Team
Corey Pemberton
Director
Corey (American b. Reston, VA 1990) received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. He has completed residencies at The Pittsburgh Glass Center (PA), Bruket (Bodø, NO), as well as a Core Fellowship at the Penland School of Crafts (NC). He currently resides in Los Angeles, California where he splits his time between Crafting the Future, production glass blowing, and his painting practice. Pemberton strives to bring together people of all backgrounds and identities, breaking down stereotypes and building bridges; not only through his work with Crafting The Future but with his personal artistic practice as well. Visit Corey’s website.
Che Spriggs
Deputy Director
Che is a nonprofit professional with more than 5 years of experience bringing structure and efficiency to organizations working in the fields of art, education, child welfare, and mental health for underserved communities. Che identifies as a left-brained thinker who can work flexibly at both high and low levels to design programs, create systems and procedures to organize workflows, and solve problems as they come. Sometimes they dabble in art too - drawing, painting, ceramics, stick and poke tattooing, and most recently a blacksmithing workshop at Penland School of Craft.
Annie Evelyn
Development Director
Annie is a furniture maker living in Bakersville, NC. She has been a resident artist at the Penland School of Craft, the Windgate Resident at multiple Universities, and exhibited nationally and internationally. Evelyn has been working to create community throughout her artistic practice, mentoring teens, teaching art and upholstery in community and youth centers, as well as putting on arts-based events across the country. In 2019 she co-founded Crafting the Future with a dedicated group of artists from Penland School of Craft to address the glaring lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the fields of art craft and design. Visit Annie’s website.
Cedric Mitchell
Events & Resource Manager
Artist and designer, Cedric enjoys creating both functional and decorative works in glass. He brings many years of teaching experience from Tulsa Glassblowing School, a nonprofit organization in the mid-west. Working within the community teaching underserved youth and veterans the art of glassblowing in Tulsa. Other teaching experience; Pittsburgh Glass Center, Toledo Glass Museum, and Los Angeles Glass Center. Visit Cedric’s website.
SaraBeth Post
Communications Coordinator
SaraBeth Post is a multi-faceted artist living in Pittsburg PA. She utilizes glass in sculpture, functional wares, and jewelry. In 2015 she earned her BFA from the University of Louisville and completed the Core Fellowship at Penland School of Craft in 2022. SaraBeth enjoys working with youth programs and teaching new ways to explore self-expression. Visit SB’s website.
Nicole Pemberton
Finance Director
Nicole retired from the federal government in December 2020, after 33 years of service. During the last seven years of her career, Nicole worked as a Business Operations Officer performing financial analysis and metrics in support of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She was also a certified Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and conducted government cost estimates for medium and large contracts and acquisitions. In 2021, Nicole relocated from the Washington Metropolitan Area, to Sarasota, Florida where she engages in various volunteer activities, chief amongst them, budgeting and financial management of Crafting the Future’s resources. She also volunteers with the Sarasota Literacy Council.