Past Events
Detail from “Runneth Over” by Nancy Loorem Adams
NWDC presented contemporary craft today created by members of NWDC. It was an opportunity to celebrate excellence in craft and design, and to showcase current trends in hand craft.
Juror’s Statement | Vicki and Ron Gerton
It has been both an honor and a joy to be able to jury these works of art. As we went through the images, it became apparent of both the breadth and the artistic skill levels of the members of the Northwest Designer Crafts Artists. We were very happy when we learned that we got to display one entry of every artist who had submitted images. It would have been difficult to eliminate any of the artists. It was difficult to select only one piece for each artist.
This work by the Northwest Designer Craft Artists was a great show; it was a treat for those of us living in Eastern Washington to see this excellent work that we would otherwise have to travel many miles to view. We were excited to share this art with our community.
Spanning a stunning array of mediums, Pacific Northwest Perspectives highlighted the vibrant creativity and diversity of fine craft in the region. Visitors saw works in carved wood, stoneware, Icelandic wool, terracotta, watercolor, crochet fiber, kiln-formed glass, basketry willows, recycled plastic, soldered found tin, and more. All pieces on display were available for purchase.
Pacific Northwest Perspectives was presented in partnership with Northwest Designer Craftartists, a nonprofit organization established in 1964 to promote excellence in fine craft and to foster public appreciation of functional and decorative art. NWDC artists represent a broad swath of the region – including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska – and work professionally in mediums such as clay, wood, metal, fiber, glass and mixed media.
FASTSIGNS of North Seattle was the proud sponsor of this exhibit.
The artists displaying their work for this exhibit were:
Noble Golden, Denise Snyder, Steven Jensen, Francie Allen, Barbara De Pirro, Larry Halvorsen, Joyce Hayes, Barbara J. Matthews, Liza E. Halvorsen, Suze Woolf, Danielle Bodine, Gabriela Nirino, Bonni Brooks, Claire Renaut, Lynne Rigby, Kathy Ross, Dorothy McGuinness, Bella Yongok Kim, Julie Sevilla Drake, Barbara Nepom, Mark Ditzler, Priscilla Cypiot, Katherine Lewis, Nancy Loorem Adams, and Cheryl Kamera.
Gerrard shapes steel wire into ethereal forms that remain both opaque and permeable, punctuated by stones and antique fishing floats. In building up her compositions, Gerrard emphasizes form through line rather than mass. Her intricate and expressive three-dimensional installations animate the surrounding space as they suspend, drape, loop and bloom. The flowing lines and swells evoke a lyrical quality, reflecting the artist’s slow, meditative process. Gerrard's work is deeply influenced by her time in Seattle, WA, where she moves between the city's historic welding shops and the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Gerrard explains, “I have been able to continually move between industry and nature, and my work reflects that flow, growth, and tension.”
Leah Gerrard is a Seattle-based fabrication artist who explores solid form using thin, flexible strands of metal. She studied at Linfield University, Cornish College of the Arts, and Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. A jewelry class in Florence sparked Gerrard's passion for wire sculpture. Gerrard’s self-taught sculpting method merges her interests in basketry and jewelry with her desire to create large-scale work. Her sculpture has grown in response to challenges inherent in her designs. Gerrard cites Ruth Asawa, Sheila Hicks and Alberto Giacometti as sources of her inspiration. She received the 2016 Artist Trust Fellowship in Craft from the State of Washington and in 2019 she was awarded a solo exhibition at Gallery 4culture, the nonprofit cultural funding agency for Seattle, WA and the surrounding county. As the Metal Museum’s 46th Tributaries artist, Gerrard will be exhibiting her work for the first time in our region.
Image credit: Leah Gerrard, The Answer in the Number, 2021. Steel wire, rocks, wood. Artwork and photograph courtesy of the Artist.
RECEPTION & ARTIST TALK
SUNDAY, JUN. 8
3 – 5PM
NWDC members gathered for a lively afternoon of connection, creativity, and community at our annual Summer Social, hosted at the newly relocated Traver Gallery. Traver Gallery had an exhibition by glass artist John Kiley on view. NWDC guests were also invited to visit VETRI Gallery upstairs, where a new de la Torre Brothers glass show opened from 3–6 PM.
We brought back a favorite feature of past gatherings: the "name tag necklace!"
