Event Categories:ExhibitionsTeachingPresentations
EXHIBITIONISTA: CraftForms 2026
I am thrilled to participate in:
CraftForms 2026
The 31st International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft
December 6, 2026 – January 23, 2027
Wayne Art Center presents CraftForms 2026, the 31st International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft, in the following mediums: basketry, ceramics, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, and wood. Works created utilizing CAD/CAM technologies and 3D printing tools are also eligible. Selected works will be on display in the Davenport Gallery of Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania from December 6, 2026 through January 23, 2027. This year’s Jurors, Dr. Robert K. Liu and Patrick Benesh-Liu of Ornament Magazine will present $12,000+ in prize awards funded by Wayne Art Center.
For more information about CraftForms 2026, visit www.craftforms.org
Nancy Campbell, Executive Director and Chief Curator
Pam McLean Parker, Exhibition Coordinator
Karen Louise Fay, Director of Marketing & Events, Gallery Shop Manager
CraftForms 2026 Jurors
DR. ROBERT K. LIU
Founding Coeditor of Ornament Magazine, PhD, Lecturer, Author
PATRICK BENESH-LIU
Coeditor of Ornament Magazine, Lecturer
CrafForms 2026 Jurors Talk and Meet the Artists, December 6, 2026, 1pm
ABOUT THE JURORS
CraftForms 2026 Jurors Dr. Robert K. Liu and Patrick Benesh-Liu are the father-son editorial team behind Ornament Magazine, a publication dedicated to the history and craft of personal adornment. Founded in 1974 by Robert and his late wife, Carolyn L.E. Benesh, the magazine serves as a scholarly bridge between science and the arts.
Born in Italy and raised in China, Robert K. Liu is a multifaceted scholar, author, and jeweler. After earning a Ph.D. from UCLA in ethology and ichthyology, he transitioned from medical research to the arts, founding The Bead Journal in 1974. This evolved into Ornament Magazine, which he continues to co-edit with his son, Patrick Benesh-Liu.
A self-taught photographer and jeweler, Liu has published over 800 articles and several books, including Collectible Beads and Naval Ship Models of World War II. His work uniquely bridges the gap between science and craft, utilizing his background in behavior and evolution to study ancient and contemporary adornment. Based in California, he remains an active lecturer, curator, and researcher in the fields of jewelry history and scale modeling.
Patrick Benesh-Liu is the co-editor of Ornament Magazine, a role he assumed following the passing of his mother and mentor, Carolyn L.E. Benesh, in 2020. Raised in the magazine’s offices by his parents, Benesh-Liu bypassed a traditional path at Oberlin College to commit to the family publication at age nineteen.
Since his first feature in 2007, he has authored 116 articles spanning ethnographic art, museum exhibitions, and contemporary subcultures like cosplay. A dedicated advocate for the craft community, he has curated his mother’s jewelry collection in Wayne Art Center’s 2021 CraftForms companion exhibition The Process of Becoming, appeared on Craft in America, and served as a juror for the Smithsonian Craft Show and the SNAG Impact Awards. He returns to the Wayne Art Center this year as a juror for CraftForms 2026.
Part of HANDWORK
Craft in America is pleased to present Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide Semiquincentennial initiative to showcase the importance of the handmade both throughout our history and in contemporary life.
Handwork 2026 is a year-long collaboration among organizations, educators, and makers to celebrate the diversity of the crafts that define America, bringing compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight through the following programs.