Established in August of 2012, this comprehensive center for the study of South Carolina’s Native American peoples, their histories, and their cultures offers visitors the opportunity to view the single largest collection of Catawba Indian pottery in existence; study primary and secondary texts on Native Americans in the Southeast; participate in educational classes and programs; and observe archaeology, language, and folklore and oral history labs.

We develop curriculum and public programs that educate the public about Native American art and culture, with an emphasis on the Catawba and other Native communities in South Carolina. Students at USC Lancaster and visitors to our Center can learn about art, American Indian literature and culture, Native American archaeology, folklore, anthropology, and oral traditions.

Our Mission

The mission of USC Lancaster’s Native American Studies is to promote the documentation, preservation, appreciation, and study of Native American cultures and heritages. This mission is aided by courses and curricula, research projects, archival resources, exhibits, publications, and other public and educational programs and  materials developed by USCL faculty and staff. The Center works to dispel any stereotypes or existing misconceptions regarding Native Americans, their cultures, life ways, and languages.

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The South Carolina State Museum, located in Columbia’s historic 1894 Columbia Mills building, is the largest museum in the state and a Smithsonian Affiliate. The Museum features four floors of exhibits in art, cultural history, natural history, and science and technology. Our mission is to provide educational experiences that inspire, entertain, and enrich visitors through engaging exhibits and innovative programming.

Highlights of the museum include the Lipscomb Art Gallery, a 55-foot digital dome planetarium, the Boeing Observatory with a historic Alvan Clark telescope, and South Carolina’s only permanent 4D interactive theater. Its extensive collection includes over one million objects, such as fine art, fossils, cultural artifacts, and science exhibits. Notable exhibitions explore topics like World War II, South Carolina’s role in space exploration, and the science of sound.

The museum offers educational programs, field trips, and discounted access through the “Museums for All” program. General admission is affordable, with special pricing for children, seniors, and groups. Visitors can enjoy the Crescent Café and shop for locally made items in the museum store, one of the largest museum gift shops in the country.

Blending history, art, science, and culture, the South Carolina State Museum offers a dynamic and inclusive experience for learners and explorers of all ages.

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The Asheville Art Museum was founded in 1948 by a group of artists to champion the creativity of Western North Carolina (WNC), bring art of national significance to the community, and encourage dialogue. Through generations of experienced and dedicated volunteer and professional leadership, the Museum continues to realize its mission: to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Collection houses over 8,500 works in all media, including regionally and nationally significant paintings and drawings, prints, photography, sculpture, craft and decorative arts, and focal collections of works by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Appalachian artists, Black Mountain College artists, traditional and studio craft, and regional architecture. The Museum has been particularly active in collecting historic and contemporary craft and studio glass with a focus on the Southeast and WNC.

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CraftNOW unites, celebrates, and supports the people, businesses, and institutions of the craft community of Philadelphia. Through education, curation and economic development, we work to continue Philadelphia’s vibrant history as a capital of craft- a place where craft is learned, created, seen, purchased, collected, and shared.

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Winterthur is the premier museum of American decorative arts, with an unparalleled collection of nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America since 1640. The collection is displayed in the magnificent 175-room house, much as it was when the family of founder Henry Francis du Pont called it home.

Winterthur is also 1,000 acres of protected meadows, woodlands, ponds, and waterways. The 60-acre garden, designed by du Pont, is among America’s best, with magnificent plantings and massive displays of color throughout the year. The graduate degree programs and extensive research library make Winterthur an important center for the study of American art and culture.

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The Rockwell Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of the evolving American experience through the work of American artists. Founded in 1976, The Rockwell is a community hub showcasing the diversity of American experience through compelling exhibitions and imaginative programs. The collection includes a mix of contemporary Native American art with traditional bronze sculptures, landscape paintings, and other works that embody America. Housed in the restored 19th-century Old City Hall building, The Rockwell is active in the local community and holds special events and educational programming with area schools. The Rockwell provokes curiosity, engagement, and reflection about art and the American experience.

The Museum’s campus includes the KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab, located around the corner at 36 E. Market Street, featuring family-friendly activities, games, and hands-on projects connected to our exciting special exhibitions and collection of American artworks.

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Founded in 1921 by Castine summer resident and geologist Dr. J. Howard Wilson, the Wilson Museum invites you to forge connections across history, places, and cultures.

From million-year old fossils to Bagaduce River horseshoe crabs, from the tools of early humans to Castine’s local history, from the shores of Penobscot Bay to people around the world, the collections, exhibits, and programs at the Wilson Museum feed curiosity and provide multi-sensory, immersive learning experiences.

Visitors of all ages can tour an early Castine home, watch craftspeople and artisans demonstrate traditional skills and tools, and engage in hands-on learning.

