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CERF+ > About Us > Who We Are

Who We Are

Safeguarding + Sustaining Artists’ Careers

Our Mission

CERF+ serves artists who work in craft disciplines by providing a safety net to support strong and sustainable careers. CERF+’s core services are education programs, advocacy, network building and emergency relief.

 

CERF+ is a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Our History

“Artists in the craft community wouldn’t see each other for a whole year—and we would discover that somebody’s barn had burned down, someone had been in an auto accident, or someone’s van had been broken into and they had lost all of their crafts.”

– Josh Simpson Co-founder
Craft Emergency Relief Fund

Art is America’s common wealth and artists are its most precious asset.

In 1985, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (now a program of CERF+) began when co-founders Carol Sedestrom Ross, then president of American Craft Enterprises, and glassblower Josh Simpson recognized the inherent generosity within the craft community. Artists would “pass the hat” to collect monetary donations during shows and exhibitions in support of fellow artists dealing with emergencies. CERF+ was founded to expand this grassroots effort and has since provided almost $2 million in financial assistance and more than $400,000 in donated services to professional artists in craft disciplines nationwide.

Meet Our Staff

Our Board of Directors

Past Board Members

Polly Allen
John Andrew
Jorge Arango
Miriam Barnett
Barbara Bateman
Curtis Benzle
Eddie Bernard
Anthony Beverly
Sandy Blain
Michelle Bufano
Sharon Campbell
Donald Clark
Barrie Cliff
Joao Cook
Robert Curry
Julie Gordon Dalgleish
Deirdre Donchian
Charley Dooley
Jennifer Dowley
Craig Dreeszen
Melvin Druin
Betty DuPree
Carol Eckert
David Ellsworth
Lisa Englander
Lucy Feller
Cecily Fox
Bill Fraser
Donald Friedlich
Gini Garcia
Martha Giberson
Julie Girardini
Gary Glant
Judy Gordon
Hortense Green
John Haworth
Helen Hamada
Lloyd Herman
Ricardo Hernandez
Paul Housberg
Curt Huddleston
Stacey Jarit
Pamela Joseph
Jan Katz
Charles Kegley
Pam Kingfisher
Mary Klein
Karen Koblitz
Richard Kooyman
Karen Krieger
William Lehr Jr
Jack Lenor Larsen
Mark Lyman
Robert Lynch
Gwen Magee
Ande Maricich
Susan Martin
Steve Maslach
Gail McCarthy
Mia McEldowney
Jean McLaughlin
Reed McMillan
Nancee Meeker
Alice Merritt
Terri Moreland
Craig Nutt
Mary Nyburg
Paula Owen
Jules Polk
Rachel Porter
Theo Portnoy
Dave Purvis
Bill Riker
Chris Robb
Wendy Rosen
Sylvie Rosenthal
Carol Ross
Lois Russell
Marilyn S
Paul Sacaridiz
Jane Sauer
Carol Sauvion
Jan Schachter
Anthony Schaller
Susan Schear
Felicia Shaw
Toni Sikes
Josh Simpson
Brent Skidmore
Susan Skinner
Marilyn Stevens
Olivia Surratt
John Venekamp
James Wilkinson
Lana Wilson

SUPPORTERS

We’re all part of the Artists Safety Net

Celebrate the Artists Safety Net with Us!

If you support artists, you can be part of the “Artists Safety Net!” Whether you donate, attend workshops or tell a friend about CERF+, you help protect artists, their art and their careers. Tell us why you support art and the artists who make it by adding your own story here.


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Jeana Eve Klein

Jeana Eve Klein, Fiber Artist and CERF+ Beneficiary

When I was facing the prospect of no work space, CERF+ came through for me when I really needed it and I was able to continue working without interruption. I’m in a much better financial place now.  I give to CERF+ so other artists can be helped in the future.

Collectors of Wood Art

Judy Chernoff, President, Collectors of Wood Art

Artists may experience tenuous unforeseen circumstances from time to time. Along with a wide variety of activities in support of the wood art movement, helping artists during such times fits in well with our mission.

James Aarons

James Aarons, Ceramic Artist

CERF+ helps us when we need some support, guidance, or advice. Sometimes we just need to know that we’re not alone, or if something knocks the wind out of us, CERF+ is a friend. CERF+ is critical part of the craft community.

