The Center for Craft was an unplanned stop. As a body that resources craft artists through grants, fellowships, and other opportunities, I wanted to understand their perspectives on developing and supporting talent and transmitting culture outside formal university programs.

Though I gave no notice of my visit, I was warmly welcomed to the Center and given an informative tour of the exhibits and library (which deserve a separate post). I also had the pleasure of speaking to Grant Program Manager Anna Helgeson, who generously took time from her day to educate me about the Center and its programming.

Consistent with its mission to "amplify craft's impact in the United States", the Center offers an impressive array of opportunities for makers, teaching artists, researchers, scholars, and curators. For example, their Teaching Artist Cohort is a peer group offering financial and mentoring support to teaching artists in developing their professional and creative practices.

As a social impact manager and researcher, I am intrigued by the question of what it means to "amplify the impact" of craft. Should time and resources align, I am inspired to pursue this area of inquiry.