2025 IMPACT REPORT
Deepening Our Roots
Crafting the Future
2025 was a year of deepening our roots. We spent the year refining our focus, expanding our professional team, redoubling our efforts on proven strategies, and building a stable foundation for the next generation of artists.
2025 IN REVIEW
Scrappy to Sustainable: A Commitment to Institutional Strength
by Corey Pemberton
Executive Director
The Long Game: Anchoring Our Identity for the Future
by Ché Rhodes
Board Chair
OUR REFINED MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES
MISSION
Crafting the Future provides artists of color access to transformative opportunities in order to build a future free from systemic barriers to success.
Why the Change? We wanted to shift to language that better centers the artists we serve, the ways our work impacts those artists, and why we are committed to this work. We are focused on potency and responsiveness, moving with urgency because our community has waited long enough.
VISION
At Crafting the Future, we’re broadening the perspectives of the fields of visual art, craft, and design to build a creative landscape where artists of color have full access to education, networks, and opportunities—not as an exception, but as the norm. We envision a world where:
Representation is the standard.
The artistic landscape reflects the rich diversity of our communities.
Access is universal.
Systemic barriers have been dismantled; generational wealth doesn’t determine who gets to pursue their artistic dreams; and every artist has the support they need to thrive.
Support is ongoing.
Artists receive the resources they need not just to enter the field, but to build sustainable, thriving careers.
Networks are open.
Artists of color are connected to mentors, peers, and opportunities from day one and are intentional about serving as role models for other artists of color.
Community is strength.
Artists lift each other up through collaboration, not competition.
CORE VALUES
Our core values are the active principles guiding every decision we make at Crafting the Future. They keep us anchored in our commitment to the artists we serve and ensure our internal practices reflect the equitable, accessible creative landscape we are working to build.
Belonging
By intentionally amplifying the voices of artists of color and celebrating their brilliance, we show the next generation that this is a world where they belong and can explore their own potential. When young artists see people who look like them thriving and finding joy in their craft, they understand what is possible. Representation isn’t just important – it’s revolutionary.
Community
The myth of the isolated artist doesn’t serve anyone, especially those without inherited networks. We build community first because we know that collective action creates lasting change. When artists connect, collaborate, and support each other, we all rise. We model this by sharing our blueprint, inviting the wider art world to share in this work.
Holistic Support
Scholarships alone aren’t enough. Residencies without mentorship fall short. We provide support that addresses the full reality of what artists need: financial resources, studio space, professional connections, emotional support, and celebration.
Equity
We acknowledge that equal opportunity means nothing without equal access. Our programs are intentionally designed for communities that have been denied access to creative fields. We center these voices in our work and are proud to fill gaps that have existed for too long.
Action
Good intentions don’t change systems. We prioritize tangible, direct impact. We mobilize our network to clear the path, empowering artists to define their own futures. We are doing the work to make this happen now, moving with urgency because our community has waited long enough. We challenge our colleagues and partners to act alongside us.
Impact By the Numbers: Transparency and the Opportunity Gap
National Reach
Overall Locations Served
Scholarship Recipients
We partner with youth arts organizations and craft schools nationwide to provide comprehensive scholarships that cover every cost—tuition, room and board, travel, materials, stipends, and per diems. We are working to eliminate as many financial barriers as possible.
Partner Organizations
LA - YAYA
WA - Hilltop
CA - HOLA; ArtworxLA
KY - STEAM
PA - ORIGINS
MA - Eliot School
RI - NUA
TX - Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
PA - Pittsburgh Glass Center
NY - Still Life Ceramics
Institutions
NY - Corning
WA - Pilchuck
CO - Anderson Ranch
ME - Haystack
NC - Penland
MI - Ox-Bow
PA - Touchstone
TN - Arrowmont
Grants Awarded
From $500 micro grants for immediate needs to $10,000 special project grants, we provide funding that artists can use to advance their practice—materials, travel, applications, studio fees, or living expenses
2025 Macro Grant Awardees
NC - App State HBCU
MA - SPARC Retreat
VA - Nastassja
CO - SLV Colcha Project
NC - Caravan Art Bazaar
2025 Micro Grant Awardees
PA - Jessica T.
IL - Cydney L
MI - Katie M.
D.C. - Paula M.
CA - Aneesa S.