We asked every member to wear a handmade necklace or lanyard that proudly displayed the artist’s name and medium or material. It’s a fun and visual way to connect with others and share your creative voice.
Northwest Designer Craftartists (NWDC) was thrilled to return to the Seattle Art Fair as a Cultural Partner, presenting a curated exhibition of contemporary fine craft at Booth #CP14 from July 17–20, 2025, at the Lumen Field Event Center.
This year’s presentation featured the work of eight outstanding NWDC artists, each pushing the boundaries of material and form in contemporary craft.
ARTIST RECEPTION: Saturday, April 26, 2025, 3PM — 6PM
La Conner, WA – Northwest Designer Craftartists (NWDC) is pleased to announce Fiber Between the Lines, an upcoming exhibition showcasing contemporary fiber artwork by NWDC members at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum. Artworks in the show were selected by artist and curator Ellen Ito, the exhibition highlights the diverse and innovative ways fiber artists push the boundaries of traditional techniques.
Featuring works in a wide range of fiber-based media, Fiber Between the Lines will present sculptures, installations, quilts, wall pieces, artist books, basketry, and more. NWDC artists employ techniques such as dyeing, weaving, surface design, embroidery, and stitching to create vibrant and tactile works of art.
The exhibition includes work from Danielle Bodine, Barb Burwell, Flóra Carlile-Kovács, Julie Sevilla Drake, Kate Dwyer, Joyce Hayes, Ann Johnston, Claire B Jones, Bella Yongok Kim, Patti King, Margo Klass, Annetta Kraayeveld, Mary Lane, Katherine Lewis, Anna Macrae, Barbara Matthews, Dorothy McGuinness, Ree Nancarrow, Barbara Nepom, Gabriela Nirino, Elin Noble, Natalie Olsen, Seiko A. Purdue, Ellen Ramsey, Julia Rapinoe, Amy Roberts, Joan Stuart Ross, Kathy Ross, Laura Stangel Schmidt, Luanne Seymour, Terri Shinn, Jan Silver, Denise Snyder, Mary Tyler, Barbara J. Walker, Helga Winter, Judy Zugish.
“Selecting the work for Fiber Between the Lines provided an opportunity to explore the dynamic fiber arts ecosystem, wherein legacy processes meet, commingle, and diverge,” said Ito. “Keen expressions of skill, the works are surprising, vibrant, organic, and tactile: Ikat goes 3D, embroidery becomes a painting, soft quilts shout with bold color. Diverse but in dialogue with one another, these NWDC member artists’ sculptures, installations, baskets, quilts, and wall pieces evince the makers’ vital relationships with creativity and each other.”
Saturday, February 15th | 1:00 — 3:00 PM
Potluck Buffet at Foster White Gallery
Foster White Gallery
220 Third Ave South #100
Pioneer Square
Seattle,WA 98104
The NWDC Winter Social! Visit with NWDC Members, friends and family. Enjoy a drink and small bites. Have fun in our photo booth and create a valentine!
Thank you to Lynn Honorary Member Phen Huang for graciously offering their gallery space to NWDC for this celebration! Special thanks to Lois Harbaugh and Ron Pascho for organizing the NWDC Winter social at Foster White Gallery.
Photo Booth Caption: (L to R) Joyce Hayes, Lynn Di Nino, Ron Pascho, Lois Harbaugh.
Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest almost 13 years ago, I have been fascinated by its lush natural environment. I have been especially moved by the gorgeous leafy-bushy lichens which I have never seen before.
Lichens are composite organisms; the coexistence, or rather mutually beneficial symbiosis, of algae and fungi. The algae produces carbohydrates to feed the fungi. In exchange, the fungi provides protection for the algae while gathering and retaining moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere through rain and dust. This successful symbiosis can be found in almost every habitat and geographic region on the planet.
Together, they become very slowly growing organisms, growing about 1 mm a year. Some lichens are considered among the oldest living organisms on Earth, with an estimated age of 9-10,000 years.
Among the over 20,000 different lichen species, the shrubby and leafy lichens are the most sensitive to environmental disturbances, and as such they are very accurate bio-indicators of air pollution.
Lichens may grow in various shapes and pattern and can be quite beautiful in color, thus they are a great source of artistic inspiration.
Last year I was honored to receive a grant from the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture. It allowed me to take some time and study these organisms, and explore how I can implement their organic shapes, textures and beautiful colors in handfelted textiles on a magnified scale.
