
​

CN: So, do you have room for all your collection to be on display in your home or do you store some of them and does that affect your purchase decisions?
SS: No. I don’t even have close to room for everything. I would say maybe 10% of my collection is currently on view and the remaining 90% is in a warehouse where I keep the rest of my collection.
​
But that doesn’t affect my purchase decisions. I don’t buy works because I have a place to put them or because I’m decorating a room and something is going to go with something. I buy work based on … almost like a carnal desire to have something. 
​
The only thing I can liken it to is … if you were hunting and you saw a prey and you had to have it. Whether you had a stockpile of meat in the freezer or your den was filled with food to get you through the winter, it’s a carnal desire, it’s instinctual. It can’t really be explained in practical terms. It’s just innate as to who we are. It’s this one-on-one interaction between me and that object. The only thing that I’m paying attention to is … what is this thing doing for me and simply can I afford it. That’s the only real criteria. If I can, then everything else will figure itself out.

CN: Do you then miss the works that you have in storage? Is that why you re-arrange or decorate?
SS: No. When I do miss them, then I go and get them and bring them into my home or go look at them. I make sure that dialogue is always available and present. When I feel like I want to see something or hey that sculpture I’ve been thinking about I just go and get it. And that’s sort of the beauty of having this additional space to keep things safe and protected but also have access in a relatively convenient way to my collection
​

​CN: Where do you see your collection in say 10 years from now.
SS: Lately, I’ve been focused on large-scale exterior work. It’s something that I’ve never had the room for in my life. I’ve always lived in places that were sort of cities or places that not a lot of land is available. So, one of the things I’ve loved about being where I am now is having land to not only experiment with sculpture and large-scale sculpture but simply have space for works that I never could have considered in my collection before. And so I’ve been focused on large-scale objects of all mediums that can live outside. So right now that’s where I’m focusing my energy and attention in terms of my collection.

Large scale objects command space, volume, and your attention in a different way than small scale objects in that their relationship to the human form and human body is so much more powerful and impactful. Because you can walk up to something and you experience not only  its presence and volume but your own. For me I’ve never experienced that in an intimate way and so that’s super exciting for me.

CN: What’s your advice to someone who’s starting or wanting to start their own art collection.
SS: Buy what you love. It’s as simple as that. Buy what makes you feel something. We’re emotional creatures and we’re on this planet to feel things. Art is a soulful, intimate, special practice that allows people inside other people and inside their genius, and inside their gifts. And that’s what makes it so special and makes it so powerful, and makes it a tool to do so many different things.
​