American Craft Forums
American Craft Forums are a dynamic series of programs that brings together the past, present, and future of craft through artist spotlights, deep dives into creative practices, archival explorations, and timely conversations that connect contemporary issues with the handmade world.
For the Record: Craft Archives as Creative Infrastructure
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
6–7 p.m. ET / 5–6 p.m. CT / 4–5 p.m. MT / 3–4 p.m. PT
Virtual: Zoom Webinar
Presented in partnership with the Center for Craft, this free virtual forum celebrates new and ongoing efforts to preserve and expand access to the recorded history of American craft. Following the American Craft Council’s landmark gift of its nationally significant Library and Archives Collections to the Center for Craft, the conversation will explore the vision for these extraordinary resources as they become part of the new Center for Craft Community Library and Archives. The program will also introduce the Center’s new Program Director, Archives and Special Collections, and highlight other innovative projects advancing craft scholarship, archives, and research.
Join leading voices in the field for a conversation about preserving cultural memory, increasing access to knowledge, and ensuring these invaluable collections continue to inform, inspire, and serve future generations.
This event is free; registration required. Register using the form on this page.
Participants
Anita Mechler
Program Director, Archives & Special Collections at the Center for Craft (Moderator)
Anita Mechler is an information and archival professional and Certified Archivist with more than 15 years of experience across academic, private, and public organizations. A visual artist, writer, and avid outdoor enthusiast, she is thrilled to work with the Center for Craft and excited to help steward the American Craft Council gift.
Chyna Bounds
Luce Fellow at the Archives of American Art
Chyna Bounds is associate curator of craft at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, where she curates exhibitions and researches craft collections. Previously, she held curatorial roles at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and Walker Art Center, and holds an MA in the history of art and architecture from the University of Oregon.
Faythe Levine
Artist and archivist at the Women’s Studio Workshop
Faythe Levine has worked in the arts for more than 25 years as an author, curator, artist, filmmaker, and organizer, with a practice centered on archives, research, storytelling, and community engagement. Based in New York’s Hudson Valley, she is the Special Collections and Public Engagement Manager at Women’s Studio Workshop, where she works to expand public access to and awareness of its archives and special collections.
M. Rachael Arauz
Ph.D, independent curator of modern and contemporary art
M. Rachael Arauz, Ph.D., is an independent curator of modern and contemporary art whose work spans exhibitions, research, writing, and criticism, with a particular interest in craft and contemporary art. She co-curated In the Vanguard: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, 1950–1969 and is currently researching the history of the MIT Glass Lab, while serving as guest curator for the 2029 Renwick Invitational at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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