CERF+ Impact: A Bird’s Eye View

$1,074,820 in Grants to 533 Artists
$993,920 in Loans to 504 Artists
$428,308 in In-Kind for 359 Artists
100% of grantees cited CERF+ assistance as a contributing factor to their financial recovery after an emergency.

Fundraising Events

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Planned Giving

Other Ways to Give

OUR DONORS

For over 30 years, CERF+ has been the Artists Safety Net. We have provided resources and information, education and training, advocacy and research, and emergency readiness and relief to artists working in craft disciplines because of a national community of supporters that care about artists and their work.

THANK YOU

The board and staff of CERF+, as well as the thousands of artists we serve every year are grateful for the participation, engagement, and financial support which have been generously given by you. We are inspired and humbled by your support and what it tells us about your confidence in our work.
GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant
Joan Mitchell Foundation logo
National Endowment for the Arts logo

Windgate Charitable
Foundation

Heather Beffa
Readiness + Relief Coordinator

Heather joined CERF+ in the summer of 2021 as the Readiness and Relief Coordinator. Prior to joining our staff, Heather served as the Grants Program Manager at ArtsKC in Kansas City, Missouri where she oversaw administering competitive and needs-based funding for hundreds of artists annually. She is dedicated to transparency, ethics, and demonstrating impact. Art is the center of Heather’s personal and professional life. Heather completed a Bachelor in Fine Arts at Kansas City Art Institute in Printmaking and has studied Art History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Cameron Baxter Lewis
Director of Emergency Relief + Recovery Services

Cameron joined CERF+ in July of 2019. Prior to that, he served as Program Specialist at Save the Children, where he directed their largest disaster response program, Child Friendly Spaces, which provides safety and security for children who find themselves displaced in an emergency. Cameron received his Bachelor of Arts in advertising from Appalachian State University and his Master of Arts in public administration with a concentration in emergency management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Cameron brings more than a decade of experience working in volunteer management, training and development, recruitment, and disaster preparedness and response programs.

Contact Cameron
[email protected] | 336.213.2891

 

Dustin Byerly
Director of Development + Communications

Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy.

Dustin joined CERF+ in March of 2018. Prior to joining CERF+, Byerly served as the Associate Director of Advancement and Donor Relations at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. He also received his bachelor’s degree from Goddard, where he studied creative writing and poetry. In his 13 years at Goddard, Byerly helped to establish and nurture a robust sustaining donor program, developed and funded new endowed scholarship funds, and increased the overall number of donors and funds raised. He also spent a significant amount of time working in the archives and served as curator of the Pratt Gallery. When he’s not snowboarding, he can be found playing music with a number of different bands in Montpelier, Vermont, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Contact Dustin
[email protected] | 802.229.2306 ext. 105

 

Cornelia Carey
Executive Director

We have to not only save the work artists make, but the people who make it.

Cornelia Carey is the Executive Director of CERF+ — the Artists Safety Net. She is a founder of the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response, an initiative to strengthen emergency resilience and response in the arts sector. Prior to her tenure at CERF+, Carey ran programs supporting artists and cultural institutions at the Vermont Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in human development and educational research. She has served on boards and review panels for foundations, state arts agencies, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Carey lives with her husband and daughter on their farm in Calais, Vermont.

Contact Cornelia
[email protected] | 802.229.2306 ext. 101

 

Carrie Cleveland
Director of Education + Outreach

If you want art to exist, you have to support artists.

Carrie came to CERF+ in the spring of 2008 and since then has participated in all aspects of the organization’s work to help artists have resilient careers, from counseling artists seeking emergency assistance to spearheading $100,000 fundraising appeals to teaching emergency preparedness workshops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history, with extensive work in the visual arts, from Marlboro College and prior to her time at CERF+, she spent several years living in New York City where she was an entomologist’s assistant by day and a tenor saxophone player by night. Happily re-ensconced in her home state, Carrie and her husband live in Montpelier in a household where musical instruments outnumber the human inhabitants 5 to 1.

Contact Carrie
[email protected] | 802.229.2306 ext. 104

James Hafferman
Deputy Director

Art brings the world joy and opens our eyes to the beauty around us.

