What new material or approach are you planning to explore in 2011?

To celebrate the Renwick's 40th anniversary in 2012, we are mounting a major travelling exhibition, Craft Futures: 40 Under 40, which will showcase the work of 40 artists born since 1972. I plan to spend the next year running away from any and all preconceptions about what constitutes the best American craft, and searching out new methods, new materials, new attitudes and new people to illustrate emerging trends in the field. It's going to be an adventure!
~Nicholas R. Bell, curator of contemporary craft and decorative arts, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC

Recently in my studio practice I have relied less on my glass background and have been operating as a craftsman not limited to any particular material or process; this was very enlightening and energizing. This year is different. I am taking a break from my private studio and sharing a space with the students I will be teaching. My glass skills and knowledge are now something I must refocus on, embrace and pass along. I suspect that being a role model in this new setting will directly impact what I make, how it's made and what materials and techniques I use to realize my ideas.
~Alex Adams, artist, Philadelphia; lecturer in glass, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

In 2011, I will employ my usual approach of sculpting clay by hand and sewing the designs onto recycled fabrics. What's new for this year will be my use of recently acquired fabric remnants with simple textures in shades of charcoal, purple and cream. This design plan is fitting for the new year because it's a shift from my previous use of brown, green and strong patterns.
~Jaisen Glogowski, mixed-media/ceramic artist, San Francisco

Having just completed my MFA in metals, I think many things about my working process will change this year. I feel like I have just approached the edge of a great ocean and am now able to dive in. I am incredibly excited about all the possibilities that await me. I have been working with a few specific types of found objects, and am looking forward to branching out and experimenting with new objects and ma­terials, as well as pushing my ideas further and making deeper connections with viewers.
~Lynette Andreasen, artist in residence, Mesa Art Center, Mesa, AZ

I am making the resolution in 2011 to present the public with simple questions. Simplicity is difficult: It means clarity (in your head, before you formulate the question), and it is demanding (like when your girlfriend asks if you are cheating; a convoluted response betrays murkiness). There has been a lot of discussion about blurring the line between art and craft, as a result of a factual blurring. I feel we lost the tools to distinguish one from the other, and this resonates as an impoverishment. Given that undoubtedly there is a distinction, the question I want to ask is: Is such a distinction relevant? Because if we come to realize that it is not, then we can finally acknowledge that distinction and move on from petty jealousies ... and live happily ever after.
~Stefano Catalani, director of curatorial affairs/artistic director, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA

I am continuing to write about the importance of craft values within the art world. These are values that include an emphasis on the significance of the individual, on the significance of the material world and the place of humans within it, on the significance of community and on the significance of the historical connections within various traditions of art making.
~Polly Ullrich, art critic and writer, Chicago

I'm going back to function. I have strayed from my practice of making art that is funct­ional - "art at home" has always been my motto. My recent work is digitally produced embroidery that is abstract, spare and deals with color, texture and optical illusion. I plan to move back into function by making pieces for worship spaces and churches. The focus of working small and minimal has been a gestation period for this newer way of making art that blends with life.
~Christie Hawkins, artist and technical supervisor, Department of Art and Art History, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN