Howard Risatti of Richmond, Virginia, is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Art History/Critical Theory and former chair of the Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

His writings have appeared in journals including New Art Examiner, Art Journal, Artforum, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Studio Potter, the British journal Crafts, American Craft, Ceramic: Art & Perception, and Winterthur Portfolio.

He has written numerous catalog essays on craft and has co-curated exhibitions on the subject with Steven Glass including Art & Artifice and VA Made: Mediation Across Media. And, he is the author of many books including Postmodern Perspectives: Issues in Contemporary Art (Prentice Hall, 1990, 2nd edition 1998); with Kenneth Trapp, Skilled Work: American Craft in the Renwick Gallery (Smithsonian Press, 1998); and his latest book, co-authored with Ray Kass, The Mountain Lake Symposium and Workshop: Art in Locale, published in 2018.

While at Virginia Commonwealth, Risatti championed new directions for craft. "His scholarly publications on history and theory, positioning craft in the larger world of contemporary art and design, are essential resources in the field of contemporary craft,” said ACC Awards Committee Member Tina Oldknow.