James joined the CERF+ staff in the Spring of 2018 as the Deputy Director. Previously he served as the Executive Director of Green Mountain Farm-to-School in Newport, Vermont. Over his 18-year career, James has held key leadership positions including, Chief Operating Officer of an international energy efficiency nonprofit in Washington, D.C., where he was instrumental in managing and developing the organization from a small start-up to a global presence. He has worked with a variety of nonprofits addressing issues related to health and human services, education, energy-efficiency and the arts. James lives in an off-grid home in Woodbury, Vermont.

Contact James
[email protected] | 802.229.2306 ext. 102

Tanya Aguiñiga
Fiber Artist, Designer

Tanya is a Los Angeles-based artist/designer/craftsperson who was raised in Tijuana, Mexico. She holds an MFA in furniture design from Rhode Island School of Design and a BA from San Diego State University. In her formative years she created various collaborative installations with the Border Arts Workshop, an artists’ group that engages the languages of activism and community-based public art. Her current work uses craft as a performative medium to generate dialogues about identity, culture and gender while creating community. Aguiñiga is a United States Artists Target Fellow in the field of Crafts and Traditional Arts, a National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) and Creative Capital 2016 Grant Awardee. She has been the subject of a cover article for American Craft and has been featured in the PBS series, Craft in America.

Jono Anzalone, Vice Chair
Executive Director, Kennebunkport Climate Initiative

Jono is the Executive Director of the Kennebunkport Climate Initiative (KCI), a nonpartisan organization that inspires to educate, empower, and active 10 million youth around climate action by 2025. He joined the after a long tenure as both a Red Cross, where he started as a youth volunteer in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska. Most recently, Jono served as the Head of Disaster and Crisis, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the Americas and Caribbean region, based in Panama, Panama and also served as the Vice President of International Services at the American Red Cross based out of Washington, DC. Jono’s hundreds of national and international disaster assignments with the American Red Cross, IFRC, and ICRC have led him to serve in places such as Mexico, Belize, Suriname, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Liberia, and Haiti, to include being detailed to the United States Agency on International Development (USAID) during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and assigned to their Response Management Team to lead the agencies donations management activity. Jono served as the Advocacy Committee chair for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) from 2012-2015. Jono graduated from Creighton University with a BA in Political Science, the University of Nebraska with an MS in Economics, a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of Nebraska, and the Harvard School of Public Health and Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, and has earned the International Association of Emergency Management Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) credential.

“CERF+ is filling a critical mission space for both preparing artists before a disaster strikes, as well as ensuring a safety net is visible for artists impacted by disasters. Time and time again, I have seen firsthand how disaster impacted artists struggle, like many nonartists, to navigate the complex disaster assistance ecosystem. With the impacts of climate change having more negative impacts on vulnerable communities, the role of CERF+ is even more important.” – Jono Anzalone

Malene Barnett
Artist, Activist, Legacymaker

Malene Barnett is a cross-media artist and founder of Malene B Atelier, a New York-based art and design practice specializing in fine art, product design, and bespoke carpets. Her work has been commissioned by global corporations such as Viacom, WeWork, and Saks Fifth Ave and landmark office buildings, including the Astor, the Chatsworth, and the MetLife building. A cultural enthusiast and passionate entrepreneur, Malene collaborates with international artisans and commercial brands, most recently Kravet and S’well bottles. She is the author of the Malene B Essentials e-guide series, a TEDX speaker, and an industry commentator for TV and radio. Her work has also been featured in leading international design and lifestyle publications, including Luxe Interiors +Design, Elle Decor, Interior Design, and House Beautiful. 

“I feel honored to join the board of CERF +. As a studio artist, it’s comforting knowing CERF + provides the necessary tools for craft artists to thrive. There are many craft artists in communities that have been placed at the margins in this industry and are therefore not aware of CERF +, and I want to help increase awareness of the organizations, educational tools, and services available.”

Vivian Beer
Furniture Designer/Maker/Sculpture, Pembroke, New Hampshire

Vivian Beer is a furniture designer/maker based in New England, where she operates her studio, Vivian Beer Studio Works. Her sleek, abstracted metal and concrete furniture combines the aesthetic sensibilities of contemporary design, craft, and sculpture. Her furniture alters expectations and interfaces with the domestic landscape. With a strong foundation in contemporary furniture design, her research into the history of American industry, architecture, and transportation — supported in part by a 2014 Research Fellowship at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum—adds intellectual rigor and specificity to her work.

