Exhibition - CraftTexas

CraftTexas 2025 is the twelfth in a series of juried exhibitions highlighting the best in Texas-made contemporary craft. Juried by Abraham Thomas, the Daniel Brodsky Curator of Modern Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the exhibit includes 50 pieces by 49 artists, highlighting works that speak to diverse themes, including caregiving and expanded approaches to quilting and landscape exploration, while challenging craft boundaries through the innovative use of found and repurposed materials.

The CraftTexas series provides a unique opportunity for Texas artists to have their work viewed by a nationally recognized juror and displayed in an exhibition that strives to broaden the understanding of contemporary craft. From over 350 submissions, Thomas selected works that exemplify the diversity of contemporary craft in Texas. In his juror’s statement, he shared: “The artists featured in CraftTexas 2025 demonstrate that craft remains a vital and relevant means of cultural expression, addressing contemporary concerns while honoring deep material traditions. These selected works collectively highlight that Texas continues to nurture some of the most compelling voices in contemporary craft.”

Spanning HCCC’s main and front gallery spaces, the exhibition features a variety of artworks and installations, including representative works in ceramic, fiber, and mixed media.

CraftTexas 2025 Artists
Jeanne Akita (North Richland Hills, TX)
Josh Alan (Houston, TX)
Mussarat Arif (Richmond, TX)
Brooke Armstrong (San Antonio, TX)
Annie Arnold (Austin, TX)
Cassie Arnold (Denton, TX)
Byron Ashley (Austin, TX)
Beatriz Bellorin (Houston, TX)
Susan Budge (Houston, TX)
Zakiya Caldwell (Bastrop, TX)
Han Cao (Dallas, TX)
Madison Casagranda (Houston, TX)
Kathryn Casey (Murchison, TX)
Deby Childress (Bee Cave, TX)
Naomi Choi (Houston, TX)
Brenda Ciardiello (Fort Worth, TX)
Katie Coble (Houston, TX)
Shelby Craze (Spring, TX)
Jonas Criscoe (Austin, TX)
Georgie Cunningham (Bulverde, TX)
Yevgenia Davidoff (Austin, TX)
April DeConick (Houston, TX)
Lynne Dees (Bedford, TX)
Michaela Dillman (Danbury, TX)Selena Dixon (Dallas, TX)
Josephine Doig (Elgin, TX)
Alison Donaldson (Houston, TX)
Jane Eggers (Austin, TX)
Phoenix Emerson (Arlington, TX)
Maria Esswein (Dallas-Fort Worth, TX)
Morgan Eyring (Waco, TX)
Julia Gabriel (Houston, TX)
Naomi Wanjiku Gakunga (San Antonio, TX)
Misty Gamble (Canyon, TX)
René Garza (Houston, TX)
Justin Ginsberg (Arlington, TX)
Terra Goolsby (Austin, TX)
Mateo Gutierrez (Austin, TX)
Chris Hedrick (Blanco, TX)
Clara Hoag (Houston, TX)
Nosheen Iqbal (Richardson, TX)
Younha Jung (Houston, TX)
Jennifer Kallas (Austin, TX)
Judy King (Austin, TX)
Cindee Klement (Houston, TX)
Venessa Monokian (Pearland, TX)
Alison Rex (Austin, TX)
Carole Smith (Houston, TX)
Caterina Suttin (Cibolo, TX)

CraftTexas 2025 Juror Abraham Thomas
From positions in arts institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, Abraham Thomas has curated exhibitions spanning architecture, fashion, craft, film, and more. Since 2020, he has been the Daniel Brodsky Curator of Modern Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He previously worked at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., first as the Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge of the Renwick Gallery, and then as Senior Curator at the Arts and Industries Building.Thomas has curated or co-curated exhibitions including “Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024), “Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraordinary” (V&A, 2012), “A Higher Ambition: Owen Jones” (V&A, 2009), “Disrupting Craft” (Renwick Gallery, 2018), and “Superstructures: The New Architecture 1960–90” (Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, 2018). Before moving to the United States, he was director of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. In 2014, during his tenure at the Soane, Thomas was selected for Apollo’s 40 Under 40 Europe list. He is on the jury for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize (2022-present) and is a trustee of the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.