Networking Events
CTF is proud to host events with our partners such as the Better Together event series to create spaces where artists of color connect, celebrate, collaborate, and sell their work.
In 2025, we held the following events:
WA - BT Pilchuck
PA - BT Pittsburgh
CA - Coloured Art Studio Festival
Partner Organizations
LA - YAYA
WA - Hilltop
CA - HOLA; ArtworxLA
KY - STEAM
PA - ORIGINS
MA - Eliot School
RI - NUA
Institutions
NY - Corning
WA - Pilchuck
CO - Anderson Ranch
ME - Haystack
NC - Penland
MI - Ox-Bow
PA - Touchstone
TN - Arrowmont
Scholarships
We partner with youth arts organizations and craft schools nationwide to provide comprehensive scholarships that cover every cost—tuition, room and board, travel, materials, stipends, and per diems. We are working to eliminate as many financial barriers as possible.
Grants
From $500 micro grants for immediate needs to $10,000 special project grants, we provide funding that artists can use to advance their practice—materials, travel, applications, studio fees, or living expenses
Newotking & Events
CTF is proud to host events with our partners such as the Better Together event series to create spaces where artists of color connect, celebrate, collaborate, and sell their work.
In 2025, we held the following events:
WA - BT Pilchuck
PA - BT Pittsburgh
CA - Coloured Art Studio Festival
The Opportunity Gap
Volume of Applications vs. Funding Capacity
Scholarships
Macro Grants
Micro Grants
Residencies
2025 Totals Across Programs
Total Applicants
Total Awarded
%
Overall Award Rate
%
Residency Top-Pool to Award Rate
Budget Breakdown
Portraits of Impact: The Artist Experience
The Ripple Effect
artworxLA
LA Partner
The Breakthrough
Shannon Scates
Visual Artist
Ecosystem Change: Improving the Industry Standard
In 2025, we continued our intensive collaborative work with core institutional partners to improve accommodations and ensure cultural safety for our artists. This work is essential because equal opportunity is meaningless without equal access and an environment where artists can truly belong. We are moving beyond the goal of mere entry to ensure that artists of color are supported by networks that are open, mentors who are present, and communities that foster strength rather than competition.
The 50% Partner Match: A Catalyst for Systemic Change
A cornerstone of our strategy to dismantle systemic barriers is our requirement that partnering educational institutions provide a 50% match for the scholarships we facilitate. While this is not a new policy, it remains one of the most vital ways we challenge our partners to move beyond good intentions and into tangible action.
This match requirement serves several critical functions:
Shared Investment
It ensures that the responsibility for equity is not held by CTF alone, but is shared by the institutions that host our artists.
Operational Alignment
It encourages our partners to evaluate their own internal daily operations and budgets to prioritize access for communities that have been historically denied it.
Sustainability
By requiring partners to put “skin in the game,” we are helping to shift the industry norm so that representation and support become the standard, not the exception.
We continue to challenge our colleagues and partners across the fields of visual art, craft, and design to act alongside us. Together, we are building a creative landscape where generational wealth does not determine who gets to pursue their artistic dreams.
Looking Ahead: 2026 Activation
We are poised for a strategic activation year. Having spent the previous twelve months deepening our roots and refining our focus, we are ready to mobilize our new systems to scale our impact. With our updated Mission, Vision, and Values serving as our roadmap, we are moving with urgency to ensure Crafting the Future remains a permanent resource for artists of color.
Programmatic Alignment
In 2026, we will see the full implementation of policies designed to align every program and partnership with our refined mission. We are continuing the work of:
Scaling High-Impact Offerings
We are prioritizing the programs that have demonstrated the most mission alignment and efficacy in building a future free from systemic barriers.
Expanding Access
We are moving to bridge the "Opportunity Gap" by increasing our capacity to fund the high volume of exceptional artists who apply for our grants and scholarships.
Challenging the Industry
We remain committed to shaping industry standards through our 50% partner match and collaborative efforts to ensure cultural safety and universal access.
Join Us
This isn’t just rhetoric—it’s our roadmap. Every dollar we invest moves us closer to a creative landscape where representation is the standard and support is ongoing. We invite you to be part of this evolution.
