craftcontemporary

✨ Craft Contemporary is excited to announce the appointment of Rody N. López as the new Executive Director, succeeding Suzanne Isken who successfully led the museum since 2011 and announced her plans to retire in May. Lopez started in his new position on September 25, 2023.   “We are thrilled to welcome Rody to the museum – he brings with him a keen understanding of art and the nonprofit landscape, and his passion and vision will be critical as the museum enters this next chapter. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’d also like to thank Suzanne for her extraordinary leadership for the past twelve years, under which the museum has grown immeasurably,” said Joseph Coriaty, chair of the search committee. Lopez is a native of Guatemala and has an MFA in Exhibition Design from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and a BA in Art from Pomona College. Lopez has held numerous administrative positions at museums and nonprofits in the Los Angeles area, in addition to curating exhibitions and contributing to various catalogs and books. Most recently, Lopez was Director of Development and Communications for QueensCare—a faith-based charitable entity offering essential healthcare to underserved communities in Los Angeles—and QueensCare Health Centers (QHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center with five prominent locations throughout Los Angeles County. “I am honored and humbled to join Craft Contemporary. I welcome the opportunity to join a wonderful community of artists, makers, supporters, and enthusiasts in a sanctuary renowned for holding space for craft and artistic expression” said Rody. Join us in welcoming our new Executive Director, Rody N. López! ✨ ————————————————- 🔗 Click link in bio to read the full Los Angeles Times featured article about our new Executive Director, Rody N. López.

📣 Spots still remain and free to attend! This Saturday, December 14th, artist and chemist Maru Garcia will be on-site for a live SCOBY harvest demonstration. Discover the fascinating world of SCOBY🦠(Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) and learn how this incredible substance is grown, harvested, and transformed into eco-friendly art and materials. Learn how Maru Garcia’s unique approach connects the realms of art and science, making this workshop a perfect opportunity for everyone in the community—whether you’re an art enthusiast, a science lover, or simply curious about sustainable practices. SAT, DEC 14 12 PM – 1:30 PM
FREE
🔗RSVP: Link in bio to register for program! #SCOBY #ArtAndScience #LivingArt #SustainableArt #MaruGarcía #BacterialCellulose #ScienceMeetsArt #HarvestingSCOBY #CreativeScience

🌟Shoutout to All Our Amazing Vendors at Holiday Marketplace! 🌟 What an incredible weekend! Thank you to all who cam out to support our local arts community and the mission and programming of Craft Contemporary. Thank you to Seedy @seedy__la for bringing magic to our taste buds with your unique spins on LA comfort foods! ✨ And thank you to Canyon Coffee @canyoncoffee , SK Donuts @skdonutsla, and La Brea Bagel Co @labreabagel for providing light bites and coffee throughout the event. We’re grateful to each and every vendor who joined us and made this event a success. Here’s to many more! 🎉 * ANCESTRA @anncestra * Beda @beda.earth * BORO BORO @shopboroboro * CLARAMING @clara.ming * Chunmei Ceramics @chunmei_ceramics * Damar Filigree @damarfiligrana * Devilsfood Vending @devilsfoodvending * Fay Ray Clay @fayrayclay * FHAR Studio @fhar.studio * Hecho By Caye @hechobycaye * Happy Organics @happyorganics.co * Hua Tea @krystalchang * Judaica Standard Time @judaicastandardtime * Loram Ceramics @loram.ceramics * MAZED Studio @mmmazed * Monkey Mind @monkeymindshop * OESTE @oeste.studio * Pogona @pogonacreates * Sunnie Creative @sunnie.creative * The Washi Station @thewashistation * The Zapotec Weavers @thezapotecweavers * two hermanas @twohermanas

✨Meet The Zapotec Weavers!✨ THE ZAPOTEC WEAVERS (@thezapotecweavers ) is a family-owned brand dedicated to preserving the rich artistry of Zapotec weaving, passed down through generations. 🌿💫 They are third-generation weavers, continuing the legacy of Pedro and Margarita Gutiérrez, who set the foundation for their craft. Their mission is to honor the artistry of our ancestors while advocating for fair pay, recognition, and BIPOC representation in the weaving community. 🌱 🎁 Want to support this legacy and shop beautiful, handwoven goods? Join us for our MEMBER PREVIEW for exclusive early access to shop before we open to the public! Then, come back throughout the weekend for more shopping, delicious bites, drinks, and workshops! Shoutout to our event partners: SK Donuts (@skdonutsla), La Brea Bagel Co (@labreabagel), SeedyLA (@seedy __la), KCRW (@kcrw) , Canyon Coffee(@canyoncoffee )! 💚 ——————————————————————————— 🗓 Event Schedule
Sat, Dec 7: * Member Preview: 10 - 11 AM (Free for members / $20 for non-members) 🔗 Preview Ticket– Link in bio! * Marketplace Hours: 11 AM - 5 PM (Free with museum admission) Sun, Dec 8: * Marketplace Hours: 11 AM - 5 PM (Pay-what-you-wish admission) 🎟 Workshop: Handmade Holiday Wrapping & Cards
Sat & Sun, Dec 7-8, 11 AM - 5 PM ($15, materials included) 🔗 Workshop tickets—Link in bio! ——————————————————————————— ✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️✨❄️ Craft Contemporary’s annual Holiday Marketplace is a sale and fundraiser designed to celebrate our vibrant community of artists and makers while supporting the mission and programming at Craft Contemporary. #ZapotecWeavers #ArtisanCraft #FamilyLegacy #BIPOCRepresentation #FairPay #Authenticity #Handcrafted #OaxacaRoots #HolidayMarketplace #ShopLocal #HandmadeGifts #CraftContemporary #JudaicaStandardTime #ArtisanMarket #HolidayShopping #LosAngelesEvents #GiftGiving #CommunityConnection

