FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2016 LEAP Award Winner and Finalists Announced
Contemporary Craft Store to Highlight Emerging Craft Artists Throughout 2016
PITTSBURGH, PA – January 4, 2016 – Jewelry artist Laura Jaklitsch of Somerville, MA has been
selected as the Society for Contemporary Craft’s (SCC) 2016 Lydon Emerging Artist Program (LEAP)
winner. Established in honor of SCC’s Director of Exhibitions, Kate Lydon, for her 20 years of service,
the annual LEAP Award was launched in the fall of 2007 and provides exceptional emerging artists withthe opportunity to showcase their work in SCC’s Store in Pittsburgh’s historic Produce Terminal building
located at 21st and Smallman streets the Strip District.
Jaklitsch, who received her BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing in 2011 from Massachusetts College ofArt, elegantly combines traditional craftsmanship and modern design in her work. Bold in color andsleek in form, her wood and plastic jewelry is at once youthful and sophisticated. “Using my signaturewood and plastic inlay technique, I let the process direct the work, while making deliberate color andcomposition choices,” says the artist. “The painterly, gestural process of cutting into the wood block andpouring the dyed polyurethane is contrasted with the diligence of the findings and the graphic quality ofthe lines. The resulting pieces are a delicate balance of both experiment and precision, and the wood andplastic abstractions begin to take on a precious, symbolic feeling.”
Reflecting on her career as an emerging artist, Jaklitsch says, “creating a body of work is a continuous
process, and I feel both proud of the evolution of my work so far, and passionate about the direction mywork is going.” As winner of the 2016 LEAP Award, Jaklitsch receives a $1000 cash prize and theopportunity to retail her jewelry at SCC for one year beginning on January 20, 2016.
Guest juror Brigitte Martin – creator and Editor-in-Chief of crafthaus, a social network and online art
community for professional craft artists worldwide – selected the 2016 LEAP Award winner and six
finalists from a diverse group of applicants. As the curator for crafthaus, Brigitte is at the forefront of
current trends and happenings in the international craft community and is committed to creatingawareness beyond the usual art and craft circles, a goal shared by Megan Crowell, Assistant Director of
Retail Operations at SCC.
“Contemporary Craft has a longstanding tradition of discovering and supporting the best and brightest
emerging talent,” says Crowell. “Many of our LEAP winners and finalists go on to exhibit and sell theirwork at other prestigious arts organizations and galleries, such as the Heidi Lowe Gallery, Penland Schoolof Crafts, and the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC. It’s exciting to be part of an artist’s budding
career at such a pivotal moment, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for visitors and collectors to make anew discovery.”- more -LEAP,	   page 2	  Six LEAP finalists were also recognized and their work will be featured in two-month increments in theSCC Store beginning February 2016. The finalists are: Alison Bailey of Greenville, NC (Jewelry); Cheryl
Derricotte of Oakland, CA (Glass); Danielle James of Greenville, NC (Jewelry); Erin Castellan ofAsheville, NC (Fiber); Marion Angelica of Minneapolis, MN (Ceramics); and Molly Uravitch also of
Minneapolis, MN (Ceramics). For additional information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org.
Support for the LEAP Award is provided by the Castagnari Family Charitable Fund of The PittsburghFoundation.
About Contemporary Craft:
Presenting contemporary art in craft media by regional, national, and international artists since 1971, theSociety for Contemporary Craft (SCC) offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing on multicultural diversity
and non-mainstream art, as well as a range of studio workshops, community outreach programs, and aretail store. Through its mission of engaging the public in creative experiences through contemporary
craft, SCC offers meaningful art opportunities for more than 145,000 people a year through four corevalues: providing vital support for artists; filling critical gaps in public education; sharing cross culturalperspectives; and using art to build community. SCC is located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip
District of Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The satellite
gallery is located in the “T” station lobby of BNY Mellon Center in downtown Pittsburgh, and is open
daily from 6:00 am through midnight. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in the Drop-In
Studio are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call412.261.7003.
For high res images, please contact Norah Guignon by email at nguignon@contemporarycraft.org or byphone at 412.261.7003 x29.

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