Exploring Legacy through The Queue

With the October/November issue of American Craft celebrating the legacies of our 2020 award winners, we’re inviting them – as well as the people they've influenced and inspired – to share personal reflections on their outstanding careers.

If Alex Moses could throw a parade for Barbara Waldman, it would be something truly grand

This week in The Queue, former American Craft Council trustee Alex Moses has written a letter in praise of her friend and colleague Barbara Waldman, who is the recipient of our 2020 Aileen Osborn Webb Award for Philanthropy. Alex and Barbara worked together closely on the ACC board of trustees, and Alex imagines a parade special enough to celebrate Barbara's contribution to the craft field.

Letter to Barbara Waldman

 
Dear Barbara,

You deserve many awards for your great gifts to the American Craft Council and to us – gifts of talent, time, and treasure. You earned more. You earned this virtual parade, our own type of a ticker tape parade to honor you.

All of us will be at your parade, in the cars, on the floats, or marching alongside. We promise not to name names, so let’s talk about your parade.

You will be in the first car, hand woven flags and banners above. The next four cars will have the ACC executive directors with whom you worked so energetically.

Fair warning, a big fight will erupt over who gets the first float. You are involved in so many parts of the ACC, and every committee will claim you. Spoiler alert: you have been in so many leadership roles at the ACC that the Executive Committee wins.

The Library Committee will try to edge forward for the second float, risking being shoved to the back. You were the brave head of the committee during the Great Consolidation Move when the show operations were moved from Highland, New York, to Spring Street, squeezing the library space. The Library Committee will be jockeyed out, unfortunately.

The Nominating and Education Committees know that you have been essential, bringing in good people and good ideas. They too will try but not get the second float – not if the Shows Committee sees an opening.

You have visited every show city. You know big and little details of what it takes to put on a show and who is responsible for each piece. You gather sponsors for preview parties. You keep everything moving along, city to city, year to year. You understand marketing, logistics, makers, teams, and buyers. You propel all of us forward. You made clear makers need a marketplace that works for them. The Shows Committee will get the second float, hands down.

All the rest of the committees will get in place, as they battle over which committee gets to focus on you as a voice for craft, and then realize that you bring your voice for craft to each committee.

With the order clear, makers can then line up their floats. Your long virtual parade is almost ready to go. Your parade has no barricades to keep the crowd at bay. We all want to participate.

We will march behind the floats, cheering for you. Our banners for the ACC are waved in honor of you.

Thank you, Barbara, for being a champion of craft.

Alexandra Moses

↑ Left to right, Alex Moses, Barbara Waldman, ACC show artist Biba Schutz, and former ACC executive director Chris Amundsen pictured at the 2016 American Craft Show in San Francisco.

Alexandra Moses (San Francisco, California) worked a booth at the American Craft Baltimore Show in 1971 and has been active ever since. A lawyer and artist, she served many years as a trustee of the American Craft Council, in addition to many other arts and cultural organizations all over the country.

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