Just as the algae and the fungi support each other to emerge as a new inseparable organism, the silk fibers, silk fabrics, and the wool fibers in these works are merged by felting to form organically shaped structural pieces. The wool base supports the silk fabrics and through the shrinkage in the process, the silk provides beautiful, rich textures, color, and luster.
Rather than copying the lichens, my intention with my textiles was to evoke the sensation that one feels when they see or touch these organisms in the wild. I aws interested in representing the natural ambience of the Pacific Northwest in contemporary glass-metal-concrete office spaces, and making these spaces warm, relaxing, inviting, calm.
I invite you to celebrate this great milestone of my career,
my first solo exhibit in Seattle, hosted in the award-winning beautifully remodeled Labour Temple of Seattle.
Member Preview: Friday, 11/29
Public Hours: Saturday, 11/30 & Sunday, 12/1
110 Union St. Suite 400, Seattle WA
The NWDC Holiday Gift Sale & Fundraiser is a great way to discover unique, handmade gifts from NWDC Artists. Thanks to everyone who attended, supported NWDC and celebrated the season with fellow craft lovers. Presented in-person at Public Display.Art in Downtown Seattle
The pop-up exhibition includes artwork from Anna Macrae, Bella Yongok Kim, Brian O'Neill, Dick Weiss, Ellen Ramsey, Nancy Loorem Adams, Dan Adams, Gale Lurie, Jyoti Duwadi, Kathleen Faulkner, Lanny Bergner, Larry Halvorsen, Liza Halvorsen, Lynn Di Nino, Mark Ditzler, Meg Murch, Naoko Morisawa, Noble Golden, Polly Adams Sutton, Seth Rolland, and Steve Jensen.
Ceramic Legends Presentation: Patti Warashina and Carol Gouthro
Saturday, September 28 | 4–6 PM
The University of Washington | Kane Hall 210
Following an introduction by Peter Olsen, Patti Warashina and Carol Gouthro will each be giving a presentation of their work in the University of Washington's Kane Hall. Following each presentation there will be a time to ask questions and to have a conversation about each artist's work. We invite you to come out and participate in the talk! The location and time are, Kane Hall 210 from 4-6pm, on Saturday the 28th of September.
June 20 - August 24, 2024
Schack Art Center | Everett, WA
Northwest Designer Craftartists presents NWCraft24 — a survey of contemporary craft created by NWDC members exemplifying current trends in clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media across the Pacific Northwest.
The exhibition is juried by Carol Sauvion — American crafts scholar and patron, and the Executive Producer and director of the PBS documentary series Craft in America, and Sarah Traver, Director of Seattle’s Traver Gallery — one of the country’s premier exhibition spaces for contemporary studio glass, painting, sculpture, and installation art for more than 40 years.
NWDC is honored to have had former NWDC President, Larry Metcalf, act as an Exhibition Designer for NWCraft24.
Friday, April 5, 2024, through Sunday, April 28, 2024.
In Person at:
Bainbridge Arts and Crafts (BAC)
151 Winslow Avenue E
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Throughout human history, our innate inclination towards ornamental expression has woven a rich narrative. As Elizabeth Gilbert eloquently penned, we are artisans driven to render things more beautiful than mere necessity dictates. In this collaboration with Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, we extend an invitation for you to contribute works that bear witness to our inherent desire to adorn not only ourselves but also the spaces and objects that surround us.
The spectrum of work in the exhibition is broad – from wearable pieces to sculptural objects. Embracing various craft media, including ceramics, wood, fiber, glass, metals or a harmonious blend of these elements, we encourage the exploration of artistic boundaries.
November 21, 2023 to January 13, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, December 8, 2023
Juried by: Tim Detweiler & Michelle Bufano
Human makers have made vessels since they first discovered that wet clay would hold a shape and that grasses could be interlocked to turn single strips to solid cloth. In Gallery Mack’s exhibition "Vessels Speak Volumes'' artist/members of Northwest Designer Craftartists take the functional form of vessel to tell tales, not just of the limits and abstract expressive potential of materials whether clay, fiber, metals, glass or wood but also to narrate personal and cultural stories of our time.
NWDC GLASS
October 12 - 15, 2023
Steve Jensen Studios
1424 Tenth Avenue Seattle, WA 98122
NWDC presents NWDC Glass, an exhibition highlighting glass art created by members including work by, Steve Jensen, P. Jill Green, Dorothy McGuinness, Lin McJunkin, Preston Singletary, Annette Tamm, Cynthia Toops & Dan Adams, Delores Taylor, Jean Tudor, Dick Weiss, and John Webster.
