Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design celebrate retiring Executive Director Dian Magie and their board with "Out of the Board Room & Into the Studio"

With the mission “to advance the understanding of craft by encouraging and supporting research, scholarship and professional development," who better to serve on your board than some of the best artists, makers and thinkers in this region? That’s been one of the important components to the successes that have taken place over the past decade under the watch of Dian Magie, Executive Director, who retires in September.

“Out of the Board Room and Into the Studio,” on view Aug. 27 – Dec. 3, 2010, is intended to feature the creative talent of The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design’s board and it’s retiring director, while also encouraging people to learn more about the organization. An opening reception will take place Friday, Aug. 27th from 4-6 p.m. As a UNC Asheville Center, CCCD serves many audiences in the craft field, from students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to leading scholars, curators and museums. The most recent accomplishment of the CCCD is producing the first comprehensive book to survey the history of American studio craft. “Makers: A History of American Studio Craft,” published by UNC Press, is intended to be a college level textbook, but it will be an invaluable resource to many scholars, museums and collectors as well.

Other programs currently offered are: the Wingate Fellowships, a national program awarding 10 graduating college seniors $15,000 to pursue further development opportunities after college; the Craft Research Fund grants for scholarly research by graduate students and project grants for scholars and curators, awarding a total of $95,000 each year; an annual Think Tank, bringing together national and international leaders in the craft field; paid museum internship opportunities, a triennial international artist residency, traveling exhibitions, lectures and more. To learn more about the Center, visit www.craftcreativitydesign.org.

Featured artists and makers in this exhibit are: Virginia Derryberry (painting), Judith Duff (pottery), Catharine Ellis (textiles), Terry Gess (pottery), David Hutto (photography), Stoney Lamar (wood and steel), Jeana Kline (textiles), Dian Magie (pottery), Rob Pulleyn (ceramics), Michael Sherrill (mixed media), Brent Skidmore (furniture), Jody Servon (mixed media), Kate Vogel (glass), Megan Wolfe (ceramics), and Margaret Yaukey (jewelry/metals).

The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design is a center of UNC Asheville located 5 miles west of Hendersonville at 1181 Broyles Road adjacent to the UNC Asheville Kellogg Center. Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday from 10-5pm. Visitors are invited to walk the Perry N. Rudnick one-mile nature and public art trail following a visit to the exhibition in the Craft Center galleries. For more information see www.craftcreativitydesign.org or call 828-890-2050.