Becoming: Crafting a Future 2023-2024

May 11 - June 1, 2024

Staenberg Gallery

5080 Delmar Blvd.

Saint Louis, MO 63108

Craft Alliance’s Crafting A Future program is a 36-week intensive studio program for young artists focusing on contemporary craft. Young Artists learn new skills, discuss ideas, and receive feedback from professional artists mentors. The programmatic focus is to help students develop their own craft and prepare for future opportunities in the arts. The exhibition Becoming showcases the progress made by the young artists during the program, as they envision and build a consistent practice of art-making. The curriculum emphasizes developing both creative concepts and technical skills to help students achieve their artistic goals. Through workshops and interactions with professional artists and mentors , students gain valuable experience and knowledge in the field of contemporary craft, helping them realize and shape creative futures.

Explore the exhibition virtually

About Crafting A Future

Crafting a Future focuses on introducing young artists in developing skills, concepts and techniques in the field of contemporary craft. Professional artists guide and work alongside students in the studios to create a body of work, preparing them for post-secondary education. Students connect with nationally and internationally recognized artists through exhibitions, lectures, and guest artist workshops.

"One thing that amazes me about Crafting A Future is she's around kids who may have more talents or more experience than she has in certain things, but yet she doesn't feel less than. It just amazes me. The kids celebrate with each other. That's the influence that teachers. There is encouragement without competition. The kids get acknowledged for what they're good at, and it's okay that somebody else is better at realism or better at this or better at metals. It's okay that you are doing something for the first time, trying something new, and failing at times. What I see is each kid gets encouraged and supported but not compared."

Crafting A Future Parent

2023

Join the Crafting A Future Cohort

Application deadline extended to June 14

Admittance to Crafting a Future is by application only. Applications open in April and close in July. Cohorts run from September – May each year. Generous donors and sponsors support this program, which is free for participants. Students can participate for multiple years, expanding their skills in their chosen medium.

Thank you to our Sponsors

The Craft Alliance 2023-2024 Crafting a Future program is generously funded by Peggy & Mark Holly, the Gateway Foundation, the Trio Foundation, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.