Jurors Announced for 35th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show
Smithsonian Craft Show co-chairs Ethelmary Maddox, Penny Pollard and Kathy Sommerkamp today announced the jurors who will select more than 120 artists to showcase their work at the 35th annual Smithsonian Craft Show. Widely regarded as the most prestigious juried show and sale of American fine craft, the Smithsonian Craft Show will be held April 26‒30, 2017, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Participating artists will be chosen from a pool of more than 1,200 applicants, including many of the most accomplished artisans in the U.S. The deadline for artists to apply is Sept. 12, and the application form is available at www.smithsoniancraftshow.org. A fee of $50 is required. The jurors’ selections will be announced by the end of October.
The jurors are Carolyn Benesh, co-editor and co-publisher of Ornament magazine; Melissa Post, an independent arts professional with a distinguished curatorial and gallery director background; and Rebecca A.T. Stevens, consulting curator of contemporary textiles at the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum.
“We are pleased that these well-qualified jurors, who are extremely knowledgeable in fine American crafts, have agreed to be part of the 35th annual Smithsonian Craft Show,” said the co-chairs. “Their selections will ensure that the designs, skills and visions of America’s most talented craftspeople are highlighted at next year’s show.”
About the Jurors
Benesh has been co-editor and co-publisher of Ornament magazine since its inception in 1974 when it began as The Bead Journal. Benesh’s interest is primarily in contemporary jewelry and clothing, and she has published hundreds of articles on the subject. She has also lectured about these areas at numerous museums and other organizations. Every year, Benesh sponsors and selects the “Ornament Award for Excellence in Jewelry” at the Smithsonian Craft Show and “Best of Show” at Craft2Wear.
Post is an independent arts professional who has devoted two decades to the fine and decorative arts. Post’s knowledge of and passion for craft are formed from her perspectives a curator, collector, gallery associate, practitioner and scholar. She was curator at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash., where she spearheaded the world-class Visiting Artist Residency Program and at the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, N.C. Post previously directed galleries in New York City and Aspen, Colo. She has authored award-winning scholarly publications, project managed numerous exhibition tours and developed innovative programming.
Stevens has been the consulting curator for contemporary textiles at the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., for more than 35 years. Her work includes curating, consulting, lecturing and jurying engagements around the world, including in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery. Her writings include the books, The Kimono Inspirations: Art and Art-to-Wear in America co-edited with Yoshiko I. Wada and Ed Rossbach: 40 Years of Innovation and Exploration in Fiber Art co-edited with Ann P. Rowe, and numerous articles and essays for exhibition catalogs.
About the Smithsonian Craft Show
The 2017 Smithsonian Craft Show is the 35th annual show produced by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. The event supports the committee’s program of yearly grants to the Smithsonian, which are awarded on a competitive basis to various entities within the Institution. These grants support a wide variety of projects that focus on the Smithsonian’s Four Grand Challenges: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe, Valuing World Cultures, Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet and Understanding the American Experience. Since its creation in 1966, the Smithsonian Women’s Committee has contributed almost $12 million to the Smithsonian.
Craft2Wear
From Oct. 6 through Oct. 8, the Smithsonian Women’s Committee will present Craft2Wear, a curated exhibition showcasing the works of 55 American masters and 25 cutting-edge artists at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
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