Who We Are

The international leader for contemporary art and creativity in the material of wood.

Mission

The Museum for Art in Wood engages, educates, and inspires the public through the exhibition, collection, and interpretation of contemporary art in wood.

We achieve this mission through our:

• Permanent collection
• Changing exhibitions
• Collaborative residencies
• Education and workshops
• Programming and Events
• Research Library and archives
• Documentation and publications

Since its inception in 1986, the Museum for Art in Wood (formerly the Center for Art in Wood and the Wood Turning Center) has been widely recognized by artists, collectors, scholars, and the public as one of the most valuable resources for the exhibition, collection, and interpretation of art made from wood.

It has built its reputation for over 40 years by providing opportunities for artists to experience the creative use of wood directly through participatory programming; seminal exhibitions and documentation; collaborative residencies for locally and internationally based artists; and the growth, conservation, and presentation of its permanent collection.

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The Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) stewards the world’s largest collection of international folk and traditional arts, including more than 160,000 objects from six continents and over 150 nations. This diverse collection includes dress and textiles, furniture, ceramics, masks, basketry, woodcarving, and metalwork. As one of the few museums in the United States dedicated to folk art from around the world, MOIFA expands the understanding of folk art and encourages dialogue about traditions, cultural identity, community, and aesthetics. The museum is a dynamic, multidimensional learning environment that is an integral part of community life. Our collection and programming provide important connections between past, present, and future folk art and related traditions.

MOIFA’s mission is to connect communities through stories of dynamic cultural traditions, human creativity and resilience. We value and champion dialogue and collaboration with artists and communities; excellence in public engagement and programming; cultural empowerment, social justice, and accessibility to collections. As an artist-centered organization, we believe that folk artists have the power to change lives and the world, and we work to facilitate their creativity and innovation.

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The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields and presents the work of artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill.

Since the Museum’s founding in 1956 by philanthropist and visionary Aileen Osborn Webb, MAD has celebrated all facets of making and the creative processes by which materials are transformed, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies.

Today, the Museum’s curatorial program builds upon a rich history of exhibitions that emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach to art and design, and reveals the workmanship behind the objects and environments that shape our everyday lives.

MAD provides an international platform for practitioners who are influencing the direction of cultural production and driving twenty-first-century innovation, and fosters a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design.

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Opened in 1993, the Ohio Craft Museum engages and enriches the community through high-quality exhibitions and education programs. Free exhibitions showcase superb examples of fine craft, including works in clay, fiber, metal, wood and glass, by artists from across the country and around the world. Gift shops sell beautiful jewelry, wheel-thrown ceramics, blown glass, leather bags, wooden bowls and cutting boards, and much more, by over 125 artists.

The museum offers educational programming for all ages and skill levels. Artists and curators present lectures and demonstrations during exhibitions; professional artists and art educators teach classes and workshops for adults and teens. Topics have included Pysanky egg design, basketmaking, felted wool projects and polymer clay ornaments. Summer camps for children and teens help foster a life-long interest in fine craft. Workshops for professional artists are offered throughout the year.

The museum provides free exhibition tours to community groups, such as schools, senior centers and organizations serving adults with developmental disabilities.

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Located in Houston’s Museum District, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit arts center with a mission to inspire and connect people to the art and process of making. Focused on objects made from clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and mixed media, and serving as a dynamic hub at the intersection of craft and contemporary culture, HCCC is one of only a few venues in the U.S. dedicated to showcasing craft at the highest level. Visitors of all ages enjoy viewing leading-edge exhibitions, interacting with resident artists, participating in hands-on programming, exploring the Craft Garden, and shopping for one-of-a-kind jewelry and gifts.  Admission is always free.

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Part of the Mesa Arts Center, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is a visual arts space dedicated to the presentation, interpretation, collection and preservation of contemporary art, with a special focus on traditional media. Committed to showcasing outstanding regional, national and international exhibitions, the museum supports and elevates artists from around the world through solo, group and juried exhibitions.

Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum fosters community engagement through artist talks and enriching educational experiences for all.

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Lippitt House Museum, a property of Preserve Rhode Island, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the best-preserved Victorian-era interiors in the United States. Built between 1863 and 1865 in the Renaissance Revival style, the three-story brick and brownstone villa was home to four generations of the Lippitt family before becoming a museum in 1993. The house is richly embellished with elaborate painted finishes, stained-glass windows, ornate woodwork, and original furnishings, making it a time capsule of Victorian design and craftsmanship.

Through tours and programs, the Museum explores themes of industry, immigration, design, and civic engagement, illuminating Providence’s rich cultural heritage. Public programs include concerts, talks, and specialty tours. Inspired by Providence’s 19th-century immigration history and the Lippitt family’s commitment to public service, the Museum also offers a civics outreach program for adult English language learners, which was recognized with an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

Handwork programming will feature many makers and craftspeople represented in the house, known and once known, along with the work of contemporary artisans, celebrating the artistry and craftsmanship that continue to shape Rhode Island’s cultural identity.

Visit LippittHouse.org to for visit information and current tour schedules as well as an up-to-date program calendar.

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The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking melds art, history, technology and industry from historical and global perspectives. Museum visitors follow the path of paper from the earliest examples of writing materials, to the Chinese discovery of how to make paper, to the paper mills of Europe, and the high-tech machinery of today’s modern paper industry.

