I have been a part of SIBS for a little while now, and though I have not had the chance (until now) to do anything directly through them I have felt more part of a community since joining. I love seeing the shirts out everywhere, and being someone in the shirt out and about, working to make a more inclusive craft community. This mini grant has helped me to do just that. As I started grad school, it has been one of my primary goals to become more actively involved in the craft community. Part of that - the most exciting and most intimidating part - has been the opportunities to travel. This semester alone I’ve had the opportunity and the great joy to attend as many blacksmithing conferences and festivals as possible, and meet a staggering number of incredibly kind and talented artists and craftspeople from across the states. With this grant sibs has made that travel more accessible to the budget of an art grad, and made it possible at all for me to travel to Detroit just earlier this month. Through that trip, I was afforded tours of Cranbrook and its private collection, I was exposed to a borderline disorienting amount of incredible art through the museums and galleries there, and had the opportunity to meet and speak with several artists in a wide array of media. I left Detroit excited to return to my studio with the inspiration I had gained, and already planning with some of the artists for our next visit. I am extremely grateful to SIBS for helping make this experience possible, and look forward to the friendships and artwork that are developing out of it.
