Northwest Designer Craftartists
This April, the Gallery at the Park is showcasing Handwork 2026: Shaped in the Northwest, an impressive new exhibition from Northwest Designer Craftartists.
Northwest Designer Craftartists was founded in 1954 to promote excellence of design and encourage public appreciation of fine craft. Members include artists in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska who work in clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media.
This exhibition is part of a contribution to Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative presented by Craft in America, the Peabody Award-winning documentary series on PBS, to honor the value of the handmade in both history and contemporary life. Handwork 2026 celebrates the depth and diversity of the crafts that define America.
The jurors for the Northwest Designer Craftartists exhibition are Vicki Piper Gerton and Ron Gerton. Vicki blends scientific observation with artistic intuition, creating work where color, texture, and pattern emerge through experimentation. Ron, a self-taught metalsmith and retired mechanical engineer, transforms natural objects such as leaves, insects, and wood into enduring sculptures, often combining them with wood turnings.
Learn more about Northwest Designer Craftartists online at nwdesignercraftartists.org.
Handwork 2026: Shaped in the Northwest is on display at the Gallery at the Park from March 31–May 1. The reception is on Sunday, April 12, 1–3pm.