The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking’s mission is to collect, preserve, increase, and disseminate knowledge about papermaking – past, present and future.

The museum cares for the most comprehensive collection of paper and paper-related artifacts in the world, comprised of over 100,000 artifacts including manuscripts, rare books, prints, hand and industrial papermaking tools and equipment, and crafted and manufactured objects, as well as paper samples.

First established in 1939 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by renowned paper historian Dard Hunter, it relocated in 1954 to the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, Wisconsin, where it remained until 1989. At which time, the Institute of Paper Chemistry moved to Atlanta, becoming the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST). In 2003, IPST merged with the Georgia Institute of Technology. Today, the museum is part of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, an Interdisciplinary Research Institute at Georgia Tech.

Permanent and temporary exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, and virtual programming are available for audiences of all ages.

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Located in Demorest, Georgia, the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art (MSMA) is part of Piedmont University. The museum fosters artistic and cultural enrichment by exhibiting art, supporting the university, and engaging the Northeast Georgia community.

Opened in 2011, the MSMA serves as the permanent home for works donated to the college by Dr. Bill Mason, Class of 1957, and Bob Scharfenstein, both of Birmingham, Alabama. Throughout the year, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary art, craft, and design.

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Nestled beneath live oaks in Laurel, Mississippi, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is a cultural gem housed in a striking Georgian Revival building. Established in 1923 as Mississippi’s first art museum, it honors the legacy of Lauren Eastman Rogers, whose family transformed personal loss into public enrichment.

The museum’s five specialized collections span American and European paintings, Native American baskets, Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, and British Georgian silver. Beyond its permanent holdings, LRMA hosts rotating exhibitions, studio classes, concerts, and lectures, fostering creativity and community engagement.

Free to the public since its founding, the museum remains a beacon of inspiration and education. Its blend of architectural elegance, curatorial depth, and civic spirit makes it a cornerstone of Southern cultural heritage.

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Exhibits at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, explore the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience and showcase the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk arts. This national treasure features a world-class collection of 33,000 artifacts and a Heritage Park of 12 historic buildings, as well as a Folk Art School in scenic Decorah, Iowa.

But you don’t have to be Norwegian-American to enjoy all the beauty and wonder Vesterheim has to offer. Be inspired, share history, and create art while visiting the exhibits, taking a class at the Folk Art School, and shopping the Museum Store!

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The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts offers an inspiring array of visual, performing arts, and educational experiences. The Museum is committed to creating an inclusive cultural space for the community to engage with diverse artistic perspectives through the AMFA Foundation’s 14,000 object permanent collection, compelling temporary exhibitions, lively theatre, and enriching courses.

The mission of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is to create an inclusive cultural space that inspires and builds community through the visual and performing arts. Serving the state of Arkansas and beyond, AMFA provides enriching experiences in the arts for all. Let your creativity flourish through instruction in diverse media, find inspiration through innovative programming, and experience art in new ways at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is home to the Windgate Art School, offering studio instruction in drawing, painting, ceramics, glass, metals, woodworking, and more. Instruction is available for students of all ages and skill levels, with daytime and evening classes offered quarterly, as well as short-term and specialty workshops.

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Racine Art Museum (RAM) is a nationally recognized institution that presents exhibitions and programming curated around contemporary art, craft, and design.

Located in Racine, Wisconsin, a historic community on the shores of Lake Michigan, it occupies two facilities—the Racine Art Museum, an expansive modern gallery with award-winning architecture on the downtown waterfront, and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts (Wustum), an exhibition space and studio art center housed in a historic farmhouse surrounded by lawns and gardens.

RAM is known for having the largest contemporary craft collection in North America, with more than 14,000 works by renowned artists in ceramics, fiber, glass, metal, polymer, wood, and more. Our thoughtful exhibitions invite visitors to engage with artistic innovation, the physicality of materials, and the intersection of the craft and contemporary art movements.

We welcome approximately 50,000 guests from 40 states and 15 countries annually—making RAM a cultural and economic anchor for the region. Each year, as many as 15,000 people take part in our educational programs. Others benefit from wide-reaching K–12 experiences, community collaborations, and creative engagement opportunities for people with memory loss.

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art—in partnership with the city, the region, and art museums around the globe—seeks to preserve, enhance, interpret, and extend the reach of its great collections in particular, and the visual arts in general, to an increasing and increasingly diverse audience as a source of delight, illumination, and lifelong learning.

We are committed to being the cultural heart of Philadelphia. Learn about who we are, what we value, and how we connect people to the arts.

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The Wharton Esherick Museum is the home and studio of famed American artist Wharton Esherick, located atop Valley Forge Mountain in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Set on 12 wooded acres, the Museum campus is comprised of multiple buildings including Wharton Esherick’s Studio, which is now the centerpiece of the Museum. Esherick’s highly individual, hand-built Studio was constructed over a 40-year period beginning in 1926, incorporating Arts and Crafts, Expressionist, and organic designs. Two years later Esherick began his 1928 Expressionist garage, now our Visitor Center. In 1973, just one year after its official opening as a museum, the Studio was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1993, the Museum was designated a National Historic Landmark for Architecture.

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