Beer’s work is included in museum collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Metals Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design (New York City). Her public art is exhibited in Portland, Maine and Cambridge, Massachusetts. She holds an undergraduate degree from Maine College of Art and a Masters of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy. Beer has held numerous residencies at The Penland School of Craft, The State University of New York at Purchase, and San Diego State University.

“There are so few resources out there to directly and quickly help artists who have experienced a disaster. CERF+ bridges the gap that so many creatives, like myself, can fall through when things go wrong. So many of us that work in the creative sector live on the edge, project to project. With a little help we can get back up, but no one can do it alone. CERF+ was there for me when I had my own crisis and I hope, with them, to help be there for others in the same way.” – Vivian Beer

Molly Bell
Executive Vice President-Rio Grande Jewelry Supply

Molly grew up surrounded by a large, exceptionally creative family. Rio Grande Jewelers Supply began as a family operation where she worked alongside her father and siblings and honed her understanding of the challenges of business.

Molly is an advocate for arts in the workplace, in education, and in the community. She appreciates artists’ contributions to the quality of life and knows that artists provide heart and soul to our culture, communities, and experiences. She embraces the unifying power of art, craft, and creativity, and describes art as a universal way to enrich lives and celebrate the diversity of our shared humanity. She has served as a board member of several organizations including Harwood Art Center; Escuela del Sol Montessori; Creative Albuquerque; and Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America. Molly and Rio Grande have supported Sweeps for CERF+ and the Toolbox Initiative since their inception. Molly currently serves as a board member of Leadership New Mexico; Women’s Jewelry Association; and WESST.

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to serve on the board of CERF+, an organization I have admired and supported for years. In addition to the remarkable work CERF+ does to provide assistance to artisans after a disaster or setback, I am an avid fan of the “Get Ready” programming. The artisan sector is a key driver of cultural preservation and economic growth in our communities. CERF+’s proactive educational resources and guidance contributes to artisans resiliency and stability through the course of their careers.” – Molly Bell

Barry Bergey
Former Director, Folk & Traditional Arts, National Endowment for the Arts

In my 30-year career working at the National Endowment for the Arts in the field of folk and traditional arts, I became acutely aware of the value of our nation’s diverse cultural heritage. It also became clear to me that individual craft artists frequently work both without the benefit of broad public recognition and beyond the reach of most established mechanisms for financial support. When I retired, I wanted to devote a good portion of my free time to organizations like CERF+ that provide valuable services to artists and art forms that have made a significant contribution to the quality of my life.

Robert Booker
Former Executive Director, Arizona Commission of the Arts

Robert Booker recently retired from his position as executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Before accepting the position in Arizona in 2006, he served as the executive director of the Minnesota State Arts Board and a member of the education division at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Booker started his career as an intern at the South Dakota Arts Council. He also served as president of the board of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), chairman of Grantmakers in the Arts, and a trustee for the Western States Arts Federation, Arts Midwest, the Minnesota Museum Educators Association, the Minnesota AIDS Project, and Arts over AIDS. Appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano, Booker served as the co-chairman of the Arts and Culture Committee for the Arizona Mexico Commission for twelve years. Most recently Robert was appointed by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego as a commissioner representing district 3 for the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. Trained as a ceramic artist, Booker is fascinated by both the intended and accidental mark. He now creates works on paper and canvas in two distinct areas: large collage works and artwork focused on social justice issues like HIV/AIDS, abuse, and gun control.

“I have been a fan of the incredible work of CERF+ for many years. The dedication of the staff and the board is an example of servant leadership at the highest level.”

Dr. Allison Druin, Secretary
Associate Provost for Research & Strategic Partnerships, Pratt Institute

Dr. Allison Druin is currently the Associate Provost for Research & Strategic Partnerships at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, renowned for its leadership in art, architecture, design, and information studies. Prior to her work at Pratt, Dr. Druin was a Professor, Lab Director, Associate Dean, and Chief Futurist at the University of Maryland for more than 20 years. Allison earned a BFA (1985) in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design, an MS (1987) in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab, and a Ph.D. (1997) from the University of New Mexico College of Education.

