Artist
Some moments of the 2025 Craft Contemporary GALA!
For Your Viewing Pleasure!
Before, in the courtyard
The auction room second floor gallery, our piece, “drift” (myself and Luciana Abait)
Carrie’s piece
Ahree’ piece
Rosie
Alma
David
Frida’s husband Mick (in my Monm’s vest!) (Luis behind)
Andres
Auction
Alba
Liberty and Jay Worth, Victoria May in mask
We Are Doing It All Wrong, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, Dayton, OH, Juror/Curator: Ed Dixon: “The exhibition is a challenge to artists and viewers to recognize, react and learn about the many ways humanity continually fails itself. These issues are not always mainstream and sometimes are hidden.” Jurors: Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja
See the SHOW!
See the VIDEO!
It is not only a joy to “show around” in group exhibitions at various venues around the country, it is a gratifying, enriching experience, and a heartwarming one at that, to discover, interact with and support so many inspiring and dedicated individuals, organizations, endeavors, missions and visions. I meet new folks, but also “run into” friends and colleagues that “show up” in some of the same places: showing at some of the the same shows, sharing in some of the same artist talks and panels, featured in some of the same catalogues and publications. It is exciting to connect, and see both not only an overlap of interests materially and thematically, but also how we all approach things differently, and can learn from one another.
For example, I am currently showing at:
Word and Weft: Visualizing the Word, Webster Arts, Webster Groves, MO, Juror: Noriko Yuasa
Women. Defining Our Representation, Black House Artist, Juror/Curator: Ellen Mattesi (online)
We Are Doing It All Wrong, Edward A. Dixon Gallery, Dayton, OH, Jurors: Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja
Evidence of Joy, Intersect Arts Center, Saint Louis, MO, Curator: April Parvitz
Soliloquy, presented by The Bridge Arts Foundation at The Scholarts Selection, San Gabriel, CA
Jurors: Charles Christopher Hill, Xin Song, Curator: Tia Xu
Whisper, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR, Curator: Jennifer Gullia Cutshall (catalogue)
Interplay, presented by the Surface Design Association at The Dairy Barn Arts Center O’Bleness Gallery, Athens, OH, Juror: Annet Couwenberg
Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, WI, Juror: Debra Brehmer
The Circular Ritual of Spring, BG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Curator: Susan Lizotte (online)
And earlier this year:
Midway Marvels,ArtBarLA, Los Angeles, CA, Curator: Randi Matushevitz
Materiality Matters, Umpqua Valley Arts, Roseville, OR, Juror Panel: UVA Staff and Pacific NW professionals
Pulp: Book and Paper Arts, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA, Juror: Donna Seager
Fantastic Fibers 2024, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY, Juror: Sandro Tiberi, (catalogue)
String Theory, The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, MA, Curator: Molly Demeulenaere
Art of the Word, Sasse Museum of Art, Pomona, CA, Jurors: Fatemeh Burnes, Maurice Quillinan, Niamh Cunningham (catalogue)
By the Book, Artopia Gallery, Arcadia, CA, Curator: Rosie Getz
Through this experience I am able to be exposed to and interact with :
Individuals: artists, curators, critics, collectors, gallery, museum, art center, library and academic/university directors/staff (on all different levels of responsibility and experience and in varying roles, offices and positions)
Organizations: galleries, museums, art centers, universities/academic institutions, artist studios and alternative spaces (of different sizes, renown, reputation, influence and “status” in the “art world” and world at-large)
I plan to highlight and share about various of these individuals and entities over the next several posts. I will share particularly about Art Centers, which are an enormous source of vitality, creation, care and joy throughout the country and beyond. xxxooo
I begin with Gallerist Ed Dixon, in whose show We Are Doing It All Wrong I am honored to be in. Presented at the Edward A. Dixon Galleryin Dayton, OH. Of the show says Owner/Curator: Ed Dixon: “The exhibition is a challenge to artists and viewers to recognize, react and learn about the many ways humanity continually fails itself. These issues are not always mainstream and sometimes are hidden.” The illustrious jurors Ed Dixon/Stacy Kranitz/Judith L. Huacuja hold a wealth of knowledge, expertise, care and passion among them in addition to many accomplishments.
In a time of such fraught difference, fear, and loathing, it is heartening and illuminating to see and be a part of all of these individuals and entities, making a difference. I have to feel that that all of our work, no matter what the outcome, does make a difference.
Thank you to You all.
Fearless leader BILLIE RAE VINSON, Director of School and Family Programs, planned and promoted the program, and matched her clothes to our materials, and PRIDE Month!
She and her devoted volunteers prepared the materials for our flag book project.
I brought in my own flag book samples for inspiration.
There was something for everyone on the table,
including samples of “Interior Chinatown” and the graphic novel “American Born Chinese” , a tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang,
in specialized Big Read tote bags!
The wonderful Craft Contemporary volunteers were able to exert their maker energy along with the participants.
Families, individuals, old friends and new joined together to create, and
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“Crafting Memories: An Online Bookmaking Workshop Series is specifically designed by Craft Contemporary and artist Debra Disman for adults over the age of 55. This program is made possible by funding from Aroha Philanthropies and is part of a nationwide campaign to bring thoughtful and specialized programs to a valuable population that is often undeserved by arts institutions.
For this special program, participants learned a variety of basic and experimental bookmaking techniques used to tell their own stories through materials and the handmade. The goal of this workshop series was to create a space to explore our stories through book forms and to express our creativity by bringing together an extensive number of materials, mementos, and memories collected through our lives.”
It has been my great joy to teach the AROHA Bookmaking classes for Seniors through Craft Contemporary. I have been so moved to hear and see our participants’ stories expressed through their book projects, and to witness their extraordinary creativity with materials, expression, and craft. The opportunity for these students to come together, share about their lives, and weave their personal histories into their projects has been so meaningful, not only for the students, but for myself and the Craft Contemporary Staff. I have been continually amazed at the richness and depth of our participants’ life experiences and their hunger to share them with others.
See their handmade books and read about what gathering online to learn new skills and create together meant to each of them!
