The Curatorial Fellowship is a 10-month program created to give an emerging craft curator a platform to explore and test new ideas about craft.

The Curatorial Fellowship is a 10-month program awarding an emerging curator $5,000 with the goal of advancing and supporting their practice. This fellowship provides a platform for exploring new curatorial approaches to craft. The Curatorial Fellow will fully develop and mount their proposed exhibition in the Center for Craft’s Bresler Family Gallery, located in Asheville, North Carolina. The Fellow will work closely with the Center for Craft program staff and mentors to produce an exhibition and develop didactic materials and programming as part of a Center for Craft program. This initiative supports curatorial research and helps to develop professional networks, promoting experimentation, collaboration, and engagement across the field.

  
**For the 2026 Curatorial Fellowship, proposals that explore themes of Craft and Community Vitality are welcome:**

In the wake of Hurricane Helene and the fires in California we witnessed firsthand how interconnected craft is with the well-being of our communities and the importance of craft as we rebuild toward a resilient future. We are seeking curatorial proposals that explore craft's role in community vitality.

* How does making, experiencing, and learning about craft build personal, social, economic, and community well-being?
* What role could craft play in solving some of the most pressing issues of our time - from climate change to natural disasters, immigration to the loneliness epidemic?
* Proposals that address historical, contemporary, and/or futurist perspectives are welcome.

Fellowship Period: 10 months

* Fellowship Begins: June 2025
* Exhibition Opening:February 2026
* Fellowship Ends: March 2026
* Exhibition Close: Summer 2026

2026 Curatorial Fellowship

The fellowship will support a range of scholars, including independent, artists, and emerging to established researchers. Up to 6 Center for Craft Archive Fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend to conduct research in an archive of their choosing. These Fellows may engage in both conventional and innovative approaches to archival research.

  
The Fellows have their research published in an article on Hyperallergic in September 2026, making their research accessible to national and international audiences. The Fellows will also participate in a virtual program presented by the Center for Craft in September 2026 to include a 5 to 7 minute verbal presentation of their research methods and findings and participation in group discussion.

Award Amount: $5,000

The Fellows have their research published in an article on Hyperallergic in September 2026.

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