Celebrating 20 Years of the Craft Research Fund: Past, Present, Future
This year, we’re celebrating something big at the Center for Craft: the 20th Anniversary of the Craft Research Fund.
For two decades, the Craft Research Fund has been the quiet force behind hundreds of projects that changed the way we see and understand craft. Since 2005, it has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to scholars, artists, curators, and organizations in almost every state and territory.
Those investments have uncovered untold histories, launched new fields of study, and validated what so many of us know in our bones: craft matters.
When the CRF began, craft was barely visible in American scholarship. Today, thanks to the voices and vision of CRF grantees, craft is part of the canon of art history.
Their work has expanded how we think about making—not just as objects, but as stories of people, communities, and culture.
A Year of Storytelling and Celebration
To mark the anniversary, we’ve launched a national campaign that asks a simple but powerful question: Why does craft research matter?
We’re answering it through stories, events, and short films that highlight the people and projects the CRF has made possible. The OFTB team has worked closely with Center for Craft to create and launch:
Future Histories (Fall 2025): A new event series that invites the public to imagine how the past can guide us forward. Through conversations, performances, and gatherings, Future Histories will explore how archives and craft legacies can shape the future.
Short Films: In collaboration with West Ashe Creative, we’re producing short documentaries on past grantees. These stories bring us into studios, archives, and communities to show how research fuels creativity, preserves traditions, and sparks new ways of making.
Community Events: From our June symposium to this fall’s CraftWatch and online auction, we’re gathering people near and far to celebrate the impact of craft research and rally support for its future.
Looking Ahead
The Craft Research Fund has always been about more than funding projects. It’s about ensuring that craft—its histories, practices, and futures—has a seat at the table in art, culture, and education.
As we celebrate 20 years of the Fund, we’re also looking forward: What stories remain untold? What archives need uncovering? How can research help us preserve traditions while opening new doors?
We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone, exploring the stories of Future Histories, and supporting the next generation of craft researchers.
Together, we can keep asking—and answering—the question of why craft research matters.
