JRACraft Coffee & Conversation with Mike Hatch

How did Asheville, a small town in Western Appalachia, become a center of contemporary craft? How has this community's development been guided by the makers who live there? And how will they rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Helene?
Michael Hatch has lived and worked as craft artist and scholar in the Asheville area for nearly thirty years. His research and experience has allowed him to develop a unique perspective on the shifting notions of craft in Western North Carolina. Find out more about this special community and get a sneak preview of Michael's summer course looking at the history of craft in Western North Carolina: "Appalachian Craft: Then and Now."
About Michael Hatch
Michael Hatch is a maker and a scholar. He has worked with molten glass for over thirty five years, and has run his studio/gallery Crucible Glassworks in the Asheville area since 1998. He received a BA Sociology & Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University where he was first introduced to glassworking. He received an MA in Critical Craft Studies from Warren Wilson College, and has since added independent researcher, curator, adjunct professor, and conference organizer, as well as other accolades to his resume. He has presented his grant-funded research through exhibitions, writing, conference presentations, and sound and video projects. His glass work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country. Mike became a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild in 2005 and has served on numerous committees, two terms on the Board of Trustees (with two years as vice-president), and currently manages the organization’s archives when he is not working in his studio.
About JRACraft
The James Renwick Alliance for Craft celebrates and advances American Craft and craft artists by fostering education, connoisseurship, and public appreciation through programs, educational trips, publications, and recognition of excellence in the field. In addition, we provide support to craft artists and museums, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Learn more on our website: www.jracraft.org/.

[@CumadiMariaPacheco]

Nice conversation 🔝🔝🔝🔝👏👏👏👏👏 1:03:02