🌟A message from Executive Director, Rody López This holiday season, we invite you to support your favorite LA museum and make a lasting impact! How many of you have ever tried your hand at weaving, crocheting, pottery—or even just doodling in the margins of a notebook? At its core, craft is about creating—transforming raw materials into something meaningful and uniquely human. At Craft Contemporary, we celebrate this universal impulse to make and connect. We honor tradition while inspiring bold new ideas, shaping a future where creativity is central to how we experience the world around us. I’m Rody López, and I’m honored to lead this incredible institution into a new chapter. Our mission is to amplify the voices of diverse makers, connect communities, and bridge the past, present, and future through the transformative power of craft. This season, your support helps us: ✨ Build resilience & well-being: Your gift enables programs that promote self-expression, emotional growth, and connection.
✨ Make art accessible to all: Donations provide free or low-cost programs for people of all ages and backgrounds.
✨ Inspire creativity & innovation: Your support brings groundbreaking exhibitions like Material Acts to life, where craft sparks new ideas and drives change.
✨ Strengthen community: Contributions help foster stronger, more connected communities through shared art experiences.
✨ Promote mental & physical health: Craft is a proven tool for well-being, and your gift expands its benefits across LA. None of this is possible without your generosity. Every donation, big or small, makes a meaningful difference in nurturing creativity and shaping artistic journeys. To support, click the link in bio or text CRAFT to 53-555. 📱🧡 #GiveTheGiftOfCraft #SupportTheArts #CraftContemporary #HolidayGiving #LAArt

🌱🔬 Meet Assia Crawford! In our latest series, ACT 3: Feeding! Explore how this visionary designer is blending biology and design to create sustainable, living building materials. Instead of relying on traditional, extractive materials, Assia Crawford is using microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) to craft algae-laden hydrogels 🧪🌿 that transform architectural design. By embedding algae into 3D-printed clay vessels, Crawford integrates photosynthesis into the structure itself, creating bioactive components that grow, metabolize, and thrive. These vessels are nourished with nutrient-rich water 💧 and placed under growth lights 💡 to stimulate the algae’s metabolic processes, creating symbiotic, eco-friendly materials. It’s a whole new approach to sustainability, where living systems generate architectural forms! #AssiaCrawford #FeedingArchitecture #SustainableDesign #BioDesign #LivingMaterials #Innovation #Architecture #Symbiosis #DesignForTheFuture #pstart #pstartandsciencecollide

🧫SCOBY: From Culture to Creation! Curious about the science and art of living cultures? 🤔 Join artist and chemist Maru García for a presentation about her site-specific installation composed of a live SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Learn how SCOBY 🦠 is grown, harvested, and transformed into eco-friendly art and materials. SAT, DEC 14 12 PM – 1:30 PM
FREE
🔗RSVP: Link in bio! #SCOBY #ArtAndScience #LivingArt #SustainableArt #MaruGarcía #BacterialCellulose #ScienceMeetsArt #HarvestingSCOBY #EcoArt #WorkshopFun #CreativeScience #pstart #pstartandsciencecollide

🎁 Wrap your gifts in holiday cheer! Make your holidays a little more sustainable and a lot more creative! Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop where you’ll craft upcycled holiday wrapping and cards using simple printing techniques and recycled materials. 🗓️ When: *SAT, DEC 7 + SUN, DEC 8 *11 AM - 5 PM 💵 Cost: $15 (includes all materials) 🔗Click “programs” link in bio to register What to Expect: * Create unique, colorful gift wraps and cards * Use eco-friendly materials to enhance your holiday giving * Drop-in, all ages welcome! Whether you’re a DIY pro or a first-timer, this workshop is the perfect way to add a personal, sustainable touch to your gifts this season. See you there! 🎁🌟 #HandmadeHolidays #EcoFriendlyCrafts #HolidayWrapping #CraftContemporary #SustainableGifts #HolidayWorkshop #UpcycledCrafts

