ASHEVILLE, NC (September 9, 2024)—On October 18, the Center for Craft will present the inaugural Craft Watch, an evening celebrating the Center’s national impact that will platform craft’s vibrant legacy and future.  The hour-long event will be hosted by Honorary Chair Robyn Horn, alongside Co-Chairs Meaghan Roddy and Kelsey Keith. Susie Silbert, former curator of the Corning Museum of Glass and Center for Craft alum, will serve as the emcee.

The virtual event brings together luminaries from the world of craft, including television personalities Tan France (“Queer Eye,” “Next in Fashion”) and Katherine Gray (“Blown Away”), who will focus on the “spectacle of making” and prevalence of craft in popular culture in a keynote panel and will be moderated by Deborah Needleman, basketmaker and former editor-in-chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine and founding editor-in-chief of Domino magazine. Viewers will be invited to support that mission through impactful gifts in response to an exclusive auction, paddle raise, and sponsorship packages from 8-9 p.m. ET/5-6 p.m. PT.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the very first Craft Watch,” says France. “Craft is not only integral to human life, it's also absolutely essential to the enjoyment of that life. When we celebrate craft by highlighting the beauty and utility of craft objects and the innovation and skill of their makers, we celebrate something vital about what it means to be human. Craft connects us to rich traditions and points us to the possibilities of the future.”

The evening will also feature remarks from Center for Craft alumni and Executive Director Stephanie Moore, an auction of custom experiential arts packages, and the presentation of the Catalyst Award, which recognizes individuals working to make their communities better places through craft. This year’s recipient is artist, designer, and activist Tanya Aguiñiga, founder of the transnational artist platform AMBOS (Art Made Between Opposite Sides). 

The virtual one-hour broadcast benefit will be supported by Watch Parties, anchored by private events in LA, NYC, and DC with a satellite of attendee-hosted watch parties nationwide. The streaming platform allows attendees to turn their phones into auction paddles to bid on experiences with artists and more.

Craft Watch also comes with a critical ask as the Center launches its new Alumni Network. For over 20 years, the Center has welcomed hundreds of fellows, supporting their diverse visions of how craft can sustain, nurture, and empower communities. The Alumni Network will connect these visionaries and tradition-keepers, artists and scholars, makers and researchers. By revisiting these relationships and inviting alums to engage with a digital platform, the Center aspires to stay connected and make a meaningful impact on the lives of its grant recipients. Funds raised through Craft Watch will go directly to this vital resource. 

“We all lead lives tethered to the digital sphere,” says Kelsey Keith, Center for Craft board member and Herman Miller’s brand creative director. “This annual celebration of craft in all its forms, from quotidian to fine art, is a reminder of the value of things that are handmade. It’s a way to honor the skill, dexterity, and creativity of the human mind – and invite our communities around the US to revel in the possibilities.”

Attendees will have multiple ways to show their support as the Center for Craft strives to reach a fundraising goal of $125,000. Auctioneer David Rago, founder of Rago Auctions, partner in Rago/Wright, and a frequent guest on “Antiques Roadshow,” will lead an auction of items including a transformative vacation from VAWAA, which offers travelers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to apprentice with renowned artists in 34 countries, and an Atlanta Experience featuring artist and Center for Craft alumnus Robell Awake and High Museum of Art Decorative Arts and Design Curator Monica Obniski, who will lead an exclusive, behind-the-scenes curators tour. 

“In a time when algorithms divide us into ever smaller worlds that mirror our views, craft connects us across time and space to real live people in real live places that we may have never imagined before,” says Silbert. “It is a spark of connection that reminds us of our essential humanity and of our power to shape the world around us.”

The Center also invites sponsors for the event, with sponsorship levels ranging from $1,000-$10,000. Sponsors receive guest registrations and recognition, positioning them as leaders in innovation and creativity. Tickets for Craft Watch are available now. General admission tickets are $25. Individuals and organizations interested in sponsorship can find more details here.

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ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft’s mission is to resource, catalyze, and amplify how and why craft matters. A 501(c)3 national nonprofit, the Center increases access to craft by empowering and resourcing artists, organizations, and communities through grants, fellowships, and programs that bring people together. The Center is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential organizations working on behalf of craft in the United States. For more information, visit www.centerforcraft.org.