American Craft Week just announced the winners of the 2017 annual contest, Second Acts. “This contest was held to identify and honor exceptional artists who began their professional life in a career other than craft,” according to a press release. Five of the 25 winners in the national competition are from Western North Carolina. They are flute maker Lee Entrekin, from Old Fort; knife maker Ken Hall, from Waynesville; wooden box maker Ray Jones and book binder Mary Carol Koester, from Asheville; and clay sculptor Christine Kosiba, from Brevard. View their work in the digital exhibit at acwshowcase.com.
“The purpose of the exhibit is to recognize the exceptional work of encore career craft artists and inspire others to pursue a creative career at any point in their lifetime,” says the press release. “The entries were judged by the National American Craft Committee on the following criteria: The story of the artist’s career change, an impressive body of work demonstrating excellence in design and skill level, the places where the artist’s work is displayed, exhibited and sold; and measurements of the artist’s success.”
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