Smithsonian Craft Show Partners With Honoring the Future to Announce Sustainability Prize

The first “Honoring the Future Sustainability Award” will be presented at the April 22 opening of the 2015 Smithsonian Craft Show.

The award, which comes with a $1,000 prize, recognizes an artist whose work educates the public about climate change or inspires or models a sustainable response to climate change. Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, will serve as judge. 

“The Sustainability Award enables us to highlight sustainable design while generating funds to support one of the four grand challenges outlined in the Smithsonian’s strategic plan—understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet,” said Craft Show Co-Chair Susan Labovich.

The Sustainability Award is the result of a partnership between Honoring the Future and the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, a volunteer grant making organization dedicated to advancing the Smithsonian’s mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. The Smithsonian Women’s Committee produces the Smithsonian Craft Show to generate funds for grants to support education, outreach and research at the Institution’s 19 museums and galleries, nine research facilities, 20 libraries and the National Zoo.

“Climate-change art is a rapidly growing field,” said Fran Dubrowski, project director of Honoring the Future. “Artists have the ability to communicate about climate change in ways outside the realms of science, statistics or argument. Artists touch our emotions and make us see our world differently.”

Widely regarded as the most prestigious juried show and sale of American fine craft, the Smithsonian Craft Show is in its 33rd year. It will be held April 22–26 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. N.W. (Judiciary Square metro station) in Washington, D.C. The 2015 show will feature the work of 121 artists, chosen from a pool of 1,200 applicants. All of the chosen artists were invited to apply for the Sustainability Award.

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