With a lifelong passion for bringing people together to promote discussion, research, and change, Dr. Druin established co-founded The Future of Information Alliance, co-chaired the CHI 2016 conference, the largest CHI gathering to date with almost 4,000 attendees, and was named in 2018, ACM SIGCHI Chair for Inclusion. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her research: named ACM Fellow in 2017, inducted into the CHI Academy in 2016, named ACM Distinguished Scientist in 2014, and received the SIGCHI Social Impact Award in 2010.

“There is nothing more important than supporting the crafts community to sustain and thrive, especially during times of crisis. As the daughter of a long-time enamelist, I have seen first-hand how critical CERF+ is. Decades ago, my father, Melvin Druin, was a CERF+ leader on the Board of Directors, and I am honored now to carry on his love of CERF+ by serving on today’s board.” 

Dan Friday
Glass Artist / Friday Glass, Shoreline, Washington

Daniel Joseph Friday is a Native of the Lummi Nation and a lifelong resident of Washington State’s Puget Sound region. Drawing from cultural themes and using modern processes, Friday’s work is contemporary in format while maintaining basic Native American qualities. Dan has spent the past two decades working with artists such as Dale Chihuly, Paul Marioni, and Preston Singletary. Friday lives in Seattle, where he maintains an independent glass studio. His work can be found in collections around the world.

“When I saw glass blowing for the first time, it felt as though I grew an inch! That is to say, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. This was no small feat for someone who, as a youth, was rebellious and misguided. Glass altered my life. In spite of my colorful past, and by the grace of a loving community, I found my passion in glass. Living as an artist may not be directly saving the world, but perhaps we are saving ourselves and hopefully, in the process, making the world a better place.” – Dan Friday

Cinda Holt, Chair
Nonprofit Board Development Consultant

As a staff member of a state arts agency (and state government) I see many ways our goals intersect with CERF+’s goals. We both want to help artists realize their dreams and make the most of their talent and ensure their ability to thrive. I am on the board because I think we can do this better together!

Marjorie Hunt
Folklife Curator and Education Specialist, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Marjorie Hunt is a Folklife Curator and Education Specialist with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Since joining the Center in 1982, she has curated numerous programs for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, directed and produced documentary films, and created online educational resources, including the Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide. She holds an MA and Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hunt’s curated Folklife Festival programs include The Grand Generation: Memory, Mastery and Legacy (1984), White House Workers (1992), Masters of Traditional Arts (1994), Working at the Smithsonian (1996), Masters of the Building Arts (2001), and Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions (2006). She was co-curator of the 2013 program One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage. Her publications include The Grand Generation: Memory, Mastery Legacy and The Stone Carvers: Masters Craftsmen of Washington National Cathedral. Dr. Hunt is the co-producer and director of the documentary films The Stone Carvers, The Grand Generation, Workers at the White House, and Good Work: Masters of the Building Arts.

“I am inspired and energized by the critically important mission and goals of CERF+ and feel honored to join the board. As a folklorist, I am especially excited to help CERF+ with its targeted outreach efforts and strong commitment to serving folk and traditional artists, artists of color, and artists who do not participate in the national marketplace.” – Marjorie Hunt

Wendy Maruyama
Furniture Maker, Artist, Educator

Furniture maker, artist, and educator Wendy Maruyama has been making innovative work for 40 years. While her early work combined ideologies of feminism and traditional craft objects, her newer work moves beyond the boundaries of traditional studio craft and into the realm of social practice. Since 1994, Maruyama has been creating works inspired by the memory of her childhood growing up as a Japanese-American, her interpretation of her ethnic heritage, and her observations of the Japanese culture, looking in from the outside.

Wendy Maruyama has recently retired from teaching at San Diego State University. In addition to SDSU, she has taught at Appalachian Center for Crafts, California College of Arts, and has taught for 35 years all total. She exhibited her work nationally for over four decades, with solo shows in New York City, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Indianapolis, Savannah, and Easthampton. She has exhibited internationally in Tokyo, Seoul, and London. Maruyama’s work can also be found in both national and international permanent museum collections.

“As a studio artist and an educator, I have watched CERF+’s mission from afar and have long admired their mission and their endeavors to help craft practitioners in need.  I know of several colleagues who have suffered injuries or lost their studios to fire, so I am aware of the anguish that these individuals have suffered. To have an organization like CERF+ come to their aid is a godsend.  It is a deep honor to be able to serve on their board and be a part of their continued outreach, especially during these trying times.”

