In this episode co-hosts Katie Freeman and Katie Thomspon discuss the current state of equity within the craft and art profession. Talking specifically about organizations that are working hard to bring positive change and grow equity across the country.
Ava Foster grew up in rural Manitoba and started carving when she got her first jackknife sometime before the age of 10. Two of the first things she can remember carving were a candle stick with a flame on top and a shrew sized canoe that she later sent down the brook at her aunt’s farm. Ava has carved on and off since then but only started pursuing it more seriously in late 2017 when she wanted to produce wares for a market and the power supply at her shop was failing on a regular basis. She de...
Anne Taggart is originally from the Northeast US and the mountains of Vermont. She currently calls the mountains of West Virgina Home. Anne loves to make and fix things. She studied the traditional Japanese Kintsugi with a third-generation urushi lacquer artist from Kyoto, Japan. The traditional Japanese ceramics repair practice of kintsugi is associated with the aesthetic tradition of wabi-sabi, or the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Anne uses traditional materials and brings deep re...
SaraBeth Post just completed her time at Penland School of Craft in the Core Fellowship program. Therefore, she is in a big transition! It’s exciting to venture back out into the world and she is looking very forward to the opportunities ahead. SaraBeth's primary medium is Glass but she is a bit of a metalsmith, and is quite interested in printmaking techniques right now. In 2015, she earned her BFA in 3D Studios concentrating in Glass with a Creative Writing minor at the University of Louisvill...
D'ondra creates custom designs for your space so that you can enjoy what you envisioned for your home. She always had a passion for flipping furniture but was afraid of the power tools needed to really get into it. One evening she was watching someone on Instagram share about how they were self-taught, and she thought if they can do it, so can she. God’s given her the next piece of the puzzle He saw for her life when Workboots & Glasses was born. Today, she's created over a dozen pieces and ...
Lee is queer, nonbinary woodworker and digital promoter from the UK. Lee has been on a journey with their woodworking for many years now. They started with a workshop, being able to make larger things, and then when they lost their workshop someone suggested carving since not much space is needed for that. Now Lee is a master carver of especially small things with inlays and you can see their creations all across social under The Rainbow Carver. During the pandemic Lee started another journey, t...
A Tribe Called Queer is a Los Angeles based multidisciplinary community organization dedicated to the everlasting empowering of BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ communities through mental health, wellness, art, education and more! We provide accessible community programs, incredible resources, free virtual offerings, an archival podcast, gender neutral clothing line, wellness zine, and more to come! Our Founder is Sabine Maxine Lopez (she/they). A Queer BIPOC Non-Binary Femme from Los Angeles, California....
Carla Mendoza, also known as Untidy Maker on social media, is a jane of all trades. Growing up she was introduced to making through sewing and cooking. As an adult, she got into making with power tools, starting with concrete projects and working her way into welding. Pinterest and YouTube have opened the world of makers and her desire to continue to grow and learn. During the pandemic, she decided to take the leap and leave her job as a pharmacist technician and go full time as a maker and carp...
Hello fellow makers, artists, and craftspeople. Today I should be releasing episode 248 of the podcast. Yet, I cannot. On May 2nd of this week, we found out, through a leaked draft from the Supreme Court, that it is every intention of that Supreme Court to overrule Roe V. Wade. Roe V. Wade, which was decided on January 22, 1973 is the decision that gave everybody with a uterus full, legal, and safe access to ALL forms of reproductive health care. The last, and ONLY time I have made a statement r...
Cristina Cordova received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puerto Rico and continued to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. In 2002 she entered a three-year artists residency program at Penland School of Crafts where she later served on the board of trustees from 2006 to 2010. Recognitions included a USA Artist Fellowship, and American Crafts Council Emerging Artist Grant, a North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship, a Vi...
Join us for an exciting discussion with Leah Woods who is an artist, woodworker, sculptor, educator and community organizer in New Hampshire. She is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches woodworking, and also works with the Women’s POP program teaching incarcerated women the craft of woodworking. Leah also maintains a studio practice and is a member of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association. You can find Leah on Instagram @leahkathleenwoods Y...
Sarah is the creator, author, and voice of Ugly Duckling House™. She started blogging in 2010 with a few crazy stories about what she found as she was renovating her home (the press-on fingernails she found in the fridge still give her chills). She went from your typical 9-6 software job to a full career that is never the same and reaches millions of people each year! For many years, Sarah was a single chick in the power tool aisle. Life kept going, and now she shares her DIY adventures alongsid...
Illustrator Jacqui C. Smith creates unique artwork that showcases diversity amongst women of color. After graduating from Columbia College of Chicago with a B.A. in Traditional Animation, Jacqui headed to Burbank California to begin her journey as a freelance artist. In the last ten years, Jacqui’s created children’s books and illustrations for self-publishers, publishing companies, and businesses including Duck Studios Animation, Disney, YWCA, and more. When she’s not working on commissions, yo...
Sondra Elder is a self-taught artist, who was not able to truly devote time to her creative journey until after retiring from her life in the business world. With pottery, Sondra’s chosen medium is porcelain because its strength and delicacy learn to live in harmony. It is the perfect canvas to display the beautiful zinc-silicate crystals that can only be created through normally destructive fire. These naturally occurring phenomena inspire her never-ending desire to artistically harness their c...
Rogelio Rendon is a nonbinary maker that does woodcarving, furniture making, and all sorts of other woodworking. Perhaps the deepest love though is for carving characters that are influenced by Native American and Japanese cultures in addition to Rogelio’s lived experiences. In addition to carving characters for themselves and occasionally selling their work, Rogelio also works for a furniture maker in the San Diego area. You can follow along with Rogelio and their work on Instagram ....