✨Introducing Sunnie Creative! Sunnie Creative is a family-owned business run by two sisters, Yue and Rui, and their mother, Amy. They discovered their love for polymer clay in August 2020 and have been exploring different materials ever since. They now create wearable acrylic art and enjoy sharing their passion with the world. Sunnie Creative aims to bring joy and confidence to customers through their colorful and playful jewelry. 🎁 Want to beat the crowds and get first dibs on stunning artisan wares? Join us for our MEMBER PREVIEW for exclusive early access to shop before we open to the public! Then, come back throughout the weekend for more shopping, delicious bites, drinks, and workshops! —————————————————— 🔗 Link in bio to register for MEMBER PREVIEW, see the full vendor list, & sign up for workshops! ❆ SCHEDULE ❆ Sat, Dec 7 * Member Preview: 10–11 AM (Free for members / $20 non-members) * Marketplace: 11 AM – 5 PM (Free with museum admission) Sun, Dec 8 * Marketplace: 11 AM – 5 PM (Pay-what-you-wish admission) ❆ WORKSHOPS ❆ 🎁 Handmade Holiday Wrapping & Cards
 Sat, Dec 7 & Sun, Dec 8 | 11 AM - 5 PM
$15 (Includes materials) #HandmadeGifts #ArtisanMarket #HolidayShopping #LosAngelesEvents #GiftGiving #CommunityConnection

Join us is welcoming Jaime Villaneda to the team as our Museum Associate! 🌟 We are thrilled to introduce Jaime Villaneda to the team as our Museum Associate! Jaime is an experienced arts educator and independent curator with a BA in Latin American Studies from Yale and a Master’s in Museum Studies from NYU. His career began in retail at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by a role as Gallery Programs Coordinator at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. He then worked in educational programming at The Museum of Contemporary Art and spent seven years at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Jaime also freelanced as an educator at institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Gardens, and the Met. After freelancing at Craft Contemporary, Jaime is thrilled to officially join the team. He’s inspired by the impact of the museum’s educational programs and exhibits, seeing firsthand the joy in children’s faces as they create art, the connections families make in workshops, and the excitement visitors feel after experiencing our shows. Jaime looks forward to welcoming you and will be checking you in when you arrive!

Time is running out—don’t miss your opportunity to join Sutherlin Santo for an exciting hands-on workshop that blends 3D printing with biopolymer materials. This immersive experience is part of the Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design exhibition and takes place in the museum's Materials Library. Create your own plant-based biopolymer gels and print textile sheets using a robotic arm. It’s the perfect chance to dive into the future of art, technology, and sustainability. Robotic Craft: Printing Biomaterial Textiles
📅SUN, NOV 24
🕑2 – 5 PM
🎟️$100 / $90 members
🔗 Click the link in bio to register! Be sure to explore the second-floor Materials Library before or after the workshop, where you can engage with cutting-edge materials featured in Material Acts. From bio-calcified foam and woven earth fibers to environment-reactive metals, the library offers a hands-on, immersive experience. It’s the perfect chance to connect with both the creative and scientific possibilities of modern design. @pstinla #3DPrinting #Innovation #STEM #STEAM #TechForGood #FutureOfScience #ResearchInnovation #Interdisciplinary #AcademicExcellence #Sustainability #BioEngineering

✨Meet ANCESTRA! ✨ ANCESTRA is a concept store that celebrates its Mexican roots through a curated selection of unique & meaningful products 🇲🇽💫 They unite a new generation of artisans who innovate while honoring ancestral traditions with a focus on promoting Mexican design by showcasing emerging brands with distinctive offerings. 🎁 Want to beat the crowds and get first dibs on stunning artisan wares? Join us for our MEMBER PREVIEW for exclusive early access to shop before we open to the public! Then, come back throughout the weekend for more shopping, delicious bites, drinks, and workshops! Shoutout to our event partners: SeedyLA, KCRW, Canyon Coffee! ☕💚 @seedy__la @kcrw @canyoncoffee ———————————————————————————— 🔗 Link in bio to register for Member Preview, see the full vendor list, & sign up for workshops! ❆ SCHEDULE ❆ Sat, Dec 7 * Member Preview: 10–11 AM (Free for members / $20 non-members) * Marketplace: 11 AM – 5 PM (Free with museum admission) Sun, Dec 8 * Marketplace: 11 AM – 5 PM (Pay-what-you-wish admission) ❆ WORKSHOPS ❆ 🎁 Handmade Holiday Wrapping & Cards
 Sat, Dec 7 & Sun, Dec 8 | 11 AM - 5 PM
$15 (Includes materials) #HolidayMarketplace #ShopLocal #HandmadeGifts #ArtisanMarket #HolidayShopping #LosAngelesEvents #GiftGiving #CommunityConnection