Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), focuses on strengthening the vitality of visual, performing, and literary arts through promotion, resources, and funding opportunities.

In 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—our nation’s semiquincentennial. At the same time, Colorado will mark the 150th anniversary of our entrance into the Union—our state’s sesquicentennial. As the Centennial State, Colorado is the only one who will observe twin anniversaries.

Colorado Creative Industries is celebrating this milestone with a Creative Capitol exhibition focused on Colorado’s cultural heritage, highlighting the rich history of folk and traditional arts, as well as the contemporary implementation of these modes of community expression and cultural identity. The selected works will be on display at the Colorado State Capitol Complex, including the Governor’s Office, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, and the basement rotunda from August 2026 through April 2027.

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We envision the Wendell Castle Workshop (WCW) as an internationally significant organization celebrating the intersection of art, woodworking, and furniture design by educating the public about Wendell Castle, teaching skills inspired by his work, and encouraging makers and designers to keep his legacy alive through their own practice. Located in Castle’s former studio, the WCW is a creative hub where people come from around the globe to learn, create, and connect.

Our mission is to provide classes and resources to help people experience and expand the creative legacy of Wendell Castle.

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We are a non-profit art center in South Carolina that produces contemporary art exhibitions, offers year-round cultural programming, and a variety of events that are free and open to the public. These include performances, workshops and classes that embrace not only visual arts but also theater and dance.

Housing both a gallery and an adjacent live-work studio for an artist-in-residence program, CCA provides artists with resources to develop, create and exhibit their art, frequently in conjunction with performing, literary and media arts.

The Center is financially supported by diverse sources including business, government agencies, foundations and private individuals through memberships, visitor donations, and grants.

Founded in 2007, and opened one year later, CCA continues to be dedicated to enhancing the interaction between artists and the public. The Center is located at 701 Whaley Street, in the former community center of Columbia’s Mill District.

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The School of Art and Design is a creative learning community in which students develop their practice as artists, designers, and art historians who work in and across media while enhancing their technical skills, historical and theoretical knowledge, and visual, material, and conceptual thinking within the context of the School’s commitments to social and environmental justice and innovative entrepreneurship, as well as its location near the U.S.-Mexico Border and on the Pacific Rim.

Our Gallery Program bridges a diverse Southern California university community and public audience through scholarly, experimental, and socially conscious presentations of contemporary art and design.

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Working at a Joyous Creative Thing: Weaving, Making, and Material Culture in Letty Esherick’s Legacy, highlights Artist-in-Residency Kelly Cobb’s ongoing research and creative work at WEM. It marks the first public presentation of Letty Esherick’s textiles in at least five decades. They are shown alongside new works by Cobb, as well as artworks across disciplines by a group of skilled collaborators that range from handmade garments to sound art to embroidery.

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Now in its 49th year, American Craft Made Baltimore is the largest juried craft fair on the East Coast. A celebrated local institution, American Craft Made brings together over 400 artists, 10,000 attendees, and dozens of local partner organizations from across the East Coast for shopping, demonstrations, hands-on experiences, and connection through craft.

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Step inside The Living Temple—a vibrant retrospective celebrating the boundary‑breaking Swedish artist and designer Moki Cherry (1943–2009), whose life was her canvas.

From colorful textiles, costumes, and posters to ceramics, video, and sound, Moki’s work dissolves the line between home and stage, art and everyday life.

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Kolrosing is a humble decorative Scandinavian folk art made by incising wood surfaces and filling the lines with pigment. In this course, students will learn the basics of kolrosing through good technique and practice allowing them to confidently and joyfully explore kolrosing beyond this class.

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Join artist and Instructor James Johnson for a presentation about Tlingit history and the cultural significance of spoons.

Tlingit spoons are constructed from Dall sheep horn, mountain goat horn, and wood. James will talk about feeding our ancestors, cultural practice, and the meaning behind the designs.

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This intro-level class covers the foundations of carving freshly cut wood as we make a few joyful crafts from small diameter wood (aka “sticks”). Our projects will give us the opportunity to better understand wood fibers and learn how to carve them effectively using safe knife techniques.

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Join woodcarving instructor and Vesterheim Gold Medalist Rebecca Hanna in exploring the art of kroting, cutting lines into wood after it has been painted or stained. Inspired by work in the Vesterheim Folk Art School as well as the instructor’s personal work, students will be taught how to start kroting and given a simple design to try themselves.

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Explore the traditional and beautiful Norwegian decorative painting known as rosemaling. In this beginner-friendly class, you will be introduced to and gain confidence in the essential strokes used in rosemaling. By the end, you’ll have a completed piece that highlights your growing skill and understanding of rosemaling fundamentals.

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Join artist and designer Melanie Abrantes for a presentation about Japanese spoon carving, touching on the art and cultural significance on the spoons of Japan, Melanie will explain how she uses Japanese spoon carving techniques to make her own spoon designs. She will recount her own travels to Japan to work with a company who makes the tools for spoon carving. This presentation will be a great introduction to the art of Japanese spoon carving.

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Join artist and instructor Liesl Chatman for the first in a series of three cross-cultural webinars exploring spoon carving techniques from around the world. This webinar will explore the art and cultural significance of Norwegian spoon carving, using examples from the Vesterheim collection.

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Kolrosing is a traditional Scandinavian art form used to decorate utilitarian wooden items such as spoons, plates, small boxes, and lefse sticks. You will be incising/stippling the surface of the wood and backfilling with various pigments. You will be able to complete numerous projects for family and friends.

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