THE CENTER FOR CRAFT CREATIVITY & DESIGN INC

SCHEDULE 0 (PERIOD JULY 1, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025) THE CENTER FOR CRAFT IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN A STRATEGIC PLAN TITLED CRAFT MATTERS (2023-2027), AT ITS HEART IS THE VISION OF A CULTURE WHERE COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE AND EMBRACE THE CENTRALITY OF CRAFT IN EVERYDAY LIFE. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT SUPPORTS THE PRESERVATION AND INNOVATION OF CRAFT BY PROVIDING GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS THAT OFFER FUNDING, NETWORKS, AND PEER- TO-PEER LEARNING NATIONWIDE; EXHIBITIONS IN OUR DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE GALLERY THAT ILLUMINATE 21ST-CENTURY PRACTICES OF CRAFT; AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT TELL THE STORY OF HOW AND WHY CRAFT MATTERS. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT'S GRANT PROGRAMS ARE KEYSTONES IN DEVELOPING THE NATIONAL CRAFT ECOSYSTEM, SUPPORTING EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED CRAFT ARTISTS, SCHOLARS, EDUCATORS, AND ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE. IN FY25, THE CENTER RECEIVED 2,137 GRANT APPLICATIONS AND AWARDED 941 GRANTS TOTALING 1,982,748. NOW PERMANENTLY ENDOWED, THE CENTER FOR CRAFT'S WINDGATE-LAMAR FELLOWSHIP HAS AWARDED 2.985 MILLION TO 199 EMERGING CRAFT ARTISTS WITH EXEMPLARY SKILLS IN CRAFT SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE CENTER HAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED A REGULAR SCHEDULE OF GRANTS, EXHIBITIONS, AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS, DESPITE SETBACKS FROM HURRICANE HELENE AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. IN FY25, THE CENTER FOR CRAFT WORKED WITH OVER 50 ARTISTS THROUGH EXHIBITIONS AND OVER 75 ARTISTS THROUGH PROGRAMMING. THE CENTER SUPPORTED 47 ARTISTS WITH 555,000 IN GRANT PROGRAMS FOR EMERGING ARTISTS, MID-CAREER TEACHING ARTISTS, AND A RESIDENCY FOR WNC ARTISTS. IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF LOCAL ARTISTS FOLLOWING HURRICANE HELENE, THE CENTER AWARDED AN ADDITIONAL 903,000 IN GRANTS TO 849 ARTISTS THROUGH THE CRAFT FUTURES FUND. LAUNCHED IN 2024, THE NEW ALUMNI NETWORK PROGRAM - AN INITIATIVE TO DEEPEN AND STRENGTHEN OUR WORK WITH ARTISTS AND OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT AND CONNECT THEM - NOW HAS OVER 260 ACTIVE MEMBERS. IN JUNE 2025, THE CENTER AWARDED 10 ALUMNI UNRESTRICTED MICRO-GRANTS TO SUPPORT TRAVEL AND MATERIAL PURCHASES, AS A CONTINUATION OF THE CENTER'S INVESTMENT IN OUR ALUMNI'S WORK BEYOND THEIR INITIAL AWARDS. FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE SOUGHT WAYS TO AMPLIFY OUR ALUMNI IN OUR EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS, CREATING A MORE INTEGRATED AND ONGOING SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR OUR AWARDEES BEYOND THEIR INITIAL FUNDING. THE CENTER SUPPORTS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND CRAFT SCHOLARSHIP THROUGH THE CRAFT RESEARCH FUND AND CRAFT ARCHIVE FELLOWSHIP. A VISIONARY PROGRAM DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING SCHOLARLY CRAFT RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES, THE CRAFT RESEARCH FUND IS THE CENTER'S LONGEST-RUNNING GRANT PROGRAM. THE CRAFT ARCHIVE FELLOWSHIP, WHICH PROMOTES ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ON UNDERREPRESENTED AND NON-DOMINANT CRAFT HISTORIES IN THE UNITED STATES, RECEIVED 260 APPLICATIONS AND AWARDED 6 GRANTS TOTALING 30,000 THIS YEAR. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT HAS BECOME A VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, SERVING VISITORS ANNUALLY THROUGH TOP-NOTCH PROGRAMS. FREE TO THE PUBLIC, OUR GALLERIES OFFER EXHIBITIONS AND AN ENGAGEMENT STUDIO, WHERE VISITORS CAN EXPLORE CRAFT PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES THAT CATALYZE DISCOVERY AND LEARNING ABOUT CRAFT FOR ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND INTEREST LEVELS. IN FY25, THE CENTER WELCOMED 11,542 GALLERY VISITORS, EXHIBITED THE WORK OF 54 ARTISTS, AND HOSTED 1,448 VIRTUAL PROGRAM ATTENDEES. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE CENTER DESIGNED AND PRODUCED A NEW MATERIALS COLLECTION. THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPLORATION AND OBSERVATION, AUDIENCES MAY EXPLORE MATERIALS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFT TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING. THE MATERIALS COLLECTION WAS FUNDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES AND SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY THE CENTER FOR NATIVE HEALTH. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT'S HISTORIC 1912 FACILITY ALSO OFFERS OVER 10,000 SQUARE FEET TO HOST PROGRAMS, MEETINGS, AND EVENTS IN CLASSROOM, CONFERENCE, AND COWORKING SPACES ("COWORK"). THE CENTER FOR CRAFT IS A DESTINATION AND RESOURCE FOR VISITORS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BY FULFILLING THE CULTURAL SECTOR'S NEED FOR NETWORKING AND WORKSPACE FOR LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS. THE IDEATION LAB NOW INCLUDES A RECENTLY ADDED PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO, COMPUTER LAB, AND PACK-AND-SHIP STATIONS FOR CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS. WITH THE HELP OF GENEROUS FUNDERS AND DONORS, THE CENTER FOR CRAFT CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS ENDOWED FUNDS AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM TO REMAIN A BEACON OF SUPPORT FOR THE MAKERS, SCHOLARS, AND CRAFT COMMUNITY. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CENTER, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CENTERFORCRAFT.ORG.