ASHEVILLE, NC (May 13, 2025) — The Center for Craft is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, which recognizes top emerging craft artists in the United States. Selected by a distinguished panel of craft experts from a pool of nominations, 10 graduating college seniors have been awarded for their exceptional artistic talent and potential to make a lasting impact in the world of craft.

This year’s awardees are Elisa D’Agostino, wood, Virginia Commonwealth University; Flor Fabela, metals, University of Texas, El Paso; Helios Heartstar, metals, University of Oregon; V Huff, sculpture, University of Arkansas; Gavin Nicholson, ceramics, Kansas City Art Institute; Hayden Nupcharoen, wood/sculpture, Massachusetts College of Art and Design; Annie O’Brien, glass, Cleveland Art Institute; Mia Rodriguez, fiber, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University; Helena Westra, recipient of the Marlin Miller Family Award for the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, ceramics/sculpture, San Diego State University; and Sequoia Williams-Valenzuela, fiber, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Fellows receive $15,000 in unrestricted funds to support their transition from student to working artist, and create individualized plans for personal and artistic growth at this crucial phase in their early careers. Historically, artists have used this grant to conduct material research, establish a studio, engage in further learning opportunities, or travel to locations significant to their research. Each Fellow also receives support through cohort convenings and professional development with the Center for Craft.

“The Windgate-Lamar Fellowship is one of our signature programs, and we could not be more thrilled to support this incredible group of talented emerging artists,” says Center for Craft Executive Director Stephanie Moore. “These artists push the boundaries of their mediums, showing us that craft is both a reflection and a reimagining of the world around us.”

Since 2006, the Windgate-Lamar Fellowship has awarded a total of $3 million to 200 emerging craft artists, providing them with a network of support and creating a foundation for future success. Past awardees such as Aaron McIntosh, Indira Allegra, and Brian Fleetwood have gone on to influential careers as artists and faculty members at some of the nation’s leading art programs. In 2018, the Center for Craft established the Stoney Lamar Craft Endowment Fund to endow the fellowship in honor of renowned wood sculptor and Center for Craft Director Emeritus Stoney Lamar.

Panelists for this year’s selection committee were artist Geoffrey Bowton; Alana Hernandez, senior curator, Arizona State University Art Museum; artist, educator, and independent curator Margaret Jacobs; and carole frances lung, executive director, Antenna, and retired Professor of Fashion, Fiber, and Materials, University of California, Los Angeles.

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ABOUT CENTER FOR CRAFT
The Center for Craft amplifies how and why craft matters by increasing access to resources that catalyze artists and scholars nationwide. Proudly based in Asheville, it has been at the center of the conversation about the future of craft since 1996.

For more information and images, contact Daniel Nevers at 828-785-1357 x114 or press@centerforcraft.org. Center for Craft is located at 67 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC 28801. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.

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