About Us

Detail from “Clay Pot” by Jill Nordfors Clark

Mission: To promote excellence of design and craftsmanship, and to stimulate public appreciation of and interest in fine craft.

Northwest Designer Craftartists (NWDC) was founded in 1954 to promote excellence of design and craftsmanship and to stimulate public appreciation and interest in fine craft. Artists in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, who work professionally in clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber, and/or mixed media, are members. Other members support the crafts in the Pacific Northwest as educators, managers of non-profit arts organizations, or buyers of art for public or private collections. Northwest Designer Craftartists is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

History

Over the years, the organization Northwest Designer Craftartists has supported artisans and brought to our region an awareness of design and the crafts. In the 1950's, handmade objects were created in the tradition of New England and Southern crafts. In the Northwestern states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, craftspeople were not bound by these traditional approaches. In fact, their influences were more Asian or Scandinavian. Craftsmen throughout the region felt liberated to create and design products breaking tradition, free from constraints of the past.

Seattle artisans joined together in 1954 to form a new organization called Northwest Designer Craftsmen. The founding members were Russell Day, Hella Skowronski, Coralynn Pence, Lizel Salzer, Henry Lin, Evert Sodergren, Irene McGowan, Robert Sperry, and Ruth Penington. Their mission was to establish an organization that would foster high standards of design and craftsmanship in the Northwest. They also wanted to promote public interest in crafts and craftsmen and to foster sound business methods among designers.

From the beginning, NWDC accepted only new members who had the highest professional craftsmanship and standards. Whether working in metal, wood, clay or textiles, NWDC members held a common respect for materials and process. Today, membership has grown to over 175 individuals working in a variety of craft mediums from weaving, quilting and basketry to an array of jewelry and metal arts, as well as mixed media artists who create using a variety of techniques and materials, blurring the lines between fine art and craft. Whether functional or not, there is quality work that exemplifies the continuity of craft tradition wedded to contemporary expression.

In the Spring of 2004, NWDC celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with an exhibit of members' work. The show opened at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art in Bellingham, Washington and traveled to various museums and galleries in the Northwest. An exhibit catalogue has been published by the University of Washington Press and is available.

A piece by NWDC founder Coralynn Pence

A piece by NWDC founder Evert Sodergren

In June 2022 Daniel Wallace was welcomed as NWDC’s first ever Executive Director. His leadership will foster creative connections between artists, appreciators and institutions throughout the Pacific Northwest, ensuring that NWDC continues to serve the fine craft artists of the region and present their work to a global audience.

Before taking this position Wallace was founder and co-director of two Fine Art Galleries; Extra Extra, an artist-run gallery based in Philadelphia, and American Medium, a contemporary art gallery focused on new media, sculpture and performance in New York. Wallace has developed installations and public programs with The New Museum, MoMA PS1, The Friends of the Highline, The Walters Art Museum, The Maryland Historical Society, ICA Philadelphia, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Philadelphia City Hall, The Venice Biennale, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, and The National Arts Festival of South Africa. His curatorial projects have been featured in the New York Times, Artforum, Art In America, and The Wall Street Journal among others.

Executive Director Daniel Wallace

A piece by NWDC founder Lizel Salzer

Executive Director

Executive Director
Daniel Wallace
NWDCexecdirector@gmail.com

Daniel Wallace is a 2008 graduate of The Maryland Institute College of Art, having also studied at The Glasgow School of Art, and the Baltimore School for the Arts. In addition to his work with NWDC, he is the Program Coordinator at Howl! Arts, a non-profit gallery and archive dedicated to preserving the arts and culture of Lower East Side Manhattan. He continues to develop independent curatorial programs and maintains a personal practice as a ceramic artist and illustrator.

Our Board of Directors

When you see these members, please take a minute to thank them for all their hard work to keep our great organization functioning and thriving. Please consider volunteering to help out. It takes many people to keep this organization running so smoothly. You’ll make some friends, too.