Robyn’s woodworking journey began in 2017, soon after stepping foot into his first wood shop. Since then, they have spent countless hours of hard work following his woodworking and artistic passions. He is a self-taught woodwork and exploring different mediums has helped him develop his creativity and craftsmanship skills. Since starting their small business, they have taken on many commissions. He continues to work to grow his business not just with woodworking, but also with other art mediums ...
Thelma is a lover of all projects. She is a self-described small town, part-time woodworker that hates sanding and is always looking for ways to improve her skillset. It all started with a needed drawer which turned into what I will call power tool creep instead of project creep. Now she takes on commission work to fit into her day job schedule and is really enjoying working with her hands. You can follow along with Thelma on Instagram ....
Valerie Berlage is a woodworker, artist, and owner of Lauraine Lillie Studios based out of Western North Carolina. She developed her craft and business name from her grandparents who taught her how to make. Tune in as we discuss the early days in the woodshop with her grandfather, to what is inspiring Valerie to create her contemporary jewelry designs, intricate wall hangings and other works now. You can find Valerie on Instagram @laurainelilliestudios . You can see more of Valerie’s’s work and ...
Nicole Crowder Upholstery is a Black-owned furniture and upholstery studio creating commissioned, generational, one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and home furnishings like meditation pillows, poufs and more. Nicole’s work has been commissioned by the leading hotel chains, restaurants, and spaces. She also has created bespoke pieces for private clients and has been featured in design publications, including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and Martha Stewart Living. Nicole began her journey into...
Rosi and Annikki work together as Polilla Cooperative, an artisanal carpentry business in Mexico. They have found in carpentry, a trade traditionally viewed as a male practice, that as queer women their access to the profession is limited. They have also faced things like sexualization, harassment, and being treated as less capable, restricted to a secondary status. Through their experiences of trying to learn while being treated as outsiders, they decided they wanted to build a collaborative le...
Rachel David, raised in Maryland and resident of North Carolina, is a blacksmith, sculptor, designer and maker. Her metalwork practice is holistic, encompassing art, furniture, architectural elements, activism, collaborations and gardening. The work focuses on social and environmental justice, community, and communication, analyzing the many layers of colonization, restraints and expectations across bodies and landscapes. You can find Rachel and her work on Instagram and her Website . You may al...
Sieng, Crafty at Heart, is a nurse, wife, Mom, and maker. Her maker journey started when she made a teeter-totter for her kids with the help of a local woodworker. After that, she started gathering tools to fill up her garage and started seeing what she can make. She has enjoyed making everything from furniture, to home projects, and recently resin. You can follow along with Sieng and her maker journey on Instagram .
Allie Katz is a classically trained fine artist with a passion for 3D and digital art, which translates to never being good at doing just one thing. They created Geeky Faye Art to showcase their need for adventure. With Geeky Faye Art you will find a variety of projects across multiple styles, approaches, and mediums. Allie is constantly in search of new artistic expression. Everything with Geeky Faye Art is the work of one person, Allie. There is no team behind them, and as such every bit of ph...
Jean Gray Mohs is an abstract artist that uses inter-disciplinary techniques to create dynamic and colorful sculptures using materials such as wood, threads, cardboard and more. She is based out of North Carolina, is a homeschooling mom, as well as a double lung transplant recipient. In our chat Jean Gray shared her approach to balancing life and work in isolation for the past few years, while still appearing in a staggering and impressive 12 exhibitions in 2021 alone. Be sure to Jean Gray on In...
Stephanie of Uncommon Outpost is an artist, maker, and general collector of hobbies. She has tackled pretty much everything between car mechanics to sewing, pushing herself to always take her projects outside the box. Stephanie grew up with two parents who did everything themselves way before being DIY was cool, and she was included in that from the very start. You can be sure she always has at least one project in the works. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and YouTube . Find your hosts at Fr...
Joy, laughter, and the unexpected are at the heart of Annie Evelyn's work. Employing a range of materials (handmade paper flowers to Swarovski Crystals) and processes (tessellating metal pieces to create soft upholstered seating or embedding fresh cut flowers to add aroma), Evelyn uses furniture’s inherent interactive qualities and relationships to the human body to create new and surprising experiences. From 2014-2017 Evelyn was resident artist at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina a...
Alex is a queer sparkle queen, ceramic artist, Jewnicorn, community enthusiast, rhinestoner, dog-mom, and extroverted-Aries who is currently making magic and art in Portland, OR. Everything she makes is about her unique experience in this world as a multifaceted extravagant being. After graduating from Bennington College with a concentration in Visual Arts, she followed her heart and adventurous soul westward, landing in Oregon. Before starting her own business, she worked in multiple production...
Born in New York City and currently residing in St. Louis, Uruba is a professional artist whose focus is abstractions. Her use of custom and unique textures and acrylic colors enables her to portray visions with commanding depth. Her passion for becoming an artist was put on hold for over 20 years as she was completely engrossed with her role as wife and mother of four. Now with an empty nest, she has found the time and attention to focus her spirit and energy into her creative works. You can fi...
Christina is a Maine native, now living on North Haven, an unabridged island in Maine's archipelago. Her mission is to create innovative pieces coupled with artistic applications while highlighting the beauty of natural wood. Christina intends for each piece to be versatile; useful and lasting, while intriguing interest and engagement. Every piece is designed and crafted beautifully to live beautifully. You can find her work on Instagram and her Website ....
