Craft Advisory Council
The Crafts Advisory Council is composed of distinguished members of the arts community with knowledge, experience, and insight into today’s arts and crafts arena, including educators, gallery owners, craft collectors, curators, and craft media artists to serve as connectors, conveners, advisors, and review panelists working alongside our education staff to shape and grow the program.
The Center for Craft Studies offers a host of classes, workshops, and other opportunities for students to engage in craft media and creative industries. The council will meet quarterly to provide creative insights and guidance on the primary elements of our program, including the Certificate of Mastery of Craft and Creative Industries, Ceramic Artistin-Residence, Contemporary Craft Lecture Series, Master Class Workshops, and Emerging Craft Teacher Mentorship Program.
2023 Craft Advisory Council
Nan Bevan
Xiaosheng Bi
Lorenzo Cardim
Rebecca Cross
Robert Devers
Janet Greer
Wanjin Kim
Armando Lopez-Bircann
Katie Macyshyn
Rebecca Ravenal
Vidya Vijayasekharan
CENTER FOR CRAFTS ADVISORY COUNCIL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Roles and Responsibilities
The Craft Advisory Council (CAC) is comprised of leaders from the craft arena including educators, gallery owners, craft collectors, curators, and craft artists from a wide spectrum across the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia region.
The CAC provides a broad arc of expertise, insight, and experience to support the Center for Craft Studies and to advise VisArts’ education staff with the development of classes, programs, workshops, exhibitions, and residencies.
Primary elements of the Center for Craft include:
- The Certificate of Mastery of Craft and Creative Industries
- Ceramic Artist Residencies
- Contemporary Craft Lecture Series
- Master Craft Workshops
- Emerging Craft Teacher Program
The CAC’s expertise, insight, and experience in concert with Education Department staff will:
- Ensure current art and craft education ideals are introduced to enrich and expand VisArts’ certificate program and craft media course offerings.
- Address the needs of craft artists, curators, faculty, and students in our programs.
- Promote and support a safe, equitable, diverse, and accessible community of craft artists, faculty and students.
- Communicate best practices of contemporary craft art movements.
- Expand creative and sustainable resources
The CAC’s work may include but not be limited to:
- Review and selection of candidates for the Center’s lecture series, master class workshops, and ceramic residencies.
- Review and selection of applicants to Certificate of Mastery in Crafts and Creative Industries Program.
- Providing connections for formal and informal mentorships.
- Creating synergy between Center for Craft Studies and the VisArts Gallery Program.
- Cultivating partnerships with local and national craft organizations.
- Supporting and nominating candidates for the Emerging Craft Teacher Program.