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Founded in 1799, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, is the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. PEM provides thought-provoking experiences of the arts, humanities and sciences to celebrate the creative achievements and potential of people across time, place and culture. By connecting people through inquiry, empathy and dialogue, PEM encourages an understanding of our shared humanity and fosters a sense of belonging in a complex, ever-changing world. We build, steward and share our superlative collection, which includes African, American, Asian Export, Chinese, contemporary, Japanese, Korean, maritime, Native American, Oceanic and South Asian art, as well as architecture, fashion and textiles, photography, natural history and one of the nation’s most important museum-based collections of rare books and manuscripts. PEM offers a varied and unique visitor experience, with hands-on creativity zones, interactive opportunities and performance spaces. The museum’s campus, which offers numerous gardens and green spaces, is an accredited arboretum and features more than a dozen noted historic structures, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese home that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture in the United States.

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Shotwell Paper Mill is a hand paper mill located in the Mission district of San Francisco. We use traditional Western papermaking techniques to produce sheets one at a time. Our paper is made from old rags, locally grown plant fibers, and/or other plant based textiles that are otherwise headed for the waste stream.

We work with communities, organizations, businesses, and individual artists, on projects that use handmade paper rich with story and meaning.

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Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Floyd Center for the Arts is a vibrant hub for creativity, learning, and community. Established in 1995 on the site of a former 1940s dairy farm, the Center has transformed the historic barn and surrounding buildings into galleries, classrooms, and working studios that serve artists and the public alike. Today, the campus offers exhibitions, workshops, and free community events that bring people together through the arts, including the annual Floyd Living Traditions Festival, which celebrates the region’s rich heritage of art, craft, and music. Through art education for all ages and abilities, scholarships, and a welcoming environment, the Center ensures that everyone has the opportunity to see, learn, and create!

Mission Statement:
The Floyd Center for the Arts connects people through visual arts, handmade craft, and music – honoring living traditions while embracing innovation.

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The Denton Maker Center, a non-profit organization, strives to be the central location for creative making in the greater North Texas region. This is accomplished by providing activities and resources that nurture a community of makers. Activities include workshops (both in-person and online), exhibitions, sales, open studio times, and related special events. Resources include tools/equipment, expertise of personnel, safe workspace, exhibition space, and a retail store. Generation of public interest and appreciation is accomplished through promotion of these activities and resources through personal networking, social media, website, print materials, and shared distribution by aligned institutions.

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Racing Magpie, founded in 2015, is a Lakota-centric creative community space located in Mni Luzahan (Rapid City, South Dakota), on Očhéthi Šakówiŋ homelands. We are a home for Native artists, creatives, and community members; a space for making, gathering, healing, and building relationships. Our work is guided by the Lakota principle of being a good relative, and we center this responsibility in everything we do: with people, with the land, and across generations.

We work at the intersection of art, community, and cultural continuity through five program areas:

• Artist Support & Creative Development – Studio space, residencies, grants, a supply swap.
• Exhibitions – Community-curated and solo exhibitions, traveling shows, and site-specific works.
• Creative Education & Knowledge Sharing – Art classes, our Elder-in-Residence program, internships, Winter Camp.
• Community Creative Events – Art markets, creative gatherings, and youth-friendly, drug- and alcohol-free events.
• Place-Based Practice – Two multi-use buildings with a community garden, outdoor gathering space, and dedicated facilities for long-term sustainability.

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Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America is the leading center for Nordic culture in the United States, offering a wide range of programs that illuminate the culture and vitality of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. It is the home of the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF), an American non-profit organization offering fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing and memberships.

ASF is the organizer of “Nordic Echoes — Tradition in Contemporary Art,” the first major traveling exhibition of contemporary Nordic folk arts and cultural traditions from the Upper Midwest. On view at Scandinavia House in 2025, the exhibition will travel to the South Dakota Museum of Art in Brookings, SD (October 2025-January 2026), the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, MN (February-June 2026), and Vesterheim in Decorah, IA (October 2026-January 2027), and other locations in 2027.

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The Mint Museum welcomes all to be inspired and transformed through the power of art and creativity. Among the most significant public institutions in Charlotte, the museum holds a permanent collection of nearly 35,000 objects, one of the largest in the Southeast, spanning art, craft, and design from around the world.
Widely recognized as an invaluable cultural and educational resource, The Mint is committed not only to the growth and quality of its collections but also to nurturing appreciation of the vital role the arts play in our lives.

Each year, the museum celebrates this mission through programs and events such as the annual Potters Market, which showcases exceptional ceramic artistry and supports both artists and the community.
The next Potters Market will be held on September 27, 2025. Guided by values of inclusivity, innovation, collaboration, and empathy, the museum engages communities in lifelong relationships with art, enhancing lives and creating a more connected and welcoming world.

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