The Spector Craft Prize is an annual initiative launched in 2025 to champion excellence in American craft. Founded by Abigail Klem Spector and Warren Spector through the Spector Family Foundation, the program supports craft artists at pivotal moments in their careers through awards, mentorship, and community-building. The program launches at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2026. In an era dominated by rapid technological advancement, the Spector Craft Prize stands as a vital counterbalance by preserving material connections in an increasingly virtual world, supporting creative expression amid declining public funding for arts education, and reconnecting makers and the public to our shared heritage of craft.

OUR MISSION

By championing craft artists at pivotal moments in their careers, the Spector Family Foundation aims to strengthen the role of craft in contemporary American culture.

OUR VISION

The Spector Craft Prize envisions a world that:

• Recognizes craft as essential to cultural vitality

• Nurtures new generations of craft artists and makers

• Preserves vital traditions while fostering innovation

• Establishes a recognized platform for craft excellence

Our three-part initiative creates a dynamic framework designed to nurture the complete ecosystem of American craft:

I. THE SPECTOR CRAFT PRIZE
This annual award honors an established artist living and working in the United States whose work defines excellence and who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing American craft.

The honoree is recognized through:

• An acquisition by our host museum, to be funded 
by the Spector Family Foundation 

• Membership on the jury to select the recipients of the Spector Craft Prize for Emerging Artists for the following year

• A leadership role at the Spector Craft Conference

• A keynote speech at the Spector Craft Conference

II. THE SPECTOR CRAFT PRIZE FOR EMERGING ARTISTS
Supporting the Next Generation
Each year, we recognize up to five exceptional makers who have maintained a studio practice for seven years or less. Nurturing the next generation of craft artists at a pivotal moment in their careers, this award is chosen by a panel of expert jurors composed of leading figures in the American craft community.

Selected artists receive a comprehensive support package, including:

• $10,000 financial award to support their artistic practice

• Participation in the Spector Craft Summit, including travel and accommodations

• Recognition across our platforms

• Mentorship opportunities with established craft artists and curators

• Peer networking sessions with fellow emerging artists

• Integration into a vital network of craft professionals

III. THE SPECTOR CRAFT SUMMIT
Building Community
The cornerstone of our program is a transformative gathering that connects emerging and established voices.

This immersive experience features:

• Discussions with leading figures in American craft

• Engagement with established artists, curators, and scholars

• Essential mentorship and professional guidance opportunities for our emerging artist prize recipients

• Community-building, essential for sustaining careers in craft

• A keynote presentation by the Spector Craft Prize recipient

The Spector Craft Prize celebrates excellence across a broad spectrum of craft disciplines that demonstrate technical mastery and innovation. Eligible disciplines include, but are not limited to: ceramics, glass, woodworking, textiles, metalwork, paper arts, basketry, and more. All works must demonstrate mastery of fundamental techniques while pushing boundaries.

The Spector Craft Prize collaborates with leading American museums that share our commitment to craft excellence. Each year, the Prize rotates to a different institution, which hosts the program’s Summit and receives a major work by the Prize recipient, funded by the Spector Family Foundation.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas will serve as the inaugural host museum for the Spector Craft Prize and Summit in 2026, with future editions planned at museums across the country. Rooted in the American Heartland, Crystal Bridges is dedicated to unraveling the story of America through art–one that reflects the diversity of people, materials, and places that shape the nation. Long committed to advancing the role of craft in American art–and the recipient of a significant grant from the Windgate Foundation in 2020 to further champion the field–the museum’s collection includes important works by Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, Preston Singletary, Norm Sartorius, Toshiko Takaezu, Andy Paiko, Flo Perkins, and Betty Woodman among others. By hosting the inaugural Prize and acquiring a signature work for its permanent collection, Crystal Bridges reinforces its dedication to honoring makers whose work connects tradition, identity, and contemporary practice across America.

FOR EMERGING ARTISTS: Applications open November 11, 2025, and close March 1, 2026. Eligible artists must have maintained a studio practice for seven years or less.

VISIT OUR SUBMISSIONS PORTAL

READ THE RULES OF ENTRY

FOR ESTABLISHED ARTISTS: The host museum, in consultation with our Advisory Board and The Spector Family Foundation, plays a leading role in identifying and selecting the Spector Craft Prize recipient. Nominations are accepted through our Advisory Board.

