Northwest Designer Craftsmen

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Northwest Designer Craftsmen[1] is a Pacific Northwest 501c3 nonprofit volunteer-run arts organization that promotes excellence in design and craftsmanship, and encourages public appreciation and interest in fine craft.

NWDC was founded in 1954 by nine leaders in craft from the Pacific Northwest. Russell Day, Hella Skoronski, Coralynn Pence, Lisel Salzer[2], Henry Lin, Evert Sodergren[3], Irene McGowen, Robert Sperry[4], and Ruth Pennington were not bound by the traditional approaches to fine craft, or the then-expected tradition of New England and Southern crafts. Their influences were more Asian or Scandinavian.

In the 1950's Pacific Northwest fine craft artists created and designed products breaking tradition, and set themselves free from the constraints of the past. NWDC was a result of this movement, and was established specifically to foster high standards of design and craftsmanship, and to promote public interest in fine craft and fine craft artists.

Artists form the five Pacific Northwest states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska) and who work professionally in clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber, and/or mixed media, are members.

In the 1990's, NWDC embarked on a mission to memorialize Pacific Northwest craft icons in film, resulting in the Living Treasures [5] film series. Artists featured so far in this project include Robert Sperry, Ramona Solberg[6], Russell Day, Harold Balazs, Virginia Harvey, Evert Sodergren and Anne Gould Hauberg.

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