Guest: Jackson Schwartz, co-founder of Hennepin Made, told the story of setting up his business post-recession, his reconceptualization of commerce, and the importance of crafting your story in order to connect with an audience. a glass lighting fixture company launched in response to the last economic recession @hennepinmade (Photo: Aaron Davidson)

You asked: Where can we find information to help us navigate the financial aid packages available to us? What does this mean for the way we operate now, and the future of events like art and craft shows? You questioned what the best advice was regarding attending studios or outside events. Particularly, you felt new opportunity to attend virtual events and connect, but were missing that person-to-person contact. This change was framed as an opportunity to build from the ground up.

Guest: Ayumi Horie, founder of Pots In Action, shared her experience of the pandemic, its impact on her as a ceramicist and a parent, her development of online presence as a second studio practice, and ways our craft skills can be used for social good in times of crisis. @ayumihorie

You asked: How can we manage new expectations of the sector for creative forms of connection and practice? In particular, you were seeking advice on how to build out online classes, as well as ways to support those at home with children. You also questioned how providing labour for free now could affect the value of your work in the future as well as ways to make meaning from what is going on around us.

Guest: Tori Hong, cofounder of Asian American Youth Storytellers and She Spends community member, shared ideas on prioritizing mental and personal wellness and realigning our work loads to our current situation. @tori.hong

You asked: How can we broaden our networks and develop community, especially in a time of isolation? You felt that it was difficult to navigate the intense activity of recent weeks while also feeling the need to tackle it in order to remain connected and relevant. There was a clear tension between wanting to care – for ourselves and each other – and the need to create income.

Guest: Michael Strand, producer of Misfit Cup Liberation Project and social entrepreneur, discussed developing projects in response to emergency, the systemized nature of our community and processes, and how creative disruption can shift the tone of these difficult times. @strand_michael

You asked: How can we organize ourselves in order to better contribute? In particular, you had great ideas on how to incorporate messaging to frontline workers inspired by Michael Strand’s sandbag project. There was also discussion around the consideration of the needs and experiences of those with disabilities and chronic illness to ensure inclusion while also recognizing past experiences.

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, SNAG executive director @snagmetalsmith

Lauren Baker is a UK-based doctoral researcher exploring the role of support organizations in the development of craft career pathways. @doctorlozzo

Sarah Schultz, American Craft Council executive director @craftcouncil

Cornelia Carey, CERF+ executive director @cerfplus

Laura Zabel, Springboard for the Arts executive director @springboardarts

Guest: Ruby Lopez Harper, senior director of local arts advancement for Americans for the Arts, shared some of the findings from ongoing impact research, with craft respondents reporting a 98 percent loss of income, 68 percent were unable to access resources necessary to continue, and 87 percent stated it was impossible for them to plan with so many unknowns. In response to this, Ruby was able to share several resources accessible via the Americans for the Arts Resource Center, including relief funds, regional information, and webinars. Ruby highlighted the value of communicating with your regional support networks, staying connected, and recognising the value of creative outputs.

You asked: What are the rules on financial relief for different contexts, such as creatives practicing on visas? How those can make claims on speculative income? There was a drive to establish social infrastructure such as universal basic income, insurance, healthcare, and union support for artists and creatives, as well as the role of organizations in advocating for change in policy. You also wanted more information on the tools and mechanisms that can be used to accrue fees and donations for sharing your content online and on how to structure those fees in light of the sudden uptick in creatives sharing online content.

Guest: Carrie Cleveland, education and outreach coordinator at CERF+ The Artists Safety Net, shared findings from CERF+’s impact survey, with the biggest issues being show cancellations (79 percent), loss of direct sales (71 percent), and loss of gallery revenue (58 percent). Immediate needs were identified as financial relief, guidance in developing online presence, and time to assess the situation, with long-term needs identified as stability to aid proactive planning for the future. Carrie highlighted the huge number of funds available, listed on the CERF+ resource website. She also detailed the federal relief available via the CARES act, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Like Ruby, Carrie highlighted the value of contacting your local state arts council.

You asked: What support is available for small nonprofit organizations? Many also wanted to know how best to navigate the application process for unemployment assistance; in particular, you felt like there were a lot of mixed messages around application approval, with so much information held in different areas that is difficult to make sense of. Many of you reported that the federal relief was not sufficient, with no consistency across states. You felt many of the knock-on effects of lost opportunities - like canceled workshops leading to a downturn in tourism, food, and other support industries – are underacknowledged.

