Dear Friend of the Museum,

For over a year now, I have been working on this project with collector Forrest L. Merrill in Berkeley. We have selected the sixty-five-plus artists and their artworks. We have written and edited biographies for each artist for inclusion in the catalog. The artists are primarily based in California and are either under-represented or the recipients of some artworld exposure. The exhibition features over 100 pieces across all media. The media are represented by 26 ceramicists, 8 woodworkers, 6 mixed-media artists, 4 metalworkers, 10 fiber artists, 1 watercolorist, and 5 glass artists. This exhibition will be installed in the three premier FAM galleries and showcases the unrivaled quality of Forrest L. Merrill’s collection, one of the largest and most important craft collections in the world, containing pieces that span the arcs of entire careers of major artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
 

Fresno Art Museum members have seen artwork from Forrest L. Merrill’s distinguished collection in the Kay Sekimachi Master Weaver (Council of 100 Distinguished Woman Artist for 2018) exhibition and in the current The Graphic Art of Roi Partridge exhibition.
 

HERALDING is a participating exhibition of HANDWORK: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a year-long collaboration among institutions, educators, and makers to celebrate the diversity of crafts that define America. The initiative will bring compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight, heralding the importance of handmade art throughout America's history and contemporary life. 
 

Organized in conjunction with the Los Angeles-based Craft in America nonprofit, Heralding is one of over 224 exhibitions scheduled for nationwide presentation in 2026. This year-long series of exhibitions across America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States by honoring the rich tradition of American craftsmanship through exhibitions, catalogs, film screenings, panel discussions, and technical demonstrations in all 50 states. The Craft in America organization is spearheading the HANDWORK: Celebrating American Craft 2026 initiative along with the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. serving as the lead institution.  The Fresno Art Museum and HERALDING have been listed on the Renwick Gallery’s Handwork 2026 website as participating institution for over a year. There are American craft artists and collectors who will be traveling the country to see these exhibitions presented in 2026. FAM will be a calling-card destination museum!
 

HERALDING fulfills the illuminating purpose of HANDWORK 2026, cementing the premise that craft is universal. Craft is an essential visual voice of tradition and cultural practice. The handmade connects us through history and over time.
 

I am in the process of asking funders to support this $80,000 exhibition and accompanying 150-page catalog with sponsorship amounts as listed on the attached response form. Your support now, five months before the exhibition opens, is critical to fund the transportation of the 145 fragile works of art from Berkeley to Fresno and back, the photography of the artwork for the exhibition catalog, the graphic design and printing of the catalog, and the construction of the exhibition furniture to properly display the artwork. 
 

Thank you sincerely, in advance, for considering this request. It would mean a great deal to have your help in sponsoring this highly visible exhibition at FAM! We are all looking forward to seeing this superlative exhibition and the national attention and visitors it will bring. I look forward to hearing back from you.
 

With gratitude, 
Michele Ellis Pracy
Executive Director and Chief Curator

 

You can make an immediate donation toward this exhibition by clicking the donate button below OR if you prefer, you are welcome to download the donation form and mail, email, or fax to the Museum.