IMPORTANT DATES

Fall 2025
Program announcement and launch

November 11, 2025
Application period for emerging artists opens

March 1, 2026
Application period for emerging artists closes

June 2026
Selection of recipients

Fall 2026
Public announcement of recipients

November 10-12, 2026
Inaugural Spector Craft Summit, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Established in 2005, the Spector Family Foundation is a private grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing the arts, education, and civic life. Guided by a belief in the transformative power of the handmade, Abigail and her husband Warren launched the Spector Craft Prize in 2025 to honor America's craft traditions while championing the next generation of makers. Through recognition and financial support, the Foundation seeks to strengthen craft’s role in contemporary American society.

Abigail Klem Spector is Vice President and Director of the Spector Family Foundation and Co-Founder of the Spector Craft Prize. Abigail brings decades of leadership at the intersection of design and commerce to this work. She began her career as a corporate lawyer before transitioning to fashion, where she served as Executive Vice President of Merchandising at Diane von Furstenberg and later as President of Ivanka Trump's eponymous brand. Throughout her career, artisanship and craft have remained at the core of her work. She is the founder of Klem Strategic Consulting, where she advises executives and creatives in design-driven industries.

She is a board member of Closely Crafted, an organization dedicated to sustaining craft in the American fashion industry. Committed to supporting the next generation of thinkers and makers, Abigail also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of KIPP NYC, a non-profit network of free, open-enrollment public charter schools that prepare students for success in college and life, and as a Trustee of Barnard College.

Abigail received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Indiana University Bloomington and her J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Warren Spector is President and Director of the Spector Family Foundation and Co-Founder of the Spector Craft Prize. Warren is Chairman of Balbec Capital, a private investment firm specializing in alternative credit investments. Prior to founding Balbec, he served as President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of The Bear Stearns Companies.

Warren brings the strategic perspective from his successful business career to his philanthropic leadership. He chairs the St. John's College Board of Visitors and Governors and is Chairman Emeritus of The Public Theater, having led major capital campaigns for both institutions, including St. John's College's "Freeing Minds" campaign, the most successful fundraising effort in the liberal arts college's history. He serves on the board of New York Public Radio and the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

A Maryland native, Warren earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

Abigail and Warren reside in New York City with their daughter, Georgia.

The Spector Craft Prize is guided by respected leaders across the craft ecosystem. Our distinguished advisory board brings diverse expertise to ensure excellence and integrity.

Current Advisory Board members include:

• Elissa Auther, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Ladson

  Chief Curator, Museum of Art and Design

• Liz Collins, Artist and Designer

• Zoe Fisher, Director, Salon 94

• Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Founder, Salon 94

• Sarah Harrelson, Founder, Cultured Magazine

• Peter Lane, Ceramic Artist

• Jeff Lincoln, Founder, Jeff Lincoln Art & Design 

• Hannah Martin, Senior Design Editor at Architectural Digest for AB 

• Deborah Needleman, Basket Maker and Former Editor-in-Chief of T: The New York

  Times Style Magazine

• Camille Okhio, Curator and Senior Design Writer at Elle Decor

• Grela Orihuela, Senior Vice President of Fairs, Design Miami

• Lisa Perry, Founder, Oona House

• Ari Wiseman, Partner, Wiseman Studio and Former Deputy Director, Solomon R.

  Guggenheim Foundation

Our inaugural jury brings together distinguished voices in craft, design, and curatorial practice to champion excellence and innovation in American craft.

Current Jury members include:

• Glenn Adamson (Jury Chair), Curator, Author, and Scholar

• Roberto Lugo, Ceramic Artist, Social Activist, and Educator

• Zesty Meyers, Founder, R & Company

• Jen Padgett, Windgate Curator of Craft, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

• Rosanne Somerson, Woodworker, Furniture Designer, and President Emerita, Rhode Island School of Design

The Spector Craft Prize represents more than recognition. It is an investment in the future of American craft. By supporting artists at pivotal moments in their careers, we ensure that the rich traditions of American making continue to evolve and inspire. Together, we can strengthen craft’s essential role in contemporary American culture and preserve the vital connections between maker, material, and meaning for generations to come.

Follow us at @spectorcraftprize to join the journey.

For questions about the application process, email info@spectorcraftprize.org.