Juliana Rowen Barton

Founded in 1996, the Center for Craft is the leading organization in the United States identifying and convening craft makers, curators, and researchers, and matching them with resources, tools, and networks to advance their careers. Over the years, the Center has become a vital community resource, serving thousands of visitors annually through its Asheville, North Carolina gallery and coworking space. Reporting to the Assistant Director and Curator, the Leading Edge Fellow will develop and contribute to a portfolio of virtual community engagement and impact initiatives in support of the Center’s national field building programs. These programs seek to increase the value and relevance of craft to society through awarding grants and fellowships, convening thought leaders, documenting and disseminating research, and creating leadership initiatives in the field. A particular focus will be to document and measure the impact of the Center’s COVID-19 response grants, known as the Craft Futures Fund. The Leading Edge Fellow will work with Center for Craft staff, academic partner institutions, community advisory committees, scholar and artist grant recipients, and other audiences to support the Center's necessary pivot to virtual engagement. The successful candidate will take the lead on two projects. The first is developing virtual engagement programming around our grant recipients, including Craft Futures Fund grantees. The second is a collaboration with the Center’s academic and community partnerships, including the University of North Carolina at Asheville, to create a joint virtual lecture series addressing pertinent topics such as craft, race equity, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to these projects, the Fellow will provide support for two of the Center’s other national programs, including a Craft Think Tank and the symposium Craft Ways: Tending to Craft, a collaboration with Warren Wilson College.