The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC), a nonprofit art space and residency with a focus on craft, has established a new $3.5 million legacy endowment fund. The gift was awarded by the Windgate Foundation, a Little Rock-based family foundation that awards grants toward contemporary craft organizations and visual arts eduction. According to a 2019 report by Jeremy Peppa for Arkansas Money & Politics, the Windgate Foundation is supported by donations of Wal-Mart stock. HCCC will use the award to support their Artist Residency and Curatorial Fellowship Programs.
A press release from HCCC announcing the endowment cites the Artist Residency and Curatorial Fellowship programs as two of the Center’s “most unique initiatives.” Glasstire recently reported on the appointment of HCCC’s latest Curatorial Fellow, Cydney Pickens, who brought a background in pre-colonial African art to her three-year appointment. Pickens and other fellows work alongside the HCCC curator to craft the Center’s slate of exhibitions.
The two-decades-running Artist Residency Program at HCCC supports artists working across all craft media. Residents are provided with studios for three to twelve months, a stipend and housing/material allowance, and the opportunity to connect with the Houston community through regular open studio hours. Each residency year culminates in a group exhibition at HCCC. The 14th and most recent iteration of this exhibit featured “work in paper, metal, clay, fiber, and stone by Chloe Darke, Abbie Preston Edmonson, Hong Hong, Hillerbrand + Magsamen, Stephanie Robison, Michael Velliquette, and Kirstin Willders.”
The Windgate Foundation award is the first operational endowment fund for HCCC. Perry Price, HCCC’s Executive Director, is quoted in the press release, saying: “This generous gift is transformational for Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and ensures that these exceptional programs will continue to serve artists, curators, and the public well into the future.” For more information on HCCC’s programs, visit their website here.