Carolyn Mazloomi
Historian, Curator, Author, Lecturer, and Artist

Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi is a former aerospace engineer who highlights the contributions of African American quilt artists. She founded the African-American Quilt Guild of Los Angeles and the Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN). She has published twelve books, educating the public about the diversity of interpretation, styles, and techniques among African American quilters. Her curated exhibition, “Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations,” surveys 400 years of African American history and is the largest travel exhibit of African American quilts.

Dr. Mazloomi is an artist whose narrative quilts focus on family life, women’s rights, political freedom, and musical legacy. Her quilts have been exhibited in the Mint Museum, American Folk Art Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Museum of Art and Design, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. She is also involved in the economic development of women through the arts. Her organization, WCQN, was recognized by the International Labor Department in Geneva and the United Nations for its developmental programs to help advance women.

Dr. Mazloomi has received many honors, including the 2003 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award. The National Endowment for the Arts named her a National Heritage Fellow, the highest award in the U.S. for traditional arts. She received the Distinguished Scholar & Celebrated Artist Lifetime Achievement Award by Faith Ringgold’s Anyone Can Fly Foundation and is the 2016 inductee to the Quilters Hall of Fame Museum.

“I am honored to serve on the CERF+ board, because the organization has helped so many professional craftspeople at the most critical time of their lives.  One never knows when disaster might strike or what form it may take, however it is encouraging to know there’s an organization such as CERF+ ready and willing to step in to help.”  – Carolyn Mazloomi

Perry Price, Treasurer
Executive Director, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
So much of what we do in the field of craft supports the making, teaching, and interpretation of artists and their work. Living on the Gulf coast has made it increasingly clear to me that it is vital to support artists during the worst disasters and challenges they face in their lives with the same energy and enthusiasm we typically bring to their most important career successes. If we want the arts to thrive in our communities, what are we doing to ensure that artists also thrive?
Jaime Suárez
Ceramist, Sculptor, Architect, Set Designer, and Professor

Jaime Suárez is considered one of the driving forces behind the development of contemporary ceramics in Puerto Rico. He cofounded Estudio Caparra in 1972 and Grupo Manos in 1976, paving the way for the creation of Casa Candina in 1980, which was instrumental in establishing the ceramic medium as one of the principal artistic movements on the island. In his extensive ceramic career, he has exhibited in Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, New York, New Mexico, Colombia, Italy, France, Japan, Korea, and Greece. He has been awarded prizes in international ceramic exhibitions and competitions in Faenza, Italy, and Zagreb, Croatia. His work is included in prestigious international collections in Europe, Asia, the United States, and Latin America. He is the creator of the monumental Telluric Totem at the Fifth Centennial Plaza in Old San Juan and various other public art sculptures and murals integrated into architecture and public spaces. He is also recognized for his leadership and collaborations with cultural institutions on the island.

“I feel both honored to have the opportunity to serve as Board member and grateful, not only for the help you are giving in Puerto Rico, but also for giving Puerto Rico, through me, a voice at CERF +.”

Pati Young, MSW
Psychotherapist (Retired), Collector/Craft Advocate, Former JRA and ACC Board Member

Pati Young, MSW, is a collector of studio crafts and has been involved in creativity and the arts for most of her adult life. She received her MSW in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB) and her BS in Interpersonal Dynamics from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst’s University Without Walls. In addition to a focus on family therapy at UMAB, she also studied Art Therapy, which she used for 15 years as a practicing psychotherapist. While semi-retired from her role as a psychotherapist since 2000, her last business endeavor, “Monkey C, Monkey Do,” offered professional organizing services to artists, psychotherapists, and creative others and helped them to promote their art and maximize their creativity. She served five years on the Board of Directors of the James Renwick Alliance (JRA) and the American Craft Council’s Board of Trustees from 2013-2019. Her interests in creativity have led her to dabble in a number of craft areas including ceramics, photography, stained glass, blown glass, fused glass, as well as wearable art clothing and jewelry.

“I’m excited to bring my expertise in organizations and human resource development skills, my training as a psychotherapist, and my passion for the arts to CERF+,” Pati says. “I believe these skills lend me insight and understanding of the ‘creative other’ and ‘organizational self,’ strengthening my ability to work towards a successful future of craft, its makers, and the organizations that support the arts.”

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