Gratitude: Thanking Our Donors
Jack Abgott
Eliza Ablovatski
Susan Ach
Erika Adams
Maria Addison
Jeff Adelberg
Cathy Adelman
Tanvi Aggarwal
Kelly Akashi
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation
Stanley Andersen
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Eleanor Anderson
Linda Andrews
Rachael Arauz
Armature Philanthropy
Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass
Claire Ashby
Tracy Ashby-Wagner
Beth Atanacio
Sarah Audet
Teresa Audet
Jessie Bean Bailey
Judy Bartholomew
Meghan Beamish
Mary Beth Beasley
Daniel Beck
Jennifer Bedenbaugh
Astrid Bennett
Meghna Bhat
Jillian Blackwell
Megan Boone
Christina Boy
Edwina Bringle
Mary Brockson
Joanne Brown
Shannon Brunskill
Katie Buckingham
Raissa Bump
Catherine CAMPBELL
Sylvia Cannizzaro
Capital Group American Funds
Annie Carlano
Lennis Carrier
Newell Catania
Julia Chamberlain
Charities Aid Foundation America
Diane Charnov
Olivia Christian
Nancy Clark
Sonya Clark
John Clay
Sara Clugage
Stephanie Cluggish
Bruce Cohan
Adam G. Cohen
Catherine Cohen
Martin Cohen
Michele Cohen
Fúnlọ́lá Coker
Sarah R. Coleman
Heather Conroy
Sarah Corneille
Corning Museum of Glass
Anthony Cowan
Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+)
Josh Crampsey
Tanya Crane
Amanda Crans
Matthew Crawford
Jennifer Crescuillo
John Teal Crutchfield
Margo Csipõ
DAFgiving360
Naomi Dalglish
Katherine Dannenberg
Susan Daughtridge
David W. Allen, 1989 Family Trust
Rachel David
Kate Davidson
M. Miller Davis
Kristin Deady
Nick DeFord
Betsy DeWitt
Ruben V. Diaz
Susan Dick
Linda T. Diec
Alicia Dietz
Ryan Dillon
Tien Do
Doris Prouty Foundation
Robin Dreyer
Laura Dunn
Tracy Easter
Christopher Edwards
Susan Adele Edwards
Vicki Edwards
Jen Elek
Jennifer Elek
Adrienne Eliades
Linda Ely
Stacy Erickson
Dan Estabrook
Ann Evelyn
Joyce F.
Janice Farley
Susan Feagin
Stefanie Fedor
Carole Ann Fer
Sarah Ferguson
Fidelity Charitable
Nicole Finkelstein-Blair
Alysia Fischer
Michelle Fisher
Suzanne Fisher
Cassie Floan
Shannon floyd
Trinity Foreman
Marie Fornaro
Michael Anthony Fowler
Josh French
Alena Garashi Applerose
Rachel K. Garceau
Bryan Garlock
Deborah Garlock
Lydia Gasper
Jessica Gatlin
Miriam Gavigan
John Geci
Marla Gerber
Mike Gesiakowski
Morgan Gilbreath
Lillian Giornelli
Lily Glenn
Katherine Glusica
Joan Glynn
L. Gnadinger
Aspen Golann
Calla Goldberg
Merriann Grant
Grapevine Giving Foundation
Christy Gray
Katherine Gray
Sarah Greenberg
Jessica Gregware
Richard Gretzinger
Bobbie Gribble
Carmen Grier
William Griffith
Edward Grossman
Gershom Grossman
Sarah Gruber
Nicole Gualandi
Amanda Hagerman
Jennifer Hand
Curtiss Hannum
Paige Havens
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Heartell Press
Sarah Hedlund
Candice Hensley
Anna Highsmith
Stephanie Hinish
Jessica Hogan
Sarah Holden
Gemma Hollister
Lauren Hook
Bryan Hopkins
Angela Horne
James Houghton
Cole Houston
Katie Hudnall
Larissa Huff
Violet Ita
Diane Ives
J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund
Angela A. Johnson
Doug Johnston
Robin Johnston
Jill M. Jones
Lauren Kalman
k-apostrophe
Kirsty Kash
Debi Kasman
Elliot Keeley
Allison Kellogg
Jori Ketten
Kathryn King
