WHAT: A 20th anniversary party with art installations, live music and refreshments
WHERE: The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design (CCCD)
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 11, from 7-10 p.m.
WHY: “Craft, for a long time, was not recorded in the history of art, and a lot of the makers were overlooked in publications,” says CCCD Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “So, the center was birthed out of the need to advance craft in higher education.”
To that end, the nonprofit’s programs are largely aimed at documenting the roots and growth of American craft and design while spurring innovation in the fields. For instance, CCCD has supported dozens of academic publications, including textbooks Makers: A History of American Studio Craft and The Journal of Modern Craft; It hosts an annual think tank in addition to public education opportunities and rotating exhibitions, and each year, the organization awards over $350,000 in grants to further the research and practice of makers nationwide.
It’s locals who stand to benefit most from CCCD’s in-person programs, though, including forthcoming project The Hive AVL. Upon completion, this revenue-generating “creative campus” will boast co-working and events rooms, tenants and a basement maker space. CCCD’s next fundraiser provides an early glimpse of the transformation.
“It’s more of an open house,” marketing and development coordinator Lauren Pelletier says of the event. “[People] get to see our whole space and the potential for what it can be.”
Guests will enter into CCCD’s current Warped exhibit, which explores the relationship between sound and weaving. They can then visit three more floors that are typically closed to the public, enjoying local artisan food and drinks on each level.
Two interactive art stations are planned: Brice Garrett of Brooklyn, N.Y., will create an installation from plaster jewels casted by attendees, and Jay Fox and Ellie Richards of the Penland School of Crafts will pair printed images with sentiments written up by guests. Meanwhile, the basement will offer a photo booth by Massive Booth and live music from The Reggie Sullivan Band. And up top, CCCD’s scenic mezzanine will be configured as a “comfy, cozy lounge space,” Pelletier says.
Visit cccdnow.org/20years for more information or to purchase tickets, which cost $50 for students and young professionals, $100 for general admission and $250 or more for patrons. Proceeds support CCCD’s general operations.
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