Opening Reception: October 12, 2023 | 5 - 9 PM
Closing Reception: Artist Talk by Steve Jensen: October 15 | 3 PM
Craft and the Present Moment: Reflections on American Craft on the Occasion of the Renwick Gallery’s 50th Anniversary
Saturday, November 19 | 3 PM - 5 PM
Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM)
510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
45 minute lecture, followed by Q+A, screening of Lloyd Herman: Accidental Curator
NWDC in partnership with BAM presents a talk with Nora Atkinson, Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge for the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This program is supported by the Humanities WA grant and the Russell and Margorie Day Invited Lecture Series Estate Gift.
After an intensive two-year acquisitions campaign taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic and against a background of social and political unrest, Nora Atkinson will share her reflections on role American craft plays in the present moment, and contemporary trends in the field.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2022 | 2 - 6 PM
CLARKE & CLARKE ART + ARTIFACTS
Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts in collaboration with Northwest Designer Craftartists presents FANTASY FOOTWEAR...THE SHOE REIMAGINED. NWDC Member artists have created their rendition of a shoe in Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Mixed Media or Wood.
The path is set for a fantastic NWDC show in person at the Clarke & Clarke, Art + Artifacts in Mercer Island. Ginny and Jim Clarke are honorary members of NWDC. The show runs from August 6 through September 30, 2022. We hope to see you at the opening reception on Saturday, August 6, 2022.
Saturday, July 9, 2022
5:00 PM 9:00 PM
Join friends, neighbors, and community leaders at Bellevue Arts Museum’s Artful Evening gala and auction on July 9. This annual fundraiser supports programming and exhibitions at the Museum that engage, educate, and inspire our community.
This year, we’re excited to announce that Artful Evening will resume as an in-person gathering at Bellevue Arts Museum and the Westin Bellevue. Visit BAM’s Forum for the silent auction featuring exciting works from BAM’s artist community, or join us for the full event featuring a live auction with unique art and experiences. All proceeds benefit Bellevue Arts Museum and our contributing artists.
The Premiere of Lloyd Herman: The Accidental Curator is this Sunday, June 26.
Northwest Designer Craftartists invites you to come and enjoy a “live” World Premiere of the newest video documentary in the Living Treasures series
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Broadway Performance Hall
1625 Broadway Street, Seattle 98122
2:00 pm Reception, complimentary hors d’oeuvres & no-host bar
3:00 pm Documentary Premiere
4:00 pm Talk-back with Lloyd and the producers from Fidget TV.
November 8, 2021 to January 3, 2022
2021 Beneficiary: Allied Arts Association: Gallery at the Park
Richland Washington
Northwest Designer Craftartists (NWDC) presents The Russell and Marjorie Day Estate Lecture Series: Figuring Out Contemporary Ceramics
SEQUOIA MILLER
Chief Curator and Deputy Director
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art Toronto
Saturday, October 30, 2021 - 2:00pm
How are contemporary ceramics contributing in new ways to broader dialogues in contemporary art? What are some ways artists in the field exploiting the properties and metaphors of the medium? How do practices differ regionally and nationally? Please join Dr. Sequoia Miller for this talk exploring the state of contemporary ceramics.
When Northwest Designer Craftartists (NWDC) was founded 65 years ago, one of its goals was outreach to the rest of the country, and to the world, to raise awareness about the vibrant creativity and superb craftsmanship of craft artists in the Pacific Northwest. NWDC members wanted the recognition they so justly deserved and to engage in new relationships that would stimulate ever greater creativity and opportunity.
At its heart, the Currents 2020 National Craft Exhibition provides an opportunity for NWDC members, and our invited artists, to learn and share with fine craft artists and curators on a national level while introducing their work to a larger audience. As a survey of contemporary and traditional craft, it is an opportunity to celebrate excellence in craft and design, and to compare and contrast current and continuing trends in craft making.
The theme of "hats" made the cocktail party video project fundraiser at Steve & Vincent’s studio seem even MORE festive. In addition to the art-packed environment, hat-wearing members who paid to come also brought abundant, varied and delicious appetizers. Larry Halvorson and Dick Weiss "manned" the bar.