MaPo KINNORD
Jeana Klein
Julia Kohn
Heather Kraft
Virginia Kraus
L.A. Women in Entertainment for Gender and Racial Equality
Jasmine Lamb
Juno Lamb
Nia Lane
Stacey Lane
Mary-Ellen Lavigne
Helen Lee
Robin Lee
Adam Lefebvre
Carol Lentz
Robin Levin
Jody Lisberger
Aisha Lockridge
Los Angeles Professional Women for Good
LPL Financial
Mary Lucking
Mimi Luong
Mary Lynn
Tammy Lynn
M. Heather MacMaster
Morgan Madison
Adam Manley
Jeannine Marchand
Melanie Marcus
Nikki Marron
Martin and Michele Cohen Charitable Fund
Courtney Martin
Meghan Martin
Nadia Massoud
Tess Mattern
John Matthews
Heather McElwee
Mike McGarry
Megan Boone and Daniel Estabrook Donor Advised Fund
Margaret Miles
Marian Miller
Paul Mills
Marissa Minelli
Minnesota Potters
Sarah Mizer
Anna Mlasowsky
Paige Morris
Alison Moses
Annette Nash
National Endowment for the Arts
National Philanthropic Trust
Michelle Natividad Stein
Virginia Nemchick
Avery Newton
Abigail Norman
Connie Golden Norman
Christine Novotny
Susan O'Connor
Alison Oehler
Kacey OKelly
Daniel Oliva
Alyse Ostreicher
Over the Edge (USA) Inc.
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency
Yesha Panchal
Viviana Paredes
Kathryn Parkinson
PayPal Giving Fund
Taylor Pelton
Arlie Pemberton
Cedric Pemberton
Corey Pemberton
Penland School of Craft
Erin Peterson
Shara Petsalis
Todd Phillips
Brendan Pietsch
Teresa Pietsch
Mackenzie Pikaart
Pilchuck Glass School
Spencer Pittenger
Lynn Pollard
Porter Loves
Sarabeth Post Eskuche
Nichole M. Potzauf
Tynan Pratumwon
Aram Price
IlaSahai Prouty
Suzanne Pugh
Quid Nunc Fund
Trenton Quiocho
Alyssa Radtke
Renaissance Charitable Foundtion
Ché Rhodes
Lindsay Rogers
Robin Rogers
Emily Rogstad
Seth Rolland
Joyce Rooks Waddle
Louise Rosenfield
Sabine Rosenstein
Alexandra Ruggiero
Lois Russell
Suzanne Ryan
David Rzeszotarski
Alyssa Salomon
Fredric and Susan Sanders
Tiffany Satterly
Loren Scherbak
Andy Schlauch
Daniel Schleifer
Rick Schneider
David Schnuckel
Kate Schroeder
Deborah Schwartzkopf
Deborah Seay
Cynthia Seeman
Susan Sewell
Carol Shapiro
Lars Shimabukuro
Terri Sigler
Susie Silbert
Nancy Sinauer
Sarah Sindler
Raven Skyriver
Marion Slater
Jacqui C. Smith
Maggie Smith
Yolanda Sommer
Nicole Stahl
Beth Staley
Teal Stannard
Cheryl Stapleton
Still Life Ceramics
Laura Stock
Karen Stults
Jen Sudul Edwards
Erin Swenson-Klatt
Brandy Swigart
James Ryan Tanner
Karen Lee Taylor
Rachel Tayse
Jessie Temple
Elizabeth Ten Dyke
The Boston Foundation
The Deb and Bryan Garlock Charitable Gift Fund
The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
The WAEP Fund
Donnally Caia Thomas Given
Claire Thomas
James Thomson
Scott Tooker
Josh Torkelson
Touchstone Center for Crafts
Kerry Transtrum
Juliarose Triebes
Maria Tucker
Tia Tumminello
Sarah Turner
Astrid Twibill Hall
Coby Unger
Vanguard Charitable
Cathy G. Vaughn
Liz Wand
Alex Ward
Vince Watchorn
Kate Webb
Julia Claire Claire Weber
Marilyn Webster
Joshua Werber
Lindsay West
Wet Dog Glass L.L.C.
Karol Wight
Leah Willemin
Katherine Williams
Folayemi Wilson
John Wilson
Julia Wilson
Windgate Foundation
Kimberly Winkle
Joyce Wu
Christopher Young
Susan Zakanycz
Zoe Zeigler
Daniel Zobel