Guest: Carl Atiya Swanson, associate director of Springboard for the Arts, addressed the question of how we as individuals and organizations are taking care of our communities, offering insight into the activities of an organization. Issues highlighted were the difficulties of sorting through varied experiences and maintaining a sense of personal worth. Signposted were Springboard’s resources for mental and physical health and wellbeing, and the exceptional demand for Springboard’s Emergency Relief Fund. Carl shared ideas for how organizations can provide support and information to combat isolation and build connectivity using pre-existing organizational structures while working to integrate new ways of working. Carl emphasized the need for us to recognize that these new ways of working must inform a better future.

You asked: What have artists been doing to supplement their income, from adapting their creative practices to taking on entirely new roles as frontline/key workers? The discussion highlighted the recurrent issue of juggling so many different things – family life, applications for financial relief, adapting to new ways of working - which ultimately draws from creatives' time to create. Many felt it was hard to move beyond immediate day-to-day needs, making it difficult to make any plans for the future. You suggested more inclusion of makers in future exchanges in order to provide more natural dialogue and insights.

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, SNAG executive director @snagmetalsmith

Lauren Baker is a UK-based doctoral researcher exploring the role of support organizations in the development of craft career pathways. @doctorlozzo

Sarah Schultz, American Craft Council executive director @craftcouncil

Cornelia Carey, CERF+ executive director @cerfplus

Laura Zabel, Springboard for the Arts executive director @springboardarts

Guest: Paul Sacaridiz, executive director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, discussed the difficult decision to suspend the remainder of Haystack’s programming for 2020. Setting out a vision to understand how an organization leads from human values rather than just economic ones, Paul shared how the changes in Haystack’s activities were collaboratively produced with both staff and board members. He also shared his belief that the trend of switching to online learning was not the right decision for the school. Questions driving them forward include "What’s the best use of our time?", "How do we engage?", and "How do we run a school with no students?".

You asked: What is the role of organizations in guiding communities, especially when an organization is itself limited in what it can do? You valued the transparency and honesty Paul shared in Haystack’s acceptance of the current circumstances and wanted to know the mechanisms necessary for greater connectivity between students and practicing artists, makers, and educators. You were especially excited to share in the Haystack’s ongoing collection of cookie recipes!

Guest: Leslie Boyd, founding member of JV Collective, creator of Making Progress, Resources for Social Justice in Craft, and assistant professor of art at Metropolitan State University of Denver, spoke to their experience as an educator working to maintain connection with their cohort at a time of limited contact. Highlighting the barriers to access of tools, supplies, materials, and workspaces, Leslie shared some of the ways they have worked around these problems by introducing project flexibility. Championing the potential found in the adaptable models of education like those of community colleges, there was a call to reframe academic rigour via the lens of access.

You asked: for practical insights into adapting teaching and wanted to know how you could connect fruitfully with those without access to virtual platforms and resources. There was great interest in Leslie’s flexible academic programming, and you showed particular concern for the loss of informal opportunities to connect with students and communities where additional exchanges while working or during studio downtime can provide valuable discussion or insights.

Guests: Annet Couwenberg and Hadassah Dowuona of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) engaged in an exchange where they questioned the extent to which the crisis has reactivated the craft community and placed issues of inclusivity, equity, and social innovation to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Positioning graduating students as the creative change makers, Hadassah touched on the value of interdisciplinary working, the need for accessibility in materials and equipment, and the role of industry in making some of these issues manifest.

You asked: How can the barriers of access to equipment and materials be broken down, allowing for consistency in practice once students have left institutions and moved into the "real world?" You wanted to know what options could be made available once online learning has been exhausted, or how it could be integrated into more practical ways of working. Significantly, you really wanted to know if the American Craft Forum would be returning and offered great ideas on future topics.

Guest: Emma G, artist, singer/songwriter, and activist saving the world one song at a time through music about connection, storytelling, empowerment, and strength @emmagmusic

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, SNAG executive director @snagmetalsmith

Lauren Baker is a UK-based doctoral researcher exploring the role of support organizations in the development of craft career pathways. @doctorlozzo

Sarah Schultz, American Craft Council executive director @craftcouncil

Cornelia Carey, CERF+ executive director @cerfplus

Laura Zabel, Springboard